Platform Home Loans Conveyancing Panel : Questions and Answers from members of the public
Is there a reason why all property lawyers are not on the Platform Home Loans Solicitor panel?
Platform Home Loans and other banks ordinarily restrict either the type or the number of conveyancing firms on their panel. A common example of such restriction(s) being that a firm must have two or more partners. In addition to restricting the type of firm, some have decided to limit the number of firms they use to represent them. You should note that Platform Home Loans have no responsibility for the quality of advice provided by any member of Platform Home Loans Conveyancer Panel. Mortgage fraud was a key driver in the rationalisation of conveyancing panels a few years ago and whilst there are differing views about the extent of solicitor involvement in some of that fraud. Statistics from the Land Registry reveal that thousands of law firms only carry out one or two conveyances a year. Those supporting conveyancing panel cuts ask why law firms should have the right to be on a Lender panel when clearly, Conveyancing is not their speciality? To put it another way; would you want a conveyancing solicitor to represent you if you were charged with a crime; probably not.
My partner and I changing mortgage lender for our maisonette with Platform Home Loans. We have a son 18 who lives with us. The solicitor on the Platform Home Loans conveyancing panel requested us to identify anyone over the age of 17 other than ourselves who lives in the flat. Our lawyer has now e-mailed a document for our son to sign, waiving any legal rights in the event that the apartment is repossessed. I have a couple of questions (1) Is this document specific to the Platform Home Loans conveyancing panel as he did not need to sign this form when we purchased 3 years ago (2) In signing this form is our son in any way compromising his right to inherit the property?
On the face of it your lawyer has done nothing wrong as it is established procedure for any occupier who is aged 17 or over to sign the necessary Consent Form, which is purely to state that any rights he has in the property are postponed and secondary to Platform Home Loans .This is solely used to protect the Platform Home Loans if the property were re-possessed so that in such circumstances, your son would be legally obliged to leave.
It does not impact your son’s right to inherit the apartment. Please note that if your son were to inherit and the mortgage in favour of Platform Home Loans had not been discharged, he would be liable to take over the loan or pay it off, but other than that, there is nothing stopping him from keeping the property in accordance with your will or the rules of intestacy.
I am purchasing a flat and need a conveyancing solicitor in who is on the Platform Home Loans solicitor. Could you point me in the right direction as regards a solicitor?
Our service is a directory service for firms who wish to be listed as being on the approved conveyancing panel for Platform Home Loans . We don’t recommend any particular firm.
I would like to get my ex-wife taken off the mortgage deeds. Can Platform Home Loans really tell me which solicitor I can or can not instruct?
You can use any solicitor you like but Platform Home Loans 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 Platform Home Loans solicitors panel
When it comes to lenders such as Platform Home Loans do lawyers have to be pay a fee to be on the conveyancing panel?
We are not aware of any lender fees to be on their panel although some do charge an administration charge to deal with the processing of the conveyancing panel application.
is it true that all solicitors on the Platform Home Loans conveyancing panel overseen by the Solicitors Regulatory Authority?
As solicitors, in order to be on the Platform Home Loans conveyancing panel they would need to be regulated by the Solicitors Regulatory Authority. Many lenders do allow licenced conveyancers on their panel in which case such firms would be regulated by the Council of Licensed Conveyancers (CLC).
On the whole I have been dissatisfied with the level or service received from my lawyer. Is there a Platform Home Loans conveyancing panel complaints department or do I complain directly to the law firm?
Complaining to Platform Home Loans about their conveyancing panel is unlikely to yield much of a response. 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.