Johannesburg - West

Responses from 24 law firms, representing 59 partners, of whom 41 are conveyancing partners were received. The findings read as follows:

Internet connectivity
Permanent connection					92%
Dial up					8%
Recovery of Posts & Petties costs
Transfers				Bonds	Cancellations
High			R 450	R 450	R 250
Low			R 200	R 200	R 50
Average			R 351	R 325	R 129
Recovery of Deeds Office search costs
High					R 150
Low					R 50
Average					R 83
Did not respond					17%
Recovery of electronic bond instruction costs
ABS		FNB	NED	STD	AVG
High	R 139	R 80	R 80	R 80	R 80
Low	R 60	R 60	R 50	R 75	R 62
Average	R 88	R 72	R 68	R 78	R 77
Did not respond	82%	82%	82%	82%	82%
Recovery of FICA search costs
Individuals				Companies	Trusts
High			R 400	R 400	R 400
Low			R 70	R 70	R 70
Average			R 222	R 222	R 222
Did not respond			25%	25%	25%
Firms that have increased the recommended tariff					33%
Firms that charge a minimum fee					4%
Discounting of fees
High					50%
Low					10%
Average					17%
Did not respond					30%
Percentage of firms which incentivise their secretaries					58%
Ratio of senior secretaries to junior secretaries					1 : 0.7
Matter "legs" per secretary per month
A completed bond and a completed transfer each = 1 leg, while a cancellation = half a leg
High					33
Low					6
Average					19
How long will the property boom last?
Don't know					25%
Over already					25%
Less than 6 months					25%
Less than 1 year					4%
More than 1 year					21%

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