FAQs : The Foundation Home loans Solicitor Panel from members of the public
I need to swap lawyers as my lawyer is not on the Foundation Home loans panel of conveyancing solicitors. Is it practical to instruct different lawyers?
If you haven't yet instructed a solicitor to do anything for you and have just received quotes, you're perfectly free to choose a different solicitor to carry out your work for you. The best way is to get recommendations from friends or family who have actually used the solicitor or conveyancer you're considering.
We are nearing an exchange and my parents having sent the 10% deposit to my lawyer. I am now advised that as the deposit has not come from me my lawyer needs to make a notification to my lender Foundation Home loans. I am advised that, being on the Foundation Home loans conveyancing panel and acting on their behalf he must inform Foundation Home loans if the balance of the mortgage advance is not just from me. I advised the bank about my parent’s contribution when I applied for the mortgage so is it really necessary for him to raise this?
Your lawyer is obliged to check with Foundation Home loans to make sure that they are aware that the balance of the purchase price is not from your own funds. Your solicitor can only report this to Foundation Home loans if you agree, failing which, your lawyer must cease to continue acting.
What tools are available to search for a local solicitor on the Foundation Home loans conveyancing panel? I have a car and am prepared to travel up to 25 miles to meet the lawyer.
You can use 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 Foundation Home loans solicitor panel.
I was due to move into my flat last Friday. My lawyer’s firm is on the Foundation Home loans solicitors panel but has changed address in the past couple of months and had not informed Foundation Home loans of their new address. Foundation Home loans has locked down the release of mortgage funds as the information from the solicitors isn't correct.
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 Foundation Home loans branch or your mortgage broker to see if they can help.
When it comes to lenders such as Foundation Home loans do lawyers have to be pay a fee to be on the list of approved solicitors?
We are not aware of any lender fees to be on their panel although some do charge an administration charge to deal with the processing of the conveyancing panel application.
Completion of my remortgage has taken place with a mortgage from Foundation Home loans. Conveyancing was a necessary evil but I would like to complain about Foundation Home loans. Who do I contact should I wish to lodge a complaint?
All lenders have complaints procedures. Your first port of call should be one of the Foundation Home loans branches or the Customer Services Team at Foundation Home loans head office. We understand that complaints to Foundation Home loans are sorted out effectively and efficiently. If you feel that the matter is not resolved you can write to the
Financial Ombudsman Service with full details of your complaint.
I recently had an offer accepted on an apartment. My mortgage broker pressured me to appoint their lawyers I paid an upfront payment of 175. Soon after the conveyancers contacted me sheepishly admitting that they were not on the Foundation Home loans conveyancing panel. Am I right in thinking that I should be due a refund?
You should be able to recover this from the law firm if they were not on the Foundation Home loans panel. They should have asked at the outset which lender you were obtaining a mortgage with. An important lesson to readers of this site is to check that the lawyers are on the appropriate lender panel.