National Counties Building Society Conveyancing Lender Panel Compliance Tool

Lexsure’s COMPLETIONmonitor is web-based pre- and post-completion checklist for property lawyers. Supported by the Council of Mortgage Lenders and PI insurers. COMPLETIONmonitor is a unique risk management tool.

This system assists the way you can prove to lender panels that you are, and can stay fully compliant with their requirements, with automatic updates on National Counties Building Society’s changes. While using the software is not a prerequisite for National Counties Building Society , demonstrating you can remain up to date with National Counties Building Society’s Handbook requirements is an excellent support to your application to their lender panel and, more importantly, protect your firm’s panel standing.

The software creates real-time alerts, automatically produces COLP and CQS reports, and will increase your firm's efficiency. In addition it is user friendly, cost-effective and, for some firms, results in a PII saving.

Find a Law Firm approved by National Counties Building Society

Banks and building societies frequently change their requirements. The UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook requirements from National Counties Building Society are not guidelines, they are instructions from a client. As with many clients, instructions can change - and they do change, over time:

A Timeline of Policy Changes


Since 2008, National Counties Building Society has made 134 revisions or additions to sections of their version of the CML Handbook.
That equates to a section change every 20.4 days. In total, 44% of the sections of P2 of the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook for National Counties Building Society have been changed since 15/12/2008.

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Recent Changes Include

# Date Assoc. Changes Related To
6.7.1 01/03/2017 CML
New Build Conveyancing
National Counties Building Society approved conveyancer requirements for New Build Conveyancing : Home Warranty Schemes
16.5.3a 21/03/2016 CML
Deed of Variation
National Counties Building Society requirements for conveyancing panel lawyers as to whether National Counties Building Society need to be sent a Deed of Variation
6.14.2 01/12/2014 CML
requirement that all insurance risks are included
1.11a 15/09/2014 CML
General Mortgage Instructions
Contact details at National Counties Building Society for approved lawyers to obtain mortgage documentation
14.2.1 15/09/2014 CML
Post Completion Conveyancing
Where should conveyancing panelfor National Counties Building Society send the title deeds and documents following completion?
16.1.1 15/09/2014 CML
Title Documents
National Counties Building Society details for requesting Title Documentation
16.5.3a 15/09/2014 CML
Deed of Variation
National Counties Building Society requirements for approved lawyers as to whether National Counties Building Society need to be sent a Deed of Variation
5.13.1 15/09/2014 CML
Balance of Monies
Contact details at National Counties Building Society for conveyancing panel lawyers where borrower is not providing balance of purchase price from funds/proposing to give second charge.
Insolvency Act Indemnity Insurance Deed of Gift Indemnity Insurance
17.2.1b 10/02/2014 CML
Evidence of Discharge of Mortgage
Do National Counties Building Society send the discharge via a DS 1 form or direct with the Land Registry?
5.20.3 08/07/2013 CML
Panels PV Solar
Existence of additional requirements set by National Counties Building Society for conveyancing panel lawyers relating to leases of roof space for solar PV panels, and if so, what they are.

Last update 07/01/2019

Frequently asked questions relating to the National Counties Building Society Conveyancing Panel from members of the public

I am expecting a mortgage offer from National Counties Building Society. I would like to employ the services of a Licensed Conveyancer. Does the National Counties Building Society Conveyancing panel include Licensed Conveyancers
National Counties Building Society’s conveyancing panel is, like many other lenders associated to the Council or Mortgage Lenders or Building Society Association, open to Licensed Conveyancers regulated by the Council of Licensed Conveyancers.
I do hope you can help me. My solicitor is informing me me that he is legally obliged to conduct a Local Authority search stemming from the fact that the firm are on the National Counties Building Society conveyancing panel. Do I not have a choice here?
Unfortunately both you and your lawyer have little choice here. Given that you are taking out a loan with National Counties Building Society your lawyer has to comply with their conditions as set out in their version of the CML Conveyancing Handbook. Your lawyer would have previously signed the Terms and Conditions of National Counties Building Society’s conveyancing panel appointment which obliges them to follow the CML Handbook requirements last updated National Counties Building Society. even if you were a cash buyer you would be ill advised not to carry out a local authority search.
I am purchasing a property and need a conveyancing solicitor in Newcastle who is on the National Counties Building Society conveyancing. Can you recommend a local firm?
Our service is a directory service for firms who wish to be listed as being on the approved conveyancing panel for National Counties Building Society . We don’t recommend any particular firm.
I am trying to get my ex-husband taken off the mortgage deeds. Can National Counties Building Society really insist on which solicitor I can or can not use?
You can use any solicitor you like but National Counties Building Society then has the right to appoint a different solicitor to act for them at your expense. It might be more cost effective and quicker to instruct a lawyer who is on the National Counties Building Society solicitors panel
Is it common for National Counties Building Society to withdraw a mortgage offer and what would be the reasoning?
Lenders such as National Counties Building Society can withdraw their mortgage offer although this rarely happens. In the unlikely event that National Counties Building Society withdraw their offer they may or may not inform you or the lawyer as to their reasoning. There are various possible reasons but here are a number of examples:
  • Many mortgage offers have an expiry date. Your lawyer should check this. National Counties Building Society may amend or withdraw an offer before the end of its validation period if an offer extension is requested and following a re-evaluation of the property the value of the security is below a level which is acceptable to them.
  • If the financial circumstances of the borrower have changed to the detriment and the National Counties Building Society has been notified
  • If the borrower informs National Counties Building Society of a change in the loan amount agreed
  • Where the lender is on notice of a restriction or a right of pre-emption which is not at market value
  • Where the Lender’s right to possession is fettered in some way
I currently have a mortgage with with National Counties Building Society. Conveyancing has been completed some time ago. In the event that I decide to rent out the flat and do not currently have a buy-to-let mortgage do I need to remortgage to a buy-to-let mortgage or inform National Counties Building Society?
You must advise National Counties Building Society before renting your property as this is likely to be a breach of National Counties Building Society’s mortgage conditions. It may be that National Counties Building Society will permit you to let out your former home without needing to switch to a buy-to-let mortgage but some lenders will add a surcharge to your mortgage rate to reflect the higher risk. You should contact National Counties Building Society directly. You need not do this via a National Counties Building Society conveyancing panel lawyer.
After much negotiation I have agreed a price on an apartment. My financial adviser pressured me to appoint their lawyers I paid an upfront payment of 225. Soon after the conveyancers contacted me to say that they were not on the National Counties 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 National Counties 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.