FAQs : The Mansfield Building Society Conveyancing Panel from members of the public
My fiance and I are hoping to buy a 3 bedroom flat in London with a mortgage from Mansfield Building Society. We have a solicitor but Mansfield Building Society says she’s not on their "panel". We have to appoint one of the Mansfield Building Society panel firms or keep our solicitor and pay for one of their panel ones to represent them. This seems very unfair; Can we not simply insist that Mansfield Building Society use our lawyer?
Unfortunately,no. The mortgage offered to you is subject to its terms and conditions, one of which will be that lawyers will on the Mansfield Building Society conveyancing panel. Until recently, most lenders had large numbers of law firms on their panels: a borrower could choose one for themselves, as long as it was on the lender's panel. The lender would then simply instruct the borrower's lawyers to act for the lender, too. You can use your lender's panel lawyers or you could borrow from another lender which does not restrict your choice. A further alternative is for your solicitors to apply to be on the conveyancing panel for Mansfield Building Society
Expecting to move into my new home next Thursday. I have now been asked to send a copy of my building insurance schedule by my solicitor as as he informs me that he is duty bound to validate that it is in order for Mansfield Building Society. What does the insurance need to cover?
Any lawyer on the Mansfield Building Society conveyancing panel would need to check that the following risks are covered fire; lightning; aircraft; explosion; earthquake; storm; flood; escape of water or oil; riot; malicious damage; theft or attempted theft; falling trees and branches and aerials; subsidence; heave;landslip;collision;accidental damage to underground services;professional fees, demolition and site clearance costs; and public liability to anyone else. There are some other issues such as the level of excess that are set out in Mansfield Building Society’s Part 2 requirements of the CML Handbook (last updated on Mansfield Building Society). Being on the Mansfield Building Society conveyancing panel your lawyer is expect to follow these instructions.
Do I need to visit the offices of the Mansfield Building Society conveyancing panel solicitor to execute the mortgage deed? If so, I will choose one who does conveyancing in Newcastle
so that I can pop in to their offices when needed.
Whereas this was necessary 12 years ago, most lenders no longer require their conveyancing panel solicitor to witness the borrowers signature. You will still be obliged to provide ID Documents and there are still distinct advantages to using a local solicitor, in your case a conveyancing solicitor in Newcastle
.
What happens if my lawyer’s firm is expelled from the Mansfield Building Society Conveyancing panel in advance of the completion date?
First, this is very unlikely to happen. 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.
Is there a list of Mansfield Building Society panel conveyancers on the Council of Mortgage Lender’s Website?
No. There is no such tool on the Council of Mortgage Lenders or Building Society Association websites. Very few lenders make their panel listings available online.
I'm in the process of viewing houses and am about to put in an offer. Is it premature to have a solicitor in place? I intend to finance via a home loan with Mansfield 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 EA. As you are getting a mortgage with Mansfield Building Society , make sure you remember to check that your lawyer is on the Mansfield Building Society conveyancing panel.
I recently had an offer accepted on a house. My mortgage broker recommended their conveyancers I paid an upfront payment of 225. Soon after the conveyancers contacted me to say that they were not on the Mansfield Building Society conveyancing panel. Am I right in thinking that I should be due a refund?
You should be able to recover this from the law firm if they were not on the Mansfield Building Society panel. They should have asked at the outset which lender you were obtaining a mortgage with. An important lesson to readers of this site is to check that the lawyers are on the appropriate lender panel.