FAQs : The Hampden Conveyancing Panel from members of the public
I appointed a solicitor to carry out on my purchase six weeks ago having applied for a mortgage with Hampden. The law firm assured me that they are on Hampden conveyancing panel and provided me their panel reference. Hampden then called me to say that their panel number was dormant and would need to be reactivated. What happens next? Do I instruct a different law firm listed on the conveyancing panel for Hampden?
You may be very frustrated with the lawyer but if it only go take a few more days they it may be worth waiting as, depending on how far progressed you are you may end up delaying the transaction by a number of weeks if you need to replace your solicitor You may wish to enlist the help of your broker to check with the Hampden as to the time frame to get your lawyer reinstated on the panel once again.
I am due to move into my new home next Friday. My conveyancing lawyer has asked me to provide him with a copy of the building insurance for the house as he says that he has to check this in has capacity as lawyer for Hampden. What does the insurance need to cover?
Any lawyer on the Hampden conveyancing panel would need to check that the following risks are covered fire; lightning; aircraft; explosion; earthquake; storm; flood; escape of water or oil; riot; malicious damage; theft or attempted theft; falling trees and branches and aerials; subsidence; heave;landslip;collision;accidental damage to underground services;professional fees, demolition and site clearance costs; and public liability to anyone else. There are some other issues such as the level of excess that are set out in Hampden’s Part 2 requirements of the CML Handbook (last updated on Hampden). Being on the Hampden conveyancing panel your lawyer is expect to follow these instructions.
I have checked your search tool I can't find the lawyer I was hoping to instruct as being on the Hampden conveyancing panel. My lawyer has said that they are on the Hampden approved panel. How can I be sure given that they are not listed on your directory?
Not all firms are yet listed on our lender panel search tool which is still relatively new. Law firms are listing on a daily basis and it is probably the case that your lawyer is on the Hampden conveyancing lawyer and you should probably take them at their word. Please do feel free to suggest that they completing their listing on our site as it would only cost them £1 a month to list themselves as being on the Hampden solicitor panel.
I am selling my house. Does my solicitor have to be on the Hampden conveyancing panel in order to deal with redeeming my mortgage?
Ordinarily, even if your lawyer is not on the Hampden conveyancing panel they can still act for you on your sale. it might be that the lender will not release the original deeds (if applicable and increasingly irrelevant) until after the mortgage is paid off. You should speak to your lawyer directly before you start the process though to ensure that there is no problem as lenders are changing their requirements fairly frequently at the moment.
Can I be sure that the solicitor on the Hampden panel is any good?
Getting recommendations is a sensible start. Before you go ahead check if they offer a no sale no fee offer. Also you often get what you pay for - a firm which quotes more will often provide a better service than one which is cheap as chips. We would always advise that you speak with the solicitor handling your conveyancing
After much negotiation I have agreed a price on an apartment. My mortgage broker pressured me to appoint their lawyers I paid an upfront payment of 200. Soon after the conveyancers contacted me sheepishly admitting that they were not on the Hampden 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 Hampden 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.
I am selling my apartment. I had a double glazing fitted in month 2010 but did not receive a FENSA certificate or Building Regulation Certificate. My purchaser’s lender, Hampden are being difficult. The solicitor who is on the Hampden conveyancing panel is recommending indemnity insurance as a solution but Hampden are requiring a building regulation certificate. Why do Hampden have a conveyancing panel of they don’t accept advice from them?
It is probably the case that Hampden have referred the matter to their valuer. The reason why Hampden 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.