Examples of recent questions relating to the Coutts & Co Conveyancing Panel from members of the public
My Conveyancer is not on the Coutts & Co Conveyancing Panel. Can I still use my family solicitor notwithstanding that they are excluded from the Coutts & Co panel of approved conveyancing solicitors?
You have a number of options available to you here:
- Complete the purchase with your existing lawyers but Coutts & Co will need to instruct a lawyer on the Coutts & Co conveyancing panel. This will result in additional cost and potential delay.
- Get a new solicitor to act in the purchase, obviously checking they are on the Coutts & Co conveyancing panel.
- Urge your lawyer to apply to join the Coutts & Co lender panel
We are due to exchange on the purchase a house but as a result of damage from the recent storms I have agreed compensation from the seller of £3k approx by way of a reduction in the price. This was going to be dealt with as part of the conveyancing process but my mortgage company Coutts & Co will not agree to this. Why was Coutts & Co even consulted?
Your lawyer being on the Coutts & Co conveyancing panel is duty bound to inform Coutts & Co of any changes to the purchase price. If you were to refuse your lawyers to disclose the reduction to Coutts & Co then they would have to discontinue acting for you and Coutts & Co.
I need to find a Coutts & Co panel solicitor in Belfast. Can you assist?
It is not clear why you need a Coutts & Co panel solicitor but in any event, if you can not find one on our search tool you will need to speak directly to Coutts & Co to find out which solicitors in Coutts & Co are on their panel. If you do find such a firm not listed please direct them to our site to list. At a fee of one pound per month it is not expensive to register on the site
I am selling my house. Does my solicitor have to be on the Coutts & Co conveyancing panel in order to deal with redeeming my mortgage?
Ordinarily, even if your lawyer is not on the Coutts & Co conveyancing panel they can still act for you on your sale. it might be that the lender will not release the original deeds (if applicable and increasingly irrelevant) until after the mortgage is paid off. You should speak to your lawyer directly before you start the process though to ensure that there is no problem as lenders are changing their requirements fairly frequently at the moment.
Is there a list of Coutts & Co panel conveyancers on the CML Handbook Website?
No. There is no such tool on the Council of Mortgage Lenders or Building Society Association websites. Very few lenders make their panel listings available online.
I have paid off my mortgage with Coutts & Co. I assume I don't need a solicitor on the Coutts & Co panel to remove the mortgage at the Land Registry. Please confirm
If you have finished paying off your Coutts & Co mortgage they may send you evidence showing that you have paid it off. Alternatively they may notify the Land Registry directly. The Land Registry need to see this evidence before they will remove the Coutts & Co mortgage from the register. Coutts & Co,and any evidence they send you, will determine the action you need to take. In cases where no conveyancer is acting for you and you have paid off your mortgage:
but are not moving to another property
where the Coutts & Co has sent the Land Registry the discharge electronically, and
the Coutts & Co has instructed the Land Registry to do so
The Land Registry will send you a letter confirming that your Coutts & Co mortgage has been paid off.
I have not been happy with the level or service received from my lawyer. Is there a Coutts & Co conveyancing panel complaints department or do I complain directly to the law firm?
There is little point in complaining directly to Coutts & Co. 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 addressed 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.