The Land Registry is also now involved and is currently identifying all applications filed by PM Law Group. It will review their current status and write directly to the affected clients to advise them of any outstanding issues. 

HMRC has intervened as stamp duty land tax (SDLT) was not paid by PM Law before the firm went bust. This means property buyer clients have now received HMRC demands for payment of the missing SDLT.

The SRA has appointed law firm Gordons LLP to take over outstanding cases from PM Law and the regulator has ‘taken possession of all files and money including client funds held by the firm’.

Affected customers have been voicing their shock and anger on a new Facebook group, which already has 1,500 members sharing their experiences after the sudden collapse of PM Law.

Steven Jolly, a client of PM Law stated: ‘In January, we completed the purchase of our new home. While we believed the move was successful, we recently received a bill from HMRC for unpaid SDLT, including interest.

‘This was a shock, as we had already provided these funds to our conveyancers, PM Property Lawyers, who were contracted to submit our SDLT return and payment.

‘Upon investigation, we discovered that the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) intervened and closed PM Property Lawyers during the first week of February. To avoid further penalties from HMRC, we have been forced to pay a second time.’

An HMRC spokesperson said: ‘We take a supportive approach to customers who contact us about missing SDLT payments, including looking into the reasons why their payment is missing and what we can do to help.’

Another PM Law client, Jonny Lugz, stated: ‘Our £230,000 mortgage was not redeemed on 23 January. We reported this by phone to the SRA on 2 February and followed that with a written report.

‘After no initial response and another phone call to them we were told to submit an SRA Compensation Fund Application.

‘We have now lost the house we were buying because we can’t apply for a mortgage and are trapped waiting for the SRA to consider our compensation claim. We have been told by Gordons [law firm] that any funds in PM Law’s accounts are frozen and can’t be touched so our only option is to apply to the SRA Compensation.’

The Sheffield conveyancing firm, PM Law Limited, closed unexpectedly at the start of the month, leaving hundreds of customers in limbo being unable to access client money and important files.

Within a week of the collapse, the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) had received over 50 applications for ‘emergency money’ to help affected clients of PM Law.

HM Land Registry said: ‘We are acting to support customers with applications submitted by PM Law and its affiliates’.

It said: ‘We strongly recommend that any customers affected by the closure of PM Law and its affiliates appoint new legal representation as soon as possible to progress their applications.

‘In cases where customers do not appear to have new legal representation yet, we will write directly to as many of them as possible about their applications… We cannot guarantee we will be able to reach everyone due to the limited and variable nature of customer contact details provided to us by the firm’.

The SRA investigation is still ongoing.

Useful Links

Land Registry support for clients of PM Law

Gordons LLP statement: Intervention into PM Law Limited

SRA 16 February 2025 update on the SRA's investigation into PM Law Ltd group