Common questions asked concerning the HSBC Solicitor Panel from members of the public
My Solicitor is not on the HSBC Approved Panel. Is it possible for me to retain my family solicitor even though they are not on the HSBC panel?
The most common options here are as follows:
- Carry on with your preferred lawyers but HSBC will need to instruct a lawyer on the HSBC conveyancing panel. This will result in additional cost and potential delay.
- Get a new solicitor to act in the purchase, obviously checking they are on the HSBC conveyancing panel.
- Convince your lawyer to do everything within their powers to join the HSBC conveyancing panel
My fiance and I intend to remortgage our apartment with HSBC. We have a son 19 who lives with us. The solicitor on the HSBC conveyancing panel has asked us to disclose any adults other than ourselves who reside at the property. Our lawyer has now e-mailed a document for our son to sign, giving up any rights in the event that the flat is forfeited by the lender. I have a couple of questions (1) Is this document specific to the HSBC conveyancing panel as he never had to sign this form when we bought 4 years ago (2) Does our son by signing this giving up his rights to inherit the property?
On the face of it your lawyer has done nothing wrong as it is established procedure for any occupier who is aged 17 or over to sign the necessary Consent Form, which is purely to state that any rights he has in the property are postponed and secondary to HSBC .This is solely used to protect the HSBC if the property were re-possessed so that in such circumstances, your son would be legally obliged to leave.
It does not impact your son’s right to inherit the apartment. Please note that if your son were to inherit and the mortgage in favour of HSBC had not been discharged, he would be liable to take over the loan or pay it off, but other than that, there is nothing stopping him from keeping the property in accordance with your will or the rules of intestacy.
I am Googling for conveyancing quotes online. Can I be confident that all the practices that are listed on your directory are on the HSBC conveyancing panel?
The solicitor and licensed conveyancing practices listed on our site have assured us via an online form that they are on the HSBC panel and agreed to advise us to take down their listing in the event of removal off of the HSBC panel. To date we have not been informed by either a lender or a member of the public that the data about a specific firm being on the HSBC conveyancing panel is not accurate.
I am trying to get my former partner removed the mortgage deeds. Can HSBC really tell me which solicitor I can or can not instruct?
You can use any solicitor you like but HSBC then has the right to appoint a different solicitor to act for them at your expense. It might be more cost effective and quicker to instruct a lawyer who is on the HSBC solicitors panel
We are getting a further advance on our mortgage from HSBC as we wish to carry out alterations or improvements our home. Do we need to appoint a solicitor on the HSBC conveyancing panel to deal with the paperwork?
HSBC would not normally appoint firms on their conveyancing panel to deal with such a matter. If they did require any legal work then you would need to ensure that such a lawyer was on the HSBC list
I can not work out if my mortgage offer requires a lease extension . I have called into my local branch HSBC on various occasions and was told they are content with the situation and they would lend. My solicitor - who is on the HSBC 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?
As long as the conveyancer is on the HSBC panel she or he must comply with the CML Handbook requirements for HSBC. Unless your lawyer obtains specific confirmation in writing that HSBC 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 HSBC to contact your lawyer in writing confirming that they will accept the remaining number of years left on the lease.
My offer was accepted on an apartment on the 6th March 2014, valuation was booked 3 days after, received a clean bill of health. Conveyancer instructed, so the only thing outstanding was my mortgage offer. Having made daily calls to HSBC and chasing them on my offer I have now been told that my offer will not be issued unless the lawyer is on the HSBC conveyancing panel. Are HSBC entitled to hold back the Mortgage pending the lawyer being on the approved list?
A lender would not issue an offer until they have details of a lawyer on their panel. It can take a few weeks for HSBC to deal with your lawyers application to be on the HSBC conveyancing panel. There's no guarantee that your solicitors will be accepted.