FAQs for the Mortgage Express (No 2) Solicitor Panel from members of the public
I appointed a law firm to conduct the legal paperwork on my remortgage 4 weeks ago having applied for a mortgage with Mortgage Express (No 2). The firm assured me that they are on Mortgage Express (No 2) conveyancing panel and gave me their panel reference. Mortgage Express (No 2) then ,via my broker advised that their panel number was dormant and would need to be reactivated. What do I do from here? Should I appoint a new solicitor currently on the approved panel for Mortgage Express (No 2)?
You may be very frustrated with the lawyer but if it only go take a few more days they it may be worth waiting as, depending on how far progressed you are you may end up delaying the transaction by a number of weeks if you need to replace your solicitor You may wish to enlist the help of your broker to check with the Mortgage Express (No 2) as to how long they think it will take to get the firm to get back on the panel.
Can you clarify something for me?. For no fault of my lawyer but, the conveyancing for my house purchase has been going on for months. The Local Authority Search from Mortgage Express (No 2) was issued random date and we have agreed a date for me to move into the property on 6. My solicitor says that as she is on the Mortgage Express (No 2) conveyancing panel she needs to redo the searches as they are no longer acceptable to the lender.
One of the many conditions to being on the Mortgage Express (No 2) approved panel is to comply with the CML Handbook requirements (last updated for this lender on Mortgage Express (No 2))which states that a local authority search be not more than 6 months old. You should nevertheless ask your lawyer to check whether something called ‘search validation’ indemnity insurance is acceptable to Mortgage Express (No 2).
How do I search for a local solicitor on the Mortgage Express (No 2) conveyancing panel? I have a car and am prepared to travel up to 20 kilometers to meet the lawyer.
Feel free to make use of the find a conveyancing panel tool 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 Mortgage Express (No 2) solicitor panel.
We're in Liverpool, First timers purchasing with a mortgage (lender is Mortgage Express (No 2) , but our solicitor is on the Mortgage Express (No 2) conveyancing panel). How long should the conveyancing process take?
The fact that your lawyer is on the Mortgage Express (No 2) 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
Is the case that all CQS (Conveyancing Quality Scheme) solicitors on the Mortgage Express (No 2) conveyancing panel?
It is true that some lenders now use the accreditation scheme as the starting point for Panel approval such as HSBC and Santander. The Law Society’s CQS accreditation however gives 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 approved list of firms.
Do conveyancing solicitors on the Mortgage Express (No 2) conveyancing panel work on a no sale no fee basis?
On the whole there are no requirements by lenders for their firms to operate on a no-sale-no-fee basis. There a small number of lenders who operate a very restricted conveyancing panel managed by a third party company (often termed in the industry as a ‘gatekeeper’). That third party may impose certain conditions such as non-sale-no fee on the panel firms. If you require this as a condition of your conveyancing then you should check with the conveyancing firm that this is part of their package
I have instructed a lawyer having made sure that they are on the Mortgage Express (No 2) conveyancing panel. Does my lawyer arrange the survey of the property?
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Having digested plenty of house buying,I note that it is considered advisable to get your house surveyed prior to buying it. When I asked my solicitor - who is on the Mortgage Express (No 2) conveyancing panel - on this she said they don't do this and I need to contract an independent surveyor. Is that normal?
Mortgage Express (No 2) will need an independent valuation of the property. Your lawyer will not arrange this. Usually Mortgage Express (No 2) will appoint their own surveyor to do this, and you will have to pay for it. Remember that this is a valuation for mortgage purposes and not a survey.
You may wish to consider appointing your own surveyor to carry out a survey or prepare a home buyers report on the property. It is up to you to satisfy yourself that the property is structurally sound before you buy it. If the survey or report reveals that building work is needed, you should tell your solicitor. You may wish to renegotiate with the seller.
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Your lawyer will not organise the survey but they may be able to put you in touch with a local one that they recommend. RICS offers a find a surveyor service (just google it) where you can search for a qualified surveyor by postcode. As you are getting a mortgage with Mortgage Express (No 2) you could contact your them to see if they have a list of approved surveyors.
