FAQs for the Chelsea Building Society Conveyancing Panel from members of the public
For what reasons would a law firm be removed from the Chelsea Building Society approved conveyancing panel?
According to a recent survey report by the solicitors regulator three quarters of law firms had been excluded from a lender panel. The most common reasons in order are :
- lack of transactions
- the lawyer is a sole practitioner
- as part of the HSBC panel reduction
- regulatory contact by SRA
- accidental removal. We are not aware of the specific or common criteria for removal by Chelsea Building Society
Can you help?. My lawyer is not to blame but, the conveyancing for my house purchase has been going on for months. The Local Authority Search from Chelsea Building Society was issued random date and we have agreed a date for me to move into the property on 10 days inc Day of week eg. Mon. My lawyer says that as she is on the Chelsea Building Society conveyancing panel she needs to reorder the searches as they are now out of date.
A precondition to being on the Chelsea Building Society approved panel is to comply with the CML Handbook requirements (last updated for this lender on Chelsea Building Society)which states that a local authority search be not more than 6 months old. You should nevertheless ask your lawyer to check whether something called ‘search validation’ indemnity insurance is acceptable to Chelsea Building Society.
I note that you have a search directory identifying solicitors on the Chelsea Building Society conveyancing panel. Do firms pay you a commission if I instruct them for my house purchase?
We are a listing service only for law firms wishing to communicate if they are on the Chelsea Building Society conveyancing panel or other lender panels. We do not charge referral fees to the any conveyancer that you subsequently appoint.
I was supposed to move into my first house two days ago. My solicitor is on the Chelsea Building Society solicitors panel but has changed address in the past couple of months and had not informed Chelsea Building Society of their new address. Chelsea Building Society has locked down the release of mortgage funds as the information from the solicitors isn't correct.
This is as unusual as it is unlucky. The majority of lender Terms of Conveyancing Panel Appointment specifically oblige the solicitor to inform the lender of an address change. Your solicitor needs to treat this with the utmost urgency. Do speak with or register your concern with the senior partner (assuming he or she is not your direct lawyer). Most lenders would be reasonable in this situation and expedite the resolution of this issue. It may be prudent to enlist the help of your local Chelsea Building Society branch or your mortgage broker to see if they can help.
We have had an offer accepted on a apartment I spoke to a conveyancer recommended by my mum and he suggested retaining a property lawyers approved by Chelsea Building Society. The estate agent recommended two local firms so I asked Chelsea Building Society if the 2 suggested solicitors are approved, which they are not. Chelsea Building Society suggested that either firm can fill out the appropriate forms to become approved. Do I (1) save myself the aggravation and use one of Chelsea Building Society 's conveyancing panel solicitors (2) Use the local solicitor and accept there may be delays etc as they go through the approval process.
Ask Chelsea Building Society for conveyancing panel firms in your area. Lenders have them all over the country. You can also use our search tool at the top of this page to search for a lawyer on the Chelsea Building Society conveyancing panel based on location. If you particularly like the sound of one of the local lawyers that you have spoken to ask them if they would go onto Chelsea Building Society conveyancing panel as it may only take about 2-3 weeks. As long as they meet Chelsea Building Society’s requirements it can be a very simple job for the solicitor. Other stuff will be going on in parallel (as you are at an early stage) so it may not delay matters.
Can I register a complaint to Chelsea Building Society about the lawyers being on the Chelsea Building Society conveyancing panel?
Complaining to Chelsea Building Society about their conveyancing panel is unlikely to yield much of a response. All solicitors and conveyancer must have a complaints procedure. You can get information from the solicitor’s or conveyancer’s website or ask at their office. They must tell you about it if you ask.
The Legal Ombudsman will make sure that your complaint is properly dealt with by the solicitor. It can also advise you how to complain.
If a licensed conveyancer does not have a complaints procedure or will not tell you about it, contact the Council for Licensed Conveyancers (CLC), which will make sure that your complaint is properly dealt with by the conveyancer. Please see below for more information.
Intending to buy a flat with a mortgage with Chelsea Building Society. I have received an online quote from a licensed conveyancer, which states: "There will be no charge for dealing with the Lender if you are obtaining a mortgage". I take this to mean that there will be no additional fee if the solicitor is on the Chelsea Building Society conveyancing panel. I wanted to make sure it means there will be no additional fees for dealing with the mortgage.
They are simply saying that the cost for acting for the lender is included in the fee being quoted. It is worth you checking that they are on the Chelsea Building Society conveyancing panel