Letter: when the Keeper pays

Mr Paterson of Stewart & Osborne is to be commended on the restraint shown in his letter (Journal, December 2015, 6) regarding the outrageous collection policy of the Keeper relative to rejections. It is clear that this is now a money-making enterprise, as some of the reasons for rejection border on the ludicrous and could easily be resolved by a simple phone call. In our office, we are now spending almost as much time in filling in the forms as we are on actual conveyancing. How have we got to such an unhappy situation?

There is, however, some light at the end of the tunnel. The Keeper has a fund available to pay solicitors' fees when rejections are found to be incorrect or there is a mistake in the title. This, of course, is not publicised!
My firm has had several fee notes met by the Keeper resulting from work in correcting her mistakes. I would urge the profession to make sure that their time is charged in these circumstances.

What is sauce for the goose!