Ipswich Building Society Conveyancing Lender Panel Compliance Tool

Lexsure’s COMPLETIONmonitor is web-based pre- and post-completion checklist for residential conveyancing lawyers. Supported by the Council of Mortgage Lenders and PI insurers such as AmTrust. It is a unique risk management tool.

This software assists the way you can demonstrate to lender panels that you are, and can remain fully compliant with their instructions, with automatic updates on Ipswich Building Society’s changes. While utilising COMPLETIONmonitor is not a prerequisite for Ipswich Building Society , demonstrating you can stay up to date with Ipswich Building Society’s Handbook requirements is a helpful support to your application to their lender panel and, just as importantly, protect your firm’s panel standing.

COMPLETIONmonitor generates real-time alerts, automatically produces COLP and CQS reports, and will enhance your firm's efficiency. It is also user friendly, cost-effective and, for many firms, leads to reduced PII premiums.

Find a Law Firm approved by Ipswich Building Society

Mortgage companies frequently vary their requirements. The BSA instructions from Ipswich Building Society are not guidelines, they are instructions from a client. As with many clients, instructions can change - and they do change, over time:

A Timeline of Policy Changes


Since 2010, Ipswich Building Society has made 36 revisions or additions to sections of their version of the BSA Requirements.
That equates to a section change every 75.8 days. In total, 34% of the sections of the BSA Requirements for Ipswich Building Society have been changed since 26/1/2010.

To find out more about lender panel compliance,

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Recent Changes Include

# Date Assoc. Changes Related To
D.34 18/09/2017 BSA
Leasehold Conveyancing
Ipswich Building Society panel lawyers leasehold conveyancing requirements : minimum unexpired lease term
C.13 23/06/2015 BSA
New Build Conveyancing
Ipswich Building Society approved conveyancer requirements for New Build Conveyancing : Home Warranty Schemes
C.2 04/08/2014 BSA
Mortage valuation
Do Ipswich Building Society arrange for there to be a valuation report and if so, do they provide it to their conveyancing panel lawyers ?
C.10 04/08/2014 BSA
Tenancy Agreements
Does Ipswich Building Society need to be sent a copy of the proposed tenancy?
C.11 04/08/2014 BSA
Houses in Multipe Occupation
Ipswich Building Society panel conveyancer requirements where the property comes within the definition of a house in multiple occupation
D.31 04/08/2014 BSA
Rent Charges
Ipswich Building Society conveyancing panel requirements concerning rent charges
F.1 04/08/2014 BSA
General Mortgage Instructions
Contact details at Ipswich Building Society for conveyancing panel lawyers to obtain mortgage documentation
F.6 04/08/2014 BSA
Transfer of Equity
Ipswich Building Society requirements for conveyancing panel lawyers as to whether Ipswich Building Society need to be sent the Transfer of Equity
D.25 04/08/2014 BSA
Flying Freeholds and Freehold Flats
Ipswich Building Society approved lawyers clarification as to whether they lend on flying freeholds and freehold flats
C.27 04/08/2014 BSA
Building Insurance
Ipswich Building Society approved lawyers additional requirements concerning building insurance

Last update 15/05/2019

Ipswich Building Society Solicitor Panel Sample Enquires to our Call Center from members of the public

I am progressing with the sale of my flat and the EA has just telephoned to say that the purchasers are changing their conveyancer. The excuse is that Ipswich Building Society will only deal with property lawyers on their conveyancing panel. On what basis would a major lender only work with certain law firms?
Banks have always had an approved set of law firms they are willing to work with, but in the past few years big names such as Santander, have reviewed and reduced their conveyancing panel– in some cases removing conveyancing firms who have worked with them for more than 15 years.

Lenders point to the increase in fraud as the reason for the cull – criteria have been tightened and a smaller panel should be easier to keep an eye on. No lender will say how many solicitors have been dropped, claiming the information is commercially sensitive, but the Law Society says it is hearing daily from firms that have been removed from panels, or have other concerns about them. Some do not even realise they have been dropped until contacted by a borrower who has instructed them as might be the situation in your buyer’s case. Your purchasers are unlikely to have any sway in the decision.

