From the telegraph -
Angela Rayner’s family home was increased in value by more than £150,000 after an “error” by lawyers.
The value of the property in Ashton-under-Lyne was raised from £487,500 to £650,000 in April 2024, official documents seen by this newspaper show.
Months later, Ms Rayner sold her stake in the home to a trust set up for her disabled son for £162,500 – the same amount as the increase in property price.
The increase in cost meant that their house was worth nearly twice as much as other properties on the street.
The increase in price was made after lawyers from Swiitch, the conveyancing arm of Shoosmiths, the law firm appointed by the court to run the trust for Ms Rayner’s disabled son, wrote to the Land Registry in April 2024.
They apologised for an “original error” that meant the house had been registered at only 75 per cent of its value and formally applied for this higher value to be listed.
At the time of the valuation error, Ms Rayner was being investigated over questions of whether she paid the correct tax on a former council house she used to own in Stockport. She was later cleared of any wrongdoing.