Examples of recent questions relating to the Fleet Mortgages Solicitor Panel from members of the public
I am in the process of selling my flat and the estate agent has just e-mailed to advise that the buyers are changing their conveyancer. The excuse is that Fleet Mortgages will only engage with solicitors on their conveyancing panel. On what basis would a big named mortgage company only deal with specific law firms?
Mortgage companies have always had panels of law firms they are willing to work with, but in the past few years big names such as HSBC, have reviewed and reduced their conveyancing panel– in some cases removing conveyancing firms who have worked with them for decades.
Lenders blame a rise in fraud as the reason for the cull – criteria have been tightened and a smaller panel should be easier to keep an eye on. No lender will say how many solicitors have been dropped, claiming the information is commercially sensitive, but the Law Society says it is being contacted daily by practices that have been removed from panels, or have other concerns about them. Some do not even realise they have been dropped until contacted by a borrower who has instructed them as might be the situation in your buyer’s case. Your purchasers are unlikely to have any sway in the decision.
Much to my surprise my property lawyer has informed me that he requires personal identification documents saying that this forms part of his retainer as a solicitor on the Fleet Mortgages Conveyancing panel. This is news to me - can I refuse?
Anti-terror and anti-money-laundering rules require solicitors and licensed conveyancers to verify the identity of the person or body they are dealing with before they can accept their conveyancing business. The Client Care letter that you need to sign will no doubt confirm this. Your lawyer is right that Fleet Mortgages also require certain documents to be viewed. If a you refuse to provide ID verification documents, your conveyancer would not be able to accept instructions from you. Your lawyer also has obligations to obtain certain documents in accordance with Fleet Mortgages CML Handbook requirements last updated on Fleet Mortgages
I am purchasing a house and need a conveyancing solicitor in Manchester who is on the Fleet Mortgages solicitor. Could you point me in the right direction as regards a solicitor?
Our service is a directory service for firms who wish to be listed as being on the approved conveyancing panel for Fleet Mortgages . We don’t recommend any particular firm.
The lawyers that I recently instructed on my purchase in Hendon has suddenly closed. They were on acting for me because I had to have a lawyer on the Fleet Mortgages conveyancing panel and my preferred lawyer was not. I gave them a cheque for £150 in advance. What are my options?
Assuming that you have an Estate Agent in the equation then inform them straight away so that they can let the sellers know that there may be a slight delay due to reasons beyond your control. Most sellers would be sympathetic and urge their lawyer to send a new set of papers to your new solicitors. You will need to appoint new lawyers that are on the Fleet Mortgages conveyancing panel and notify the lender. If you have paid over any money it will hopefully be held by the SRA as money in an intervened firm's bank accounts is transferred to the SRA. Then, the SRA or the intervention agent looks at the intervened firm's accounts to work out who the money belongs to. To claim your money you will need to contact the SRA. If the SRA cannot return money you are owed from the firm's bank accounts, or if they can only return part of the money, you can apply to the Compensation Fund for a grant. Your new lawyers should be in a position to assist
On the whole I have been dissatisfied with the level or service received from my lawyer. Is there a Fleet Mortgages conveyancing panel complaints department or do I complain directly to the law firm?
There is little point in complaining directly to Fleet Mortgages. All solicitors and conveyancer must have a complaints procedure. Usually one can find this 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.
Fleet Mortgages 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 Fleet Mortgages or your broker and complete any relevant paperwork. Fleet Mortgages will tell you what documents they want. Fleet Mortgages 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. Fleet Mortgages 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.
My husband and I are buying a house in Hendon. Conveyancing solicitors in Hendon are about to begiven the go-ahead. My brokeradvised that we make sure that the conveyancing practitioner in Hendon is on the Fleet Mortgages panel. Surely I don't need to do this, do I?
A limited percentage of Hendon conveyancing solicitors are on the Fleet Mortgages conveyancing panel. 8 people a month use our search tool to locate a Hendon conveyancing practitioner on the on the Fleet Mortgages panel.
