Harpenden Building Society Conveyancing Lender Panel Compliance Tool

COMPLETIONmonitor is an online pre- and post-completion checklist for property lawyers. Supported by the CML and PI insurers. It is a unique risk management tool.

This software is the only way you can prove to lender panels that you are, and can stay fully compliant with their requirements, with notifications given on Harpenden Building Society’s changes. While utilising the tool is not a prerequisite for Harpenden Building Society , demonstrating you can stay up to date with Harpenden Building Society’s Handbook requirements is a helpful support to your application to their lender panel and, more importantly, protect your firm’s panel status.

The software creates real-time alerts, automatically produces SRA and CQS reports, and will improve your firm's efficiency. In addition it is simply to use, cost-effective and, for some firms, leads to reduced PII premiums.

Find a Law Firm approved by Harpenden Building Society

Lenders often change their requirements. The UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook requirements from Harpenden Building Society are not guidelines, they are instructions from a client. As with many clients, instructions can change - and they do change, frequently:

A Timeline of Policy Changes


Since 2008, Harpenden Building Society has made 149 revisions or additions to sections of their version of the CML Handbook.
That equates to a section change every 18.3 days. In total, 63% of the sections of P2 of the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook for Harpenden Building Society have been changed since 15/12/2008.

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Recent Changes Include

# Date Assoc. Changes Related To
5.5.1a 01/12/2014 CML
requirements in terms of time for planning consents
6.14.1b 01/12/2014 CML
buildings insurance in joint names or lender interest noted
5.20.3 01/12/2014 CML
Panels PV Solar
Existence of additional requirements set by Harpenden Building Society for conveyancing panel lawyers relating to leases of roof space for solar PV panels, and if so, what they are.
3.1.3 01/12/2014 CML
Conveyancing Solicitors Details for Sellers
Do Harpenden Building Society require notification form their approved lawyer of the name and address of the solicitors firm or licensed conveyancers firm acting for the seller?
3.1.5 01/12/2014 CML
ID Documentation
Harpenden Building Society panel lawyers requirements re ID Documentation: Further acceptable documents (if any)
5.14.1 18/08/2014 CML
Leasehold Conveyancing
Harpenden Building Society panel lawyers leasehold conveyancing requirements : minimum unexpired lease term
17.1.1 01/12/2010 CML
Redemption Statements
Contact details at Harpenden Building Society for conveyancing panel lawyers to request redemption statements .
4.1 01/12/2010 CML
Mortage valuation
Do Harpenden Building Society arrange for there to be a valuation report and if so, do they provide it to their approved lawyers ?
5.13.1 01/12/2010 CML
Balance of Monies
Contact details at Harpenden Building Society for conveyancing panel lawyers where borrower is not providing balance of purchase price from funds/proposing to give second charge.
Insolvency Act Indemnity Insurance Deed of Gift Indemnity Insurance
6.6.2 01/12/2010 CML
Buy to Let Conveyancing
Contact details at Harpenden Building Society for conveyancing panel lawyers when law firm does not have details of current letting or letting to take place at completion.

Last update 05/04/2020

Examples of recent questions relating to the Harpenden Building Society Conveyancing Panel from members of the public

I was advised recently by my estate agent that my the law firm I have appointed is not on the Harpenden Building Society Conveyancing panel. What can I do to check?
The first thing you need to do is to contact your lawyer directly. It is reasonable to expect your lawyer to advise you of the situation. If they are not on the panel they may recommend you to a firm that is on the the approved Harpenden Building Society solicitor panel.
Our lawyer has identified a defect with the lease for the flat we are buying. The seller’s lawyers have suggested title insurance as a workaround. We are content with insurance and will pay for it. Our lawyer says that as he is on the Harpenden Building Society conveyancing panel he must check that the lender is happy with this solution. Who is the client here, us or Harpenden Building Society?
Just because you have a mortgage offer from Harpenden Building Society does not mean to say that the property will be meet their requirements for the purposes of a mortgage. Your lawyer has to ensure that the lease has to comply with the CML Handbook Requirements. You and Harpenden Building Society are the client. These conveyancing instructions must be adhered to by the Harpenden Building Society conveyancing panel who has to balance acting for you and Harpenden Building Society
How up to date is your search tool for the Harpenden Building Society conveyancing panel? Do Harpenden Building Society send you an updated list?
The law firm practices themselves provide us confirmation that they are on the Harpenden Building Society conveyancing panel as opposed to being supplied with a list from Harpenden Building Society directly.
My uncle passed away last year and as sole heir and executor was left the property. The house had a relatively small loan remaining of approximately £8000. I want to transfer the title deeds into my name whilst I re-mortgage to Harpenden Building Society , pay off the mortgage etc. Is this allowed?
If you intend to re-mortgage then Harpenden Building Society will insist on your using a conveyancer on the Harpenden Building Society conveyancing panel. Here is link to the Land Registry online guidance around what to do when a property owner dies. This will help you to understand the registration process behind changing the details re the registered title. in your case it would appear that you are effectively purchasing the property from the estate. Your Harpenden Building Society conveyancing panel solicitor pays the new mortgage money into the estate, the estate pays off the old mortgage, the charge is released and you become the owner and the Harpenden Building Society mortgage is registered as a charge at the Land Registry.
I'm at the point of looking at apartments and am about to put in an offer. Should I already have a conveyancer appointed at this stage? I will be getting a mortgage with Harpenden Building Society
You should start obtaining conveyancing quotes from solicitors ASAP. After you have chosen your lawyer and once your offer is accepted you can instruct them to work for you and pass their details on the the estate agent. As you are getting a mortgage with Harpenden Building Society , make sure you remember to check that your lawyer is on the Harpenden Building Society conveyancing panel.
It is not clear whether my mortgage offer obliges me to make sure the lease term for the flat is extended prior to the completion date . I have called Harpenden Building Society on numerous occasions and was told they are content with the situation and they would lend. My solicitor - who is on the Harpenden Building Society conveyancing panel- telephoned and was told not they would not lend in accordance with their CML Handbook minimum lease term requirements. Who do I believe?
Your lawyer has to follow the CML Handbook Part 2 requirements for Harpenden Building Society. Unless your lawyer obtains specific confirmation in writing that Harpenden Building Society will go ahead your lawyer has no choice but to refrain from exchanging contract and committing you to the purchase. We would suggest that you ask Harpenden Building Society to contact your lawyer in writing confirming that they will accept the remaining number of years left on the lease.
Harpenden Building Society 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 Harpenden Building Society or your broker and complete any relevant paperwork. Harpenden Building Society will tell you what documents they want. Harpenden Building Society 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. Harpenden Building Society 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.