Fleet Mortgages Solicitor Panel Example Support Desk Enquires from members of the public
I was advised recently by my financial adviser that my property lawyer is not on the Fleet Mortgages Solicitor panel. How can I be certain that this is indeed the case?
You need to contact your lawyer directly. You lawyer should advise you what has happened. If they are not on the panel they could put your in touch with solicitors on the the approved Fleet Mortgages solicitor panel.
Our conveyancer has uncovered a legal deficiency with the lease for the flat we are purchasing. The seller’s lawyers have put forward title insurance as a workaround. We are content with insurance and will cover the costs. Our solicitor says that as he is on the Fleet Mortgages conveyancing panel he must be satisfied that the lender is happy with this solution. Who is the client here, us or Fleet Mortgages?
The short answer to your last question is that, notwithstanding the potential for a conflict of interest, you and Fleet Mortgages are the client. A precondition to being on the Fleet Mortgages approved panel is to comply with the CML Handbook requirements (last updated for this lender on Fleet Mortgages). The CML Handbook conditions require your lawyer to disclose issues such as defects will the lease so that Fleet Mortgages can be afforded the opportunity to check with their valuer as to the extent that the value of the property is affected . Should you refuse to allow your lawyer to make the appropriate notification then your lawyer will have no choice but to discontinue acting for you.
How do I find a local solicitor on the Fleet Mortgages conveyancing panel? I have a car and am prepared to travel up to 10 miles to meet the lawyer.
Feel free to make use of the find a conveyancing panel tool on this page. 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 Fleet Mortgages solicitor panel.
Please explain the implications if my lawyer’s firm is suspended from the Fleet Mortgages Solicitor panel prior to the completion date?
First, this is very unlikely to happen. In most cases even where a law firm is removed off of a panel the lender would allow the completion to go ahead as the lender would appreciate the difficulties that they would place you in if you have ti instruct a new solicitor days before completion. In a worst case scenario where the lender insists that you instruct a new firm then it is possible for a very good lawyer to expedite the conveyancing albeit that you may pay a significant premium for this. The analogous situation is where a buyer instructs a lawyer, exchanges contracts and the law firm is shut down by the regulator such as the SRA. Again, in this situation you can find lawyers who can troubleshoot their way to bring the conveyancing to a satisfactory conclusion - albeit at a cost.
Hi, thinking about buying a house off my mate. Once we agree a price, what’s the best way to move forward? I plan to obtain a mortgage with Fleet Mortgages. Is it possible to avoid using solicitors to save on the costs? My dad reckons back in the day he did a lot of it himself, just went into the land registry office and providing them with the info they needed himself
If you are getting a mortgage with Fleet Mortgages involved you will need to appoint a solicitor on the Fleet Mortgages conveyancing panel. We would not encourage you to both use the same solicitors' firm. There are clear conflict of interest issues and it's not going to make a huge difference to the speed of the overall process. So as not to hold things us you should pass on your solicitors details to Fleet Mortgages. Feel free to use our search tool to look for a licensed conveyancer or solicitor on the Fleet Mortgages conveyancing panel.
I have paid off my mortgage with Fleet Mortgages. I assume I don't need a solicitor on the Fleet Mortgages panel to remove the mortgage at the Land Registry. Please confirm
If you have finished paying off your Fleet Mortgages 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 Fleet Mortgages mortgage from the register. Fleet Mortgages,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 Fleet Mortgages has sent the Land Registry the discharge electronically, and
the Fleet Mortgages has instructed the Land Registry to do so
The Land Registry will send you a letter confirming that your Fleet Mortgages mortgage has been paid off.
I have a mortgage with Fleet Mortgages. Conveyancing was finalised some time ago. If I am intending to rent out the flat and do not currently have a buy-to-let mortgage do I need to remortgage to a BTL mortgage or inform Fleet Mortgages?
Your original mortgage agreement with Fleet Mortgages will provide that you need their approval prior to renting your property as this is likely to be a breach of Fleet Mortgages’s mortgage conditions. It may be that Fleet Mortgages will allow you to rent out your former home without needing to switch to a buy-to-let mortgage but some lenders will add a surcharge to your mortgage rate to reflect the higher risk. You should contact Fleet Mortgages directly. You need not do this via a Fleet Mortgages conveyancing panel lawyer.