Port Elizabeth

Responses from 20 law firms, representing 76 partners, of whom 35 are conveyancing partners were received. The findings read as follows:

Internet connectivity
Permanent connection					80%
Dial up					20%
Recovery of Posts & Petties costs
Transfers				Bonds	Cancellations
High			R 355	R 355	R 300
Low			R 95	R 95	R 57
Average			R 262	R 250	R 165
Recovery of Deeds Office search costs
High					R 85
Low					R 70
Average					R 50
Did not respond					20%
Recovery of electronic bond instruction costs
ABS		FNB	NED	STD	AVG
High	R 100	R 100	R 100	R 100	R 100
Low	R 40	R 40	R 40	R 40	R 40
Average	R 61	R 61	R 61	R 61	R 61
Did not respond	75%	75%	75%	75%	75%
Recovery of FICA search costs
Individuals				Companies	Trusts
High			R 342	R 350	R 350
Low			R 57	R 125	R 125
Average			R 192	R 216	R 216
Did not respond			25%	25%	25%
Firms that have increased the recommended tariff					10%
Firms that charge a minimum fee					None
Discounting of fees
High					30%
Low					10%
Average					17%
Did not respond					50%
Percentage of firms which incentivise their secretaries					25%
Ratio of senior secretaries to junior secretaries					1 : 0.5
Matter "legs" per secretary per month
A completed bond and a completed transfer each = 1 leg, while a cancellation = half a leg
High					25
Low					2
Average					14
How long will the property boom last?
Don't know					35%
Over already					0%
Less than 6 months					10%
Less than 1 year					20%
More than 1 year					20%

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