Chesham Building Society Conveyancing Lender Panel Compliance Tool

COMPLETIONmonitor is an online pre- and post-completion checklist for residential conveyancing lawyers. Supported by the CML and PI insurers. It is a unique risk mitigation tool.

This system is the only way you can demonstrate to lender panels that you are, and can stay fully compliant with their requirements, with alerts on Chesham Building Society’s changes. While utilising COMPLETIONmonitor is not a condition for being on the Chesham Building Society panel, demonstrating you can stay up to date with Chesham Building Society’s Handbook requirements is an excellent support to your panel application and, more importantly, protect your firm’s panel standing.

The system creates real-time alerts, automatically produces compliance and CQS reports, and will increase your firm's efficiency. In addition it is simply to use, cost-effective and, for some firms, leads to reduced PII premiums.

Find a Law Firm approved by Chesham Building Society

Banks and building societies frequently vary their requirements. The BSA instructions from Chesham Building Society are not guidelines, they are instructions from a client. As with many clients, instructions can change - and they do change, frequently:

A Timeline of Policy Changes


To find out more about lender panel compliance,

Book a Personalised Demo

Chesham Building Society Conveyancing Panel : Questions and Answers from members of the public

I instructed a solicitor to carry out on my remortgage six weeks ago having applied for a mortgage with Chesham Building Society. The firm confirmed to me that they are on Chesham Building Society conveyancing panel and advised me their panel number. Chesham Building Society then ,via my broker advised that their panel number was dormant and would need to be reactivated. What happens next? Should I appoint a new solicitor currently on the conveyancing panel for Chesham Building Society?
You may be very frustrated with the lawyer but if it only go take a few more days they it may be worth waiting as, depending on how far progressed you are you may end up delaying the transaction by a number of weeks if you need to replace your solicitor You may wish to enlist the help of your broker to check with the Chesham Building Society as to the time frame to get your lawyer reinstated on the panel once again.
I am purchasing a brand new apartment and my solicitor is telling me that she has to reveal incentives from the seller as her practice is on the Chesham Building Society conveyancing panel. The Estate Agents are hassling me to exchange contracts and my preference is not to delay deal. Is my lawyer right?
You should not exchange unless you have advised to do so by your lawyer. A precondition to being on the Chesham Building Society approved panel is to comply with the CML Handbook requirements (last updated for this lender on Chesham Building Society). The CML Conveyancing Handbook requires that your lawyer have the appropriate Disclosure of Incentive form completed by the developer and accepted by your lender.
Are there any apps to help find a local solicitor on the Chesham Building Society conveyancing panel? I have a car and am prepared to travel up to 20 kilometers to meet the conveyancer.
Feel free to make use of the find a conveyancing panel search on this website. Please choose the lender and your location and you will see a number of lawyer located nearest you. Alternatively you can type in the name of your proposed law firm and see if they are listed as being on the Chesham Building Society solicitor panel.
My grandfather passed away last year and as sole heir and executor was left the house. The house had a relatively small loan remaining of approximately £8000. I want to transfer the title deeds into my name whilst I re-mortgage to Chesham Building Society , pay off the mortgage etc. Is this possible?
If you intend to re-mortgage then Chesham Building Society will insist on your using a conveyancer on the Chesham Building Society conveyancing panel. Here is link to the Land Registry online guidance around what to do when a property owner dies. This will help you to understand the registration process behind changing the details re the registered title. in your case it would appear that you are effectively purchasing the property from the estate. Your Chesham Building Society conveyancing panel solicitor pays the new mortgage money into the estate, the estate pays off the old mortgage, the charge is released and you become the owner and the Chesham Building Society mortgage is registered as a charge at the Land Registry.
I am buying a property where the roof has a solar panel. Chesham Building Society have issued a mortgage offer so presumably this is not a concern to them. Why is my solicitor raising questions about the panel?
Given that you are obtaining a mortgage with Chesham Building Society your lawyer must to check the Chesham Building Society conveyancing instructions contained in the Part of CML Handbook for Chesham Building Society . The CML Handbook contains minimum requirements for solar panel roof-space leases, and solicitors are required to report to Chesham Building Society where a lease does not meet these requirements. The requirements relate to the installation of panels on properties in England and Wales. Requirements for Scotland are due in the near future.
In what circumstances might Chesham Building Society amend or withdraw their mortgage offer?
Banks and Building Societies such as Chesham Building Society can withdraw their mortgage offer although this is unusual. In the unlikely event that Chesham Building Society withdraw their offer they may or may not inform you or the lawyer as to their reasoning. There are various possible reasons but here are 5 examples:
  • Chesham Building Society may amend or withdraw an offer if the Chesham Building Society conveyancing panel solicitor is unable to confirm compliance with any of the conditions of the mortgage offer or if any of the terms of the mortgage offer cannot be satisfied
  • Situations where information provided by the borrower that enabled the lender to make a lending decision is fraudulent, incorrect or misleading.
  • Where the sale is not at arms length for value to unconnected persons
  • Where the lender is on notice of a restriction or a right of pre-emption which is not at market value
  • If the lender reasonably suspects that the applicant, borrower, mortgagor or guarantor is involved in any criminal or fraudulent activity, including trading in illegal drugs or other substances, theft, robbery, deception or other serious offences, or if the applicant borrower, mortgagor or guarantor has a conviction for any serious criminal offence, including theft, deception, fraud, robbery or trade in illegal drugs or other substances;
Chesham Building Society have agreed my mortgage in principle, my offer on house has been accepted, now what?
The estate agent will want to know who your solicitors are (make sure these solicitors are on the lenders panel). Call up Chesham Building Society or your broker and complete any relevant paperwork. Chesham Building Society will tell you what documents they want. Chesham Building Society will instruct a valuer. The valuer will get in touch with the estate agent or seller to book an appointment. Once conducted (assuming no problems) it takes about week to get a mortgage offer. Chesham Building Society will issue the offer to you and your lawyer. The transaction will then take it’s course according the nature and complexity of the conveyancing.