Pietermaritzburg

Responses from 17 law firms, representing 86 partners, of whom 36 are conveyancing partners were received. The findings read as follows:

Internet connectivity
Permanent connection					82%
Dial up					18%
Recovery of Posts & Petties costs
Transfers				Bonds	Cancellations
High			R 350	R 350	R 150
Low			R 114	R 75	R 35
Average			R 242	R 200	R 83
Recovery of Deeds Office search costs
High					R 205
Low					R 24
Average					R 95
Did not respond					6%
Recovery of electronic bond instruction costs
ABS		FNB	NED	STD	AVG
High	R 100	R 80	R 100	R 100	R 95
Low	R 44	R 44	R 44	R 44	R 44
Average	R 74	R 74	R 74	R 74	R 74
Did not respond	82%	82%	82%	82%	82%
Recovery of FICA search costs
Individuals				Companies	Trusts
High			R 250	R 500	R 500
Low			R 100	R 100	R 120
Average			R 202	R 247	R 220
Did not respond			17%	17%	17%
Firms that have increased the recommended tariff					17%
Firms that charge a minimum fee					6%
Discounting of fees
High					22%
Low					10%
Average					17%
Did not respond					29%
Percentage of firms which incentivise their secretaries					47%
Ratio of senior secretaries to junior secretaries					1 : 0.6
Matter "legs" per secretary per month
A completed bond and a completed transfer each = 1 leg, while a cancellation = half a leg
High					32
Low					2
Average					11
How long will the property boom last?
Don't know					18%
Over already					24%
Less than 6 months					18%
Less than 1 year					24%
More than 1 year					16%

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