M&S Bank Conveyancing Panel Sample Enquires to our Call Center from members of the public
Can you please explain the reason why all UK lawyers are not on the M&S Bank Conveyancing panel?
M&S Bank and other mortgage companies normally imposes restrictions either the type or the number of conveyancing firms on their panel. A common example of such restriction(s) being that a firm must have two or more partners. In addition to restricting the type of firm, some have decided to limit the number of firms they use to represent them. You should note that M&S Bank have no responsibility for the quality of advice provided by any member of M&S Bank Conveyancer Panel. Mortgage fraud was a key driver in the rationalisation of conveyancing panels a few years ago and whilst there are differing views about the extent of solicitor involvement in some of that fraud. Statistics from the Land Registry reveal that thousands of law firms only carry out one or two conveyances a year. Those supporting conveyancing panel cuts ask why law firms should have the right to be on a Lender panel when clearly, Conveyancing is not their speciality? To put it another way; would you want a conveyancing solicitor to represent you if you were charged with a crime; probably not.
Our son-in-law is about to exchange on a house that has just been built with a home loan from M&S Bank. His lawyer has advised him of a delay in completing the ‘Disclosure of Incentive Form’. What is this document - I have never come across this before?
The form is intended to provide information to the main parties engaged in the purchase. Therefore, it will be provided to your son’s lawyer who should be on the M&S Bank conveyancing panel as a standard part of the process, and to the valuer when requested.
The Developer will be required to start the process by downloading the form and completing it.
The form will therefore need to be available for the valuer at the time of his or her site visit. The form should be sent to the M&S Bank conveyancing panel solicitor as early as possible, in order to avoid any last minute delays, and no later than at exchange of contracts.
I note that you have a search directory identifying firms on the M&S Bank conveyancing panel. Do firms pay you a commission if I appoint them for my own conveyancing?
We are a listing service only for law firms wishing to communicate if they are on the M&S Bank conveyancing panel or other lender panels. We do not charge referral fees to the any conveyancer that you subsequently appoint.
We're in London, First timers buying with a mortgage (lender is M&S Bank , but our solicitor is on the M&S Bank conveyancing panel). How long should the conveyancing process take?
The fact that your lawyer is on the M&S Bank conveyancing panel is a help. It would almost certainly delay matters if they were not. However, no conveyancer should guarantee a time-frame for your conveyancing due to third parties outside of our control such as delays caused by lenders,conveyancing search providers or by the other side’s solicitors. The time taken is often determined by the number of parties in a chain
We have a mortgage agreed in principle with M&S Bank. Solicitors have been appointed? What is the average time that one could expect to receive a mortgage offer from M&S Bank?
There is no definitive answer here. Have M&S Bank conducted the survey? Have you advised M&S Bank as your lawyers details and checked that your lawyer is on the M&S Bank conveyancing panel? It is not unusual for a mortgage offer to take a month to come through
I am due to exchange contracts on my apartment. I had a double glazing fitted in month 8 but did not receive a FENSA certificate or Building Regulation Certificate. My buyer's mortgage company, M&S Bank are being difficult. The solicitor who is on the M&S Bank conveyancing panel is saying indemnity insurance will be fine but M&S Bank are insisting on a building regulation certificate. Why do M&S Bank have a conveyancing panel of they don’t accept advice from them?
It is probably the case that M&S Bank have referred the matter to their valuer. The reason why M&S Bank 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.
At last I have had an offer on an apartment accepted, the seller does however have a dependent purchase. The vendors have offered on somewhere, but not been accepted yet, and have viewings of other properties in the pipeline. My conveyancing solicitor has been instructed. What do I do now? At what point should I appy for the mortgage with M&S Bank?
It is usual to have concerns where there is a chain as you are unlikely to want to be too out of pocket too early (mortgage application is approx £1k, then survey/valuation, conveyancing search costs, etc). First you should check that your solicitor is on the M&S Bank conveyancing panel. As to the next stages this very much depends on the circumstances of your case, desire for this property and on the state of the market. In a hot mortgage some buyers would pally for the mortgage with M&S Bank and pay for the valuation and only if it comes back ok would they pay their solicitor to press on with searches.
