Cape Town

Responses from 56 law firms, representing 298 partners, of whom 91 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 450	R 450	R 250
Low			R 114	R 114	R 30
Average			R 302	R 273	R 107
Recovery of Deeds Office search costs
High					R 150
Low					R 10
Average					R 51
Did not respond					20%
Recovery of electronic bond instruction costs
ABS		FNB	NED	STD	AVG
High	R 137	R 137	R 137	R 137	R 137
Low	R 48	R 48	R 50	R 20	R 42
Average	R 69	R 63	R 68	R 62	R 65
Did not respond	80%	80%	80%	80%	80%
Recovery of FICA search costs
Individuals				Companies	Trusts
High			R 300	R 350	R 350
Low			R 50	R 50	R 50
Average			R 232	R 246	R 246
Did not respond			36%	36%	36%
Firms that have increased the recommended tariff					18%
Firms that charge a minimum fee					6%
Discounting of fees
High					50%
Low					10%
Average					24%
Did not respond					34%
Percentage of firms which incentivise their secretaries					39%
Ratio of senior secretaries to junior secretaries					1 : 0.4
Matter "legs" per secretary per month
A completed bond and a completed transfer each = 1 leg, while a cancellation = half a leg
High					37
Low					2
Average					15
How long will the property boom last?
Don't know					18%
Over already					36%
Less than 6 months					18%
Less than 1 year					25%
More than 1 year					3%

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