Mortgage Agency Services Conveyancing Lender Panel Compliance Tool

COMPLETIONmonitor is an online pre- and post-completion checklist for residential conveyancing lawyers. Supported by the CML and professional indemnity insures. COMPLETIONmonitor is a unique risk management tool.

This system is the only way you can demonstrate to lender panels that you are, and can stay fully compliant with their requirements, with alerts on Mortgage Agency Services’s changes. Even though using the tool is not a prerequisite for Mortgage Agency Services , demonstrating you can remain up to date with Mortgage Agency Services’s Handbook requirements is a helpful support to your panel application and, just as importantly, safeguard your panel standing.

COMPLETIONmonitor generates real-time alerts, automatically produces compliance and CQS reports, and will increase your firm's efficiency. It is also user friendly, cost-effective and, for some firms, leads to a PII saving.

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Banks and building societies frequently vary their requirements. The UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook requirements from Mortgage Agency Services are not guidelines, they are instructions from a client. As with many clients, instructions can change - and they do change, frequently:

A Timeline of Policy Changes


Since 2008, Mortgage Agency Services has made 22 revisions or additions to sections of their version of the CML Handbook.
That equates to a section change every 124.1 days. In total, 10% of the sections of P2 of the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook for Mortgage Agency Services have been changed since 15/12/2008.

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Recent Changes Include

# Date Assoc. Changes Related To
3.1.4 01/12/2014 CML
details of the seller's solicitors or licensed conveyancers
5.5.1b 01/12/2014 CML
conveyancing requirements in terms of time for building regulation consents
6.14.1a 01/12/2014 CML
contact point if property is not insured in accordance with lender requirement
6.14.1b 01/12/2014 CML
buildings insurance in joint names or lender interest noted
6.14.1c 01/12/2014 CML
buildings insurance total sum insured calculation
6.14.1d 01/12/2014 CML
maximum excess re building insurance
6.14.4 01/12/2014 CML
sending a copy of the buildings insurance policy and last premium
17.2.1b 12/07/2013 CML
Evidence of Discharge of Mortgage
Do Mortgage Agency Services send the discharge via a DS 1 form or direct with the Land Registry?
5.20.4 08/07/2013 CML
Green Deal Plans
Mortgage Agency Services requirements for conveyancing panel/approved lawyers as to whether Mortgage Agency Services need to be advised as to details of any existing Green Deal Plan(s) on a property
5.20.1 12/09/2012 CML
Solar Panels
Mortgage Agency Services requirements for conveyancing panel/approved lawyers as to whether Mortgage Agency Services need to be reported to where the lease does not meet the CML minimum requirements for leases of roof space for solar PV panels

Last update 08/11/2018

FAQs : The Mortgage Agency Services Solicitor Panel from members of the public

I was advised recently by my mortgage broker that my solicitor is not on the Mortgage Agency Services Solicitor panel. How can I be sure that this is correct?
The best course of action for you to take is to contact your conveyancer. You lawyer should advise you of the situation. If they are not on the panel they may recommend you to a firm that is on the the approved Mortgage Agency Services solicitor panel.
We are due to exchange on the purchase a house but as a result of damage from the recent storms I have agreed compensation from the seller of £3k approx by way of a reduction in the price. This was going to be dealt with as part of the conveyancing process but my mortgage company Mortgage Agency Services will not agree to this. Why was Mortgage Agency Services even consulted?
Your lawyer being on the Mortgage Agency Services conveyancing panel is duty bound to inform Mortgage Agency Services of any changes to the purchase price. If you were to refuse your lawyers to disclose the reduction to Mortgage Agency Services then they would have to discontinue acting for you and Mortgage Agency Services.
Whilst your website is a good idea there are many lawyers listed near Leeds on the Mortgage Agency Services conveyancing panel. It would be a lot more helpful if you could recommend a specific firm on the Mortgage Agency Services approved panel?
We do not recommend specific firms as the right firm for you depends on where your priorities lie. For example you may require a local firm with local knowledge or you might be looking for the low cost conveyancing. Before you appoint your lawyer we advise you to speak to two or three of the firms listed to gain comfort as to which one is right for you..
The firm that I appointed last week on my house acquisition in Manchester has without warning shut down. I only went with them because I had to have a solicitor on the Mortgage Agency Services conveyancing panel and my preferred lawyer was not. I gave my credit card details for them to take £175 for searches. What do I do now?
If you have an estate agent involved then inform them immediately so that they advise the vendors that there may be a slight delay due to reasons beyond your control. Hopefully they will be sympathetic and urge their lawyer to send a new set of papers to your new solicitors. You will need to appoint new lawyers that are on the Mortgage Agency Services conveyancing panel and notify the lender. If you have paid over any money it will hopefully be held by the SRA as money in an intervened firm's bank accounts is transferred to the SRA. Then, the SRA or the intervention agent looks at the intervened firm's accounts to work out who the money belongs to. To claim your money you will need to contact the SRA. If the SRA cannot return money you are owed from the firm's bank accounts, or if they can only return part of the money, you can apply to the Compensation Fund for a grant. Your new solicitors may be able to help
Are all Conveyancing Quality Solicitors on the Mortgage Agency Services conveyancing panel?
A selection of lenders now use the accreditation scheme as the starting point for Panel membership such as HSBC and Santander. CQS membership however is no guarantee to lender panel acceptance. That being said,the CML have indicated that it is likely to become a pre-requisite for firms wishing to join their panels.
We have a mortgage agreed in principle with Mortgage Agency Services. Solicitors have been instructed? What is the average time that one could expect to receive a mortgage offer from Mortgage Agency Services?
There is no definitive answer here. Have Mortgage Agency Services completed the valuation? Have you advised Mortgage Agency Services as your lawyers details and checked that your lawyer is on the Mortgage Agency Services conveyancing panel? It is not unusual for a mortgage offer to take a month to come through
Mortgage Agency Services have agreed my mortgage in principle, my offer on house has been accepted, now what?
The estate agent will want to know who your solicitors are (make sure these solicitors are on the lenders panel). Call up Mortgage Agency Services or your broker and complete any relevant paperwork. Mortgage Agency Services will tell you what documents they want. Mortgage Agency Services will instruct a valuer. The valuer will get in touch with the estate agent or seller to book an appointment. Once conducted (assuming no problems) it takes about week to get a mortgage offer. Mortgage Agency Services will issue the offer to you and your lawyer. The transaction will then take it’s course according the nature and complexity of the conveyancing.