Q and A’s regarding the Platform Home Loans Solicitor Panel from members of the public
I instructed a firm of solicitors to conveyancing on my house purchase six weeks ago having applied for a mortgage with Platform Home Loans. The solicitors assured me that they are on Platform Home Loans conveyancing panel and gave me their panel number. Platform Home Loans then ,via my broker advised that their panel number was dormant and would need to be reactivated. What do I do from here? Do I instruct a different law firm currently on the conveyancing panel for Platform Home Loans?
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 Platform Home Loans as to the time frame to get your lawyer reinstated on the panel once again.
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 Platform Home Loans will not agree to this. Why was Platform Home Loans even consulted?
Your lawyer being on the Platform Home Loans conveyancing panel is duty bound to inform Platform Home Loans of any changes to the purchase price. If you were to refuse your lawyers to disclose the reduction to Platform Home Loans then they would have to discontinue acting for you and Platform Home Loans.
I need to find a Platform Home Loans panel solicitor in Stirling. Can you assist?
It is not clear why you need a Platform Home Loans panel solicitor but in any event, if you can not find one on our search tool you will need to speak directly to Platform Home Loans to find out which solicitors in Platform Home Loans are on their panel. If you do find such a firm not listed please direct them to our site to list. At a fee of one pound per month it is not expensive to register on the site
We're in London, FTBs purchasing with a mortgage (lender is Platform Home Loans , but our solicitor is on the Platform Home Loans conveyancing panel). How long should the conveyancing process take?
The fact that your lawyer is on the Platform Home Loans 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
Do conveyancing solicitors on the Platform Home Loans 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 service
Is it common for Platform Home Loans to withdraw a mortgage offer and what would be the reasoning?
Banks and Building Societies such as Platform Home Loans can withdraw their mortgage offer although this rarely happens. In the unlikely event that Platform Home Loans withdraw their offer they may or may not inform you or the lawyer as to the reasons why. There are various possible reasons but here are a few examples:
- Platform Home Loans may amend or withdraw an offer if the Platform Home Loans conveyancing panel solicitor is unable to confirm compliance with any of the conditions of the mortgage offer or if any of the terms of the mortgage offer cannot be satisfied
- If the borrower informs Platform Home Loans of a change in security address
- Amendments if purchase price adjusted and the loan to value limits exceeded by this. Please note that Platform Home Loans conveyancing panel solicitors would be obliged to notify Platform Home Loans of a change in the price of the property.
- A cashback to the buyer, or | part of the price includes a non-cash incentive to the buyer (eg paid stamp duty land tax),or | any indirect incentive (cash or non cash) or rental guarantee, of which the lender was previously unaware
- If the lender reasonably believe that the applicant, borrower, mortgagor or guarantor is insolvent or is about to become insolvent or has or will have a petition presented or if any one or all enter into any arrangement with their creditors generally or if any one or all should suffer a material change in their financial circumstances
