Frequently asked questions relating to the Metro Bank Conveyancing Panel from members of the public
My fiance and I are FTBs. Within the 48 hours our lawyer has forwarded the sale agreement to sign with a detailed report with the expectation that exchange is imminent. Metro Bank have this evening contacted us to inform me that they have now hit a problem as our lawyer is not on their approved list of lawyers. Is this a problem?
If you are buying a property with the assistance of a mortgage it is usual for the purchaser's solicitors to also act for the purchaser's lender.
In order to act for a bank or building society a law firm has to be on that lender's conveyancing panel. An application has to be made by the law firm to the lender to become a member of the lender's panel and there are increasingly strict criteria which the firm has to satisfy and indeed some lenders now require their panel members to be part of the Law Society’s Conveyancing Accreditation Scheme. Your solicitors should contact Metro Bank and see if they can apply for membership of the Metro Bank conveyancing panel, but if that is not viable Metro Bank will instruct their own lawyers to represent them. You are not legally obliged to appoint a law firm on the Metro Bank conveyancing panel as you are at liberty to use your preferred lawyers, in which case it will likely add costs, and it will likely delay the transaction as you are adding another lawyer into the mix.
Please assist. For no fault of my lawyer but, my purchase conveyancing has been going on for months. The Local Authority Search from Metro Bank was issued random date and we have agreed a date for me to move into the property on 10 days inc Day of week eg. Mon. My solicitor says that as she is on the Metro Bank conveyancing panel she needs to reorder the searches as they are now out of date.
A precondition to being on the Metro Bank approved panel is to comply with the CML Handbook Part 2 obligations (last updated for this lender on Metro Bank)which specifies that a local authority search be not more than half a year old. You should nevertheless ask your lawyer to check whether something called ‘search validation’ indemnity insurance is acceptable to Metro Bank.
What tools are available to search for a local solicitor on the Metro Bank conveyancing panel? I have a car and am prepared to travel up to 10 miles to meet the conveyancer.
You can use the find a conveyancing panel search on this website. Please choose the lender and your location and you will see a number of lawyer located nearest you. Alternatively you can type in the name of your proposed law firm and see if they are listed as being on the Metro Bank solicitor panel.
My lawyers in Newcastle have advised me that no longer have my conveyancing file. To assist with my purchase I took out a mortgage with Metro Bank. Is it case that being on the Metro Bank conveyancing panel they need to have retained the file for a prescribed period?
It very much depends from lender to lender but many of the Terms and Conditions of Conveyancing Panel Appointment require the file to be held for a period of 6 years. That being said we have not seen a copy of the Metro Bank Conveyancing Panel Terms. It might be worth you contacting Metro Bank directly.
How can we tell if a solicitor on the Metro Bank panel is any good?
seeking recommendations is a good start. Before you go ahead check if they offer a no sale no fee offer. Also you often get what you pay for - a firm which quotes more will often provide a better service than one which is cheap as chips. We would always suggest that you speak with the solicitor handling your transaction
The for formalities of my remortgage has taken place with a mortgage from Metro Bank. Conveyancing was satisfactory but I would like to complain about Metro Bank. How does one go about formally complaining?
All lenders have complaints procedures. Your first point of contact should be one of the Metro Bank branches or the Customer Services Team at Metro Bank head office. In most cases complaints to Metro Bank are resolved effectively and efficiently. If you feel that the matter is not resolved you can write to the
Financial Ombudsman Service at South Quay Plaza, 183 Marsh Wall, London E14 9SR with full details of your complaint.
My husband and I are acquiring a house in Hendon. Conveyancing solicitors in Hendon are preferred to beappointed. My friendadvised that we check that the property lawyer in Hendon is on the Metro Bank panel. Surely I don't need to do this, do I?
A limited percentage of Hendon conveyancing practices are on the Metro Bank conveyancing panel. Click here to find a Hendon conveyancing lawyer on the on the Metro Bank solicitors pane.