I am purchasing a newly built duplex and my conveyancer is informing me that she has to reveal incentives from the developer as her firm is on the Ipswich Building Society conveyancing panel. The Estate Agents are hassling me to sign contracts and I have no desire to delay deal. is my lawyer taking the correct approach?
You should not exchange unless you have advised to do so by your lawyer. A precondition to being on the Ipswich Building Society approved panel is to comply with the CML Handbook requirements (last updated for this lender on Ipswich Building Society). The CML Conveyancing Handbook requires that your lawyer have the appropriate Disclosure of Incentive form completed by the developer and accepted by your lender.
Do all the firms listed on your directory have online case tracking as I was under the impression that this was a precondition of being on the Ipswich Building Society solicitor panel?
No. There is no CML Part 2 or Building Society Association requirement relating to online case tracking. Some law firms operate such technology and some don't.
I am purchasing a garden flat and getting a mortgage with Ipswich Building Society. Conveyancing solicitors are said to be ‘a necessary evil’ but can I do it myself?
Leaving aside the complexities and merits of DIY conveyancing you will have to appoint a solicitor on the Ipswich Building Society conveyancing panel to look after their interests. Most people therefore find it easier to let the solicitor act for them and the lender. Furthermore there is minimal cost savings to made in you doing to conveyancing for yourself and another lawyer conducting the conveyancing for the lender. Please feel free to use the search tool to find a lawyer on the Ipswich Building Society conveyancing panel in your location.
Is it common for Ipswich Building Society to withdraw a mortgage offer and what would be the reasoning?
Banks and Building Societies such as Ipswich Building Society can withdraw their mortgage offer although this is unusual. should Ipswich Building Society withdraw their offer they may or may not inform you or the lawyer as to the reasons why. There are many potential reasons but here are a few examples:
  • Many mortgage offers have an expiry date. Your lawyer should check this. Ipswich Building Society may amend or withdraw an offer before the end of its validation period if an offer extension is requested and following a re-evaluation of the property the value of the security is below a level which is acceptable to them.
  • Amendments if purchase price adjusted and the loan to value limits exceeded by this. Please note that Ipswich Building Society conveyancing panel solicitors would be obliged to notify Ipswich Building Society of a change in the price of the property.
  • Situations where information provided by the borrower that enabled the lender to make a lending decision is fraudulent, incorrect or misleading.
  • If the lender reasonably believe that the applicant, borrower, mortgagor or guarantor is insolvent or is about to become insolvent or has or will have a petition presented or if any one or all enter into any arrangement with their creditors generally or if any one or all should suffer a material change in their financial circumstances
  • If the solicitor on the Ipswich Building Society conveyancing panel acting for the applicant, borrower, mortgagor or guarantor cannot comply with Ipswich Building Society ‘s instructions
I have today made my last payment due on mortgage with Ipswich Building Society. I assume I don't need a solicitor on the Ipswich Building Society panel to remove the mortgage at the Land Registry. Please confirm
If you have finished paying off your Ipswich Building Society mortgage they may send you evidence showing that you have paid it off. Alternatively they may notify the Land Registry directly. The Land Registry need to see this evidence before they will remove the Ipswich Building Society mortgage from the register. Ipswich Building Society,and any evidence they send you, will determine the action you need to take. In cases where no conveyancer is acting for you and you have paid off your mortgage: but are not moving to another property where the Ipswich Building Society has sent the Land Registry the discharge electronically, and the Ipswich Building Society has instructed the Land Registry to do so The Land Registry will send you a letter confirming that your Ipswich Building Society mortgage has been paid off.
I have not been happy with the level or service received from my lawyer. Is there a Ipswich Building Society conveyancing panel complaints department or do I complain directly to the law firm?
Complaining to Ipswich Building Society about their conveyancing panel is unlikely to yield much of a response. Every solicitor firm and conveyancer must have a complaints procedure. You can get information from the solicitor’s or conveyancer’s website or ask at their office. They must tell you about it if you ask.

The Legal Ombudsman will make sure that your complaint is properly dealt with by the solicitor. It can also advise you how to complain.

If a licensed conveyancer does not have a complaints procedure or will not tell you about it, contact the Council for Licensed Conveyancers (CLC), which will make sure that your complaint is properly dealt with by the conveyancer. Please see below for more information.