Johannesburg - East

Responses from 12 law firms, representing 30 partners, of whom 16 are conveyancing partners were received. The findings read as follows:

Internet connectivity
Permanent connection					75%
Dial up					25%
Recovery of Posts & Petties costs
Transfers				Bonds	Cancellations
High			R 450	R 450	R 250
Low			R 250	R 200	R 50
Average			R 353	R 333	R 130
Recovery of Deeds Office search costs
High					R 143
Low					R 25
Average					R 74
Did not respond					25%
Recovery of electronic bond instruction costs
ABS		FNB	NED	STD	AVG
High	R 95	R 80	R 95	R 95	R 92
Low	R 40	R 40	R 40	R 40	R 40
Average	R 69	R 60	R 69	R 69	R 67
Did not respond	66%	66%	66%	66%	66%
Recovery of FICA search costs
Individuals				Companies	Trusts
High			R 342	R 342	R 342
Low			R 100	R 150	R 150
Average			R 194	R 200	R 200
Did not respond			16%	16%	16%
Firms that have increased the recommended tariff					42%
Firms that charge a minimum fee					8%
Discounting of fees
High					20%
Low					10%
Average					14%
Did not respond					33%
Percentage of firms which incentivise their secretaries					58%
Ratio of senior secretaries to junior secretaries					1 : 1
Matter "legs" per secretary per month
A completed bond and a completed transfer each = 1 leg, while a cancellation = half a leg
High					34
Low					4
Average					22
How long will the property boom last?
Don't know					33%
Over already					33%
Less than 6 months					9%
Less than 1 year					25%
More than 1 year					0%

Links to the regional results
Main survey results
Bloemfontein
Cape Town
Durban
East London
George
Johannesburg - Sandton
Johannesburg - South
Johannesburg - West
Pietermaritzburg
Port Elizabeth
Pretoria