Examples of recent questions relating to the Kensington Mortgage Conveyancing Panel from members of the public
My Solicitor is not listed on the Kensington Mortgage Solicitor Panel. Can I still continue with my family solicitor notwithstanding that they are excluded from the Kensington Mortgage list of approved lawyers?
The most common options here are as follows:
- Complete the purchase with your preferred lawyers but Kensington Mortgage will need to instruct a lawyer on the Kensington Mortgage 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 Kensington Mortgage conveyancing panel.
- Convince your lawyer to do everything within their powers to join the Kensington Mortgage conveyancing panel
Much to my surprise my lawyer has requested from me personal identification documents saying that this is part of his legal duty as a conveyancer on the Kensington Mortgage Conveyancing panel. Can you confirm whether this is the case?
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 Kensington Mortgage your lawyer also has to check ID documents to satisfy Kensington Mortgage
Having used your search tool I can't find the lawyer I was hoping to instruct as being on the Kensington Mortgage conveyancing panel. My lawyer has said that they are on the Kensington Mortgage 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 Kensington Mortgage 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 Kensington Mortgage solicitor panel.
What happens if my lawyer’s firm is expelled from the Kensington Mortgage Solicitor panel before the completion date?
The first thing to point out is that, this is a very rare occurrence. In most cases even where a law firm is removed off of a panel the lender would allow the completion to go ahead as the lender would appreciate the difficulties that they would place you in if you have ti instruct a new solicitor days before completion. In a worst case scenario where the lender insists that you instruct a new firm then it is possible for a very good lawyer to expedite the conveyancing albeit that you may pay a significant premium for this. The analogous situation is where a buyer instructs a lawyer, exchanges contracts and the law firm is shut down by the regulator such as the SRA. Again, in this situation you can find lawyers who can troubleshoot their way to bring the conveyancing to a satisfactory conclusion - albeit at a cost.
We are getting a further advance on our mortgage from Kensington Mortgage as we wish to carry out a loft conversion to our home. Do we need to appoint a solicitor on the Kensington Mortgage conveyancing panel to deal with the paperwork?
Kensington Mortgage do not ordinarily 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 Kensington Mortgage list
Can I register a complaint to Kensington Mortgage about the lawyers being on the Kensington Mortgage conveyancing panel?
There is little point in complaining directly to Kensington Mortgage. 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 addressed 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.
I can not work out if my mortgage offer requires a lease extension . I have called Kensington Mortgage on numerous occasions and told it wasn't a problem and they would lend. My solicitor - who is on the Kensington Mortgage conveyancing panel- telephoned and was told not they would not lend in accordance with their CML Handbook minimum lease term requirements. I simply dont know who is right
Your lawyer has to follow the CML Handbook Part 2 requirements for Kensington Mortgage. Unless your lawyer obtains specific confirmation in writing that Kensington Mortgage 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 Kensington Mortgage to contact your lawyer in writing confirming that they will accept the remaining number of years left on the lease.
