Frequently asked questions relating to the Foundation Home loans Conveyancing 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. How easy is it to change conveyancer?
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.
My solicitor has requested from me ID documents saying that this is part of his obligations as a solicitor on the Foundation Home loans Solicitor panel. Am I being spun a yarn?
Due to Money Laundering Regulations your conveyancing lawyer is duty bound to confirm positively your identification when entering into a business relationship with you. It is a criminal offense if your lawyer not do this. If you do not provide ID early in the transaction the solicitor must refuse to act for you. It’s unlikely a lawyer will turn you away if you come to the first meeting without relevant ID but you will have to produce it at some point so you might as well bring it with you to the initial meeting so the lawyer can tick the ID verification box and start sorting out the conveyancing straight away. If you are getting a mortgage with Foundation Home loans your lawyer also has to check ID documents to satisfy Foundation Home loans
I have been searching for online conveyancing estimates. Can I be confident that all the firms that are identified on your website are on the Foundation Home loans conveyancing panel?
The solicitor and licensed conveyancing practices listed on our site have advised us that they are on the Foundation Home loans panel and agreed to advise us to take down their listing in the event of removal off of the Foundation Home loans panel. To date we have not been informed by either a bank or a member of the public that the data about a specific firm being on the Foundation Home loans conveyancing panel is not accurate.
The firm that I recently instructed on my house acquisition in Newcastle has suddenly closed. I chose them because I needed a lawyer on the Foundation Home loans conveyancing panel and my preferred lawyer was not. I paid them £200 on account. What are my options?
If you have an estate agent involved then let them know immediately so that they can let the sellers know that there may be a slight delay due to the problems encountered. Hopefully they will be sympathetic and urge their lawyer to send a new set of papers to your new solicitors. You should appoint new lawyers that are on the Foundation Home loans 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 solicitors should be in a position to assist
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.
Can you point me to a directory of Foundation Home loans panel solicitors on the Council of Mortgage Lender’s 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.
Planning on purchasing a flat with a mortgage with Foundation Home loans. I have received an online quote from a licensed conveyancer, which states: "There will be no charge for dealing with the Lender if you are obtaining a mortgage". I take this to mean that there will be no additional fee if the solicitor is on the Foundation Home loans conveyancing panel. I wanted to make sure it means there will be no additional fees for dealing with the mortgage.
They are simply saying that the cost for acting for the lender is included in the fee being quoted. It is worth you checking that they are on the Foundation Home loans conveyancing panel