Paragon Mortgages Conveyancing Panel Example Support Desk Enquires from members of the public
On what basis would a law firm be excluded from the Paragon Mortgages approved conveyancing panel?
According to a recent survey report by the solicitors regulator three quarters of law firms had been removed from a lender panel. The most common reasons in order are :
- Low volume of transactions
- the lawyer is a sole practitioner
- as part of the HSBC panel reduction
- regulatory contact by SRA
- accidental removal. We are not aware of the specific or common criteria for removal by Paragon Mortgages
Our solicitor is asking me for proof of ID documents saying that this is part of his legal duty as a conveyancer on the Paragon Mortgages Solicitor panel. Can this be correct?
Due to Money Laundering Regulations your conveyancing lawyer is duty bound to confirm positively your identification when entering into a business relationship with you. It is a criminal offense if your lawyer not do this. If you do not provide ID early in the transaction the solicitor must refuse to act for you. It’s unlikely a lawyer will turn you away if you come to the first meeting without relevant ID but you will have to produce it at some point so you might as well bring it with you to the initial meeting so the lawyer can tick the ID verification box and start sorting out the conveyancing straight away. If you are getting a mortgage with Paragon Mortgages your lawyer also has to check ID documents to satisfy Paragon Mortgages
What tools are available to find a local solicitor on the Paragon Mortgages conveyancing panel? I have a car and am prepared to travel up to 20 kilometers to meet the conveyancer.
You can use 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 Paragon Mortgages solicitor panel.
I was expecting to move into my flat last Thursday. My lawyer’s firm is on the Paragon Mortgages conveyancing panel but has moved offices 8 weeks ago and had not advised Paragon Mortgages of their new address. Paragon Mortgages has locked down the release of mortgage funds as the information from the solicitors isn't correct.
This is as unusual as it is unlucky. Most lender Terms of Conveyancing Panel Appointment specifically oblige the solicitor to inform the lender of an address change. Your solicitor needs to treat this with the utmost urgency. Do speak with or register your concern with the senior partner (assuming he or she is not your direct lawyer). Most lenders would be reasonable in this situation and expedite the resolution of this issue. It may be prudent to enlist the help of your local Paragon Mortgages branch or your mortgage broker to see if they can help.
We are getting a further advance on our mortgage from Paragon Mortgages as we wish to carry out a loft conversion to our home. Do we need to appoint a solicitor on the Paragon Mortgages conveyancing panel to deal with the legals?
Paragon Mortgages would not normally appoint a member of their approved list of lawyers to deal with such a matter. If they did require any legal work then you would need to ensure that such a lawyer was on the Paragon Mortgages panel
We have a mortgage agreed in principle with Paragon Mortgages. Solicitors have been chosen? How long does it take for Paragon Mortgages to send the offer to our conveyancer
There is no definitive answer here. Have Paragon Mortgages done the valuation? Have you advised Paragon Mortgages as your lawyers details and checked that your lawyer is on the Paragon Mortgages conveyancing panel? It is not unusual for a mortgage offer to take a month to come through
On the whole I have been dissatisfied with the level or service received from my lawyer. Is there a Paragon Mortgages conveyancing panel complaints department or do I complain directly to the law firm?
There is little point in complaining directly to Paragon Mortgages. All solicitors and conveyancer must have a complaints procedure. You can get information from the solicitor’s or conveyancer’s website or ask at their office. They must tell you about it if you ask.
The Legal Ombudsman will make sure that your complaint is addressed by the solicitor. It can also advise you how to complain.
If a licensed conveyancer does not have a complaints procedure or will not tell you about it, contact the Council for Licensed Conveyancers (CLC), which will make sure that your complaint is properly dealt with by the conveyancer. Please see below for more information.