Frequently asked questions relating to the Paratus AMC Conveyancing Panel from members of the public
The lawyer I wanted to use for conveyancing on a remortgage said he will levy higher legal fees if my lender is due to their unusual legal requirements. Am I likely to be frustrated using Paratus AMC? Any comments will be appreciated
Paratus AMC conveyancing requirements for their panel are no better or no more complicated than most lenders.
It is the case now the CML Handbook, the "bible" used by solicitors to establish lender requirements, is different for each lender.
It is not clear if your lawyer is on the Paratus AMC conveyancing panel. If they are not, this does add further risk of delay as Paratus AMC will appoint their own solicitors to look after their interest.
My solicitor has spotted an inconsistency when comparing the assumptions in Paratus AMC’s valuation report and what is in the title deeds. My solicitor says that as he is on the Paratus AMC conveyancing panel he must ensure that the bank is with this discrepancy and is content go ahead. Is my conveyancer’s approach legitimate?
A precondition to being on the Paratus AMC approved panel is to comply with the CML Handbook requirements (last updated for this lender on Paratus AMC) which do require that your lawyer disclose any incorrect assumptions in the lender’s valuation report and the legal papers. Should you refuse to allow your lawyer to make the appropriate notification then your lawyer will have no choice but to discontinue acting for both parties.
Is it necessary during the course of the conveyancing process to pop into the offices of the Paratus AMC conveyancing panel solicitor to execute the mortgage deed? If so, I will choose one who does conveyancing in Bristol
so that I can attend their offices if necessary.
Whereas this was necessary twenty years ago, most lenders no longer require their conveyancing panel solicitor to witness the borrowers signature. You will still be obliged to provide ID Documents and there are still distinct advantages to using a local solicitor, in your case a conveyancing solicitor in Bristol
.
My house is up for sale and I have a buyer. Does my solicitor have to be on the Paratus AMC conveyancing panel in order to deal with redeeming my mortgage?
Ordinarily, even if your lawyer is not on the Paratus AMC conveyancing panel they can still act for you on your sale. it might be that the lender will not release the original deeds (if applicable and increasingly irrelevant) until after the mortgage is paid off. You should speak to your lawyer directly before you start the process though to ensure that there is no problem as lenders are changing their requirements fairly frequently at the moment.
We have a mortgage agreed in principle with Paratus AMC. Solicitors have been chosen? What is the average time that one could expect to receive a mortgage offer from Paratus AMC?
There is no definitive answer here. Have Paratus AMC done the valuation? Have you advised Paratus AMC as your lawyers details and checked that your lawyer is on the Paratus AMC conveyancing panel? It is not unusual for a mortgage offer to take a month to come through
I have not been happy with the level or service received from my lawyer. Is there a Paratus AMC conveyancing panel complaints department or do I complain directly to the law firm?
Complaining to Paratus AMC about their conveyancing panel is unlikely to yield much of a response. Every solicitor firm and conveyancer must have a complaints procedure. Usually one can find this 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 properly dealt with 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.
My ex -wife’s name is on the Paratus AMC mortgage of my property but not on the land registry. The apartment was transferred to me on our divorce many years ago by way of a sealed court order. Does my ex still have a say on the sale even though the land registry showing the property in my name alone? Will I be required to take her name of the Paratus AMC mortgage in order to sell?
In terms of the Paratus AMC mortgage, it is unusual that your ex-wife’s name remains on the mortgage but not on the title. It is conceivable that this is an oversight on the part of your conveyancers to ensure that her name was removed or even an administrative error on the part of Paratus AMC in failing to update their data. In any event, it should cause difficulty providing her name no longer appears on the Land Registry title and you have a court order ordering that the property is transferred to you.
