Ecology Building Society Conveyancing Lender Panel Compliance Tool

Lexsure’s COMPLETIONmonitor is web-based pre- and post-completion checklist for residential conveyancing lawyers. Supported by the Council of Mortgage Lenders and professional indemnity insures. COMPLETIONmonitor is a unique risk management tool.

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

The system generates real-time alerts, automatically produces SRA and CQS reports, and will improve your firm's efficiency. In addition it is simply to use, cost-effective and, for many firms, results in a PII saving.

Find a Law Firm approved by Ecology Building Society

Lenders often change their requirements. The UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook requirements from Ecology Building Society are not guidelines, they are instructions from a client. As with many clients, instructions can change - and they do change, over time:

A Timeline of Policy Changes


Since 2008, Ecology Building Society has made 175 revisions or additions to sections of their version of the CML Handbook.
That equates to a section change every 15.6 days. In total, 42% of the sections of P2 of the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook for Ecology Building Society have been changed since 15/12/2008.

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Recent Changes Include

# Date Assoc. Changes Related To
5.5.1b 01/12/2014 CML
conveyancing requirements in terms of time for building regulation consents
6.14.2 01/12/2014 CML
requirement that all insurance risks are included
6.14.1 01/12/2014 CML
Building Insurance
Ecology Building Society approved lawyers additional requirements concerning building insurance
14.2.2 08/05/2013 CML
Post Completion Conveyancing
Which documents should approved lawyersfor Ecology Building Society send the title deeds and documents following completion?
6.7.1 08/05/2013 CML
New Build Conveyancing
Ecology Building Society approved conveyancer requirements for New Build Conveyancing : Home Warranty Schemes
12.3.1 01/12/2010 CML
Instalment Mortgages
Do Ecology Building Society have a specific contact point for their conveyancing panel for release of retentions/mortgage advance instalments?
16.3.2 01/12/2010 CML
Transfer of Equity
Ecology Building Society details for requesting debt amount
3.2.3 01/12/2010 CML
Conveyancing Solicitors Details for Sellers
Ecology Building Society requirements for notification of the name and address of the solicitors firm or licensed conveyancers firm acting for the seller?
4.5b 01/12/2010 CML
Certificates of Title
Contact details at Ecology Building Society for conveyancing panel/approved lawyers where certificate of title should be sent
5.16.2 01/12/2010 CML
Leasehold Conveyancing : Management Company
Contact details at Ecology Building Society for approved lawyers if unable to certify search entry on bankruptcy search does not relate to borrower.

Last update 12/11/2019

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

Am I correct in assuming that the fact that my solicitor is not on the Ecology Building Society Solicitor panel that there is a problem with the standard of the firm’s conveyancing?
That would more than likely be a wrong assumption to make. There are all sorts of perfectly reasonable explanations. A recent report by the solicitors regulator indicated 76% of law firms surveyed had been removed from at least one lender panel. The most common reasons for removal are: (1) lack of transactions (2) the lawyer is a sole practitioner (3) as part of the HSBC panel reduction (4) regulatory contact by SRA (5) accidental removal. If you are concerned you should simply call the firm and ask them why they are no longer on the approved list for Ecology Building Society.
Our son-in-law is in the process of securing a house that has just been built with a mortgage from Ecology Building Society. His lawyer has advised him of a delay in receiving the ‘Disclosure of Incentive Form’. Who needs to receive the form?
The document is intended to provide information to the main parties involved in the transaction. Therefore, it will be provided to your son’s lawyer who should be on the Ecology Building Society conveyancing panel as a standard part of the process, and to the valuer when asked.

The Developer will be required to start the process by downloading the form and completing it.

The form will therefore need to be available for the valuer at the time of his or her site visit. The form should be sent to the Ecology Building Society conveyancing panel solicitor as early as possible, in order to avoid any last minute delays, and no later than at exchange of contracts.

Do all the firms listed on your directory have online case tracking as I was under the impression that this was a precondition of being on the Ecology Building Society conveyancing panel?
The Council of Mortgage Lenders or BSA do not require online case tracking. Some law firms operate such technology and some don't.
I was scheduled to complete on my first house last Thursday. My solicitor is on the Ecology Building Society conveyancing panel but has moved offices in the past couple of months and had not advised Ecology Building Society of their new address. Ecology Building Society has locked down the release of mortgage funds until such time as their systems are up to date with the correct details.
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 Ecology Building Society branch or your mortgage broker to see if they can assist.
I previously instructed online solicitors located in Birmingham who are on the Ecology Building Society solicitor panel. They have just invoiced me a separate fee of £195 for the legal aspects of the Ecology Building Society mortgage. Is this an additional conveyancing fee specified by Ecology Building Society?
Unfortunately, as long as it is in their Terms and Conditions or Quote then yes your solicitors can charge a fee for this. This fee is not set by Ecology Building Society but by your lawyers. Some firms on the Ecology Building Society will charge an ‘acting for lender’ fee and others do not.
I am buying a property where the roof has a solar panel. Solicitors conducting should look into this right? Will my lender Ecology Building Society be concerned
Given that your lender is Ecology Building Society your lawyer must to check the Ecology Building Society conveyancing instructions contained in the Part of CML Handbook for Ecology Building Society . The CML Handbook contains minimum requirements for solar panel roof-space leases, and solicitors are required to report to Ecology Building Society where a lease does not meet these requirements. The requirements relate to the installation of panels on properties in England and Wales. The CML are developing guidance for Northern Ireland and Scotland.
I am selling my house. I had a double glazing fitted in month 8 but did not receive a FENSA certificate or Building Regulation Certificate. My purchaser’s mortgage company, Ecology Building Society are being a right pain. The solicitor who is on the Ecology Building Society conveyancing panel is happy to accept ‘lack of building regulation’ insurance but Ecology Building Society are insisting on a building regulation certificate. Why do Ecology Building Society have a conveyancing panel of they don’t accept advice from them?
It is probably the case that Ecology Building Society have referred the matter to their valuer. The reason why Ecology Building Society may not want to accept indemnity insurance is because it does not give them any reassurance that the double glazing correctly and safely installed. It merely protects against enforcement action which is very unlikely anyway.