Royal Bank of Scotland -Natwest One Conveyancing Lender Panel Compliance Tool

COMPLETIONmonitor is an online pre- and post-completion checklist for property lawyers. Supported by the CML and PI insurers such as AmTrust. It is a unique risk management tool.

This software facilitates the way you can prove to lender panels that you are, and can remain fully compliant with their instructions, with alerts on Royal Bank of Scotland -Natwest One’s changes. Even though using COMPLETIONmonitor is not a condition for being on the Royal Bank of Scotland -Natwest One panel, demonstrating you can stay up to date with Royal Bank of Scotland -Natwest One’s Handbook requirements is an excellent support to your application to their lender panel and, more importantly, safeguard your firm’s panel standing.

COMPLETIONmonitor creates real-time alerts, automatically produces SRA and CQS reports, and will enhance your firm's efficiency. It is also user friendly, cost-effective and, for some firms, leads to reduced PII premiums.

Find a Law Firm approved by Royal Bank of Scotland -Natwest One

Mortgage companies often vary their requirements. The UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook requirements from Royal Bank of Scotland -Natwest One are not guidelines, they are instructions from a client. As with many clients, instructions can change - and they do change, frequently:

A Timeline of Policy Changes


Since 2008, Royal Bank of Scotland -Natwest One has made 202 revisions or additions to sections of their version of the CML Handbook.
That equates to a section change every 13.5 days. In total, 52% of the sections of P2 of the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook for Royal Bank of Scotland -Natwest One have been changed since 15/12/2008.

To find out more about lender panel compliance,

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Frequently asked questions relating to the Royal Bank of Scotland -Natwest One Conveyancing Panel from members of the public

Is the fact that my conveyancer is not identified on the Royal Bank of Scotland -Natwest One Conveyancing panel that there is a problem with the quality of the firm’s work?
It would not be wise to jump to that conclusion. There are all sorts of perfectly reasonable explanations. A recent report by the solicitors regulator indicated 76% of law firms surveyed had been removed from at least one lender panel. The most common reasons for removal are: (1) lack of transactions (2) the lawyer is a sole practitioner (3) as part of the HSBC panel reduction (4) regulatory contact by SRA (5) accidental removal. If you are concerned you should simply call the firm and ask them why they are no longer on the approved list for Royal Bank of Scotland -Natwest One.
My god-son is in the process of securing a newly built flat with a mortgage from Royal Bank of Scotland -Natwest One. His solicitor has said that there is a delay in receiving the ‘Disclosure of Incentive Form’. This document is news to me - what is it and who needs sight of it?
The document is intended to provide information to the main parties involved in the purchase. Therefore, it will be provided to your son’s lawyer who should be on the Royal Bank of Scotland -Natwest One conveyancing panel as a standard part of the process, and to the surveyor when requested.

The Developer will be required to start the process by downloading the form and completing it.

The form will therefore need to be available for the valuer at the time of his or her site visit. The form should be sent to the Royal Bank of Scotland -Natwest One conveyancing panel solicitor as early as possible, in order to avoid any last minute delays, and no later than at exchange of contracts.

Do all the licensed conveyancers and solicitor practices listed on your directory have online case tracking as I was under the impression that this was a precondition of being on the Royal Bank of Scotland -Natwest One solicitor panel?
No. There is no CML Part 2 or Building Society Association requirement relating to online case tracking. Some law firms operate such technology and some don't.
The lawyers that I recently instructed on my purchase in London has without warning closed. I only went with them because I had to have a solicitor on the Royal Bank of Scotland -Natwest One conveyancing panel and my previous lawyer was not. I gave them a cheque for £150 in advance. What are my options?
If you have an estate agent involved then let them know straight away so that they advise the vendors that there may be a slight delay due to the problems encountered. Hopefully they will be sympathetic and urge their lawyer to send a new set of papers to your new solicitors. You should appoint new lawyers that are on the Royal Bank of Scotland -Natwest One conveyancing panel and notify the lender. If you have paid over any money it will hopefully be held by the SRA as money in an intervened firm's bank accounts is transferred to the SRA. Then, the SRA or the intervention agent looks at the intervened firm's accounts to work out who the money belongs to. To claim your money you will need to contact the SRA. If the SRA cannot return money you are owed from the firm's bank accounts, or if they can only return part of the money, you can apply to the Compensation Fund for a grant. Your new solicitors may be able to help
In what circumstances might Royal Bank of Scotland -Natwest One amend or withdraw their mortgage offer?
Banks and Building Societies such as Royal Bank of Scotland -Natwest One can revoke their mortgage offer although this is unusual. In the unlikely event that Royal Bank of Scotland -Natwest One 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 number of examples:
  • Royal Bank of Scotland -Natwest One may amend or withdraw an offer if the Royal Bank of Scotland -Natwest One 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
  • Many mortgage offers have an expiry date. Your lawyer should check this. Royal Bank of Scotland -Natwest One 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.
  • Following advice from the property assessor on their lender panel or If the lender has doubts about the effectiveness of the valuation as a result of subsequent events or information received post valuation but pre completion
  • Where the sale is not at arms length for value to unconnected persons
  • 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
I have agreed a price on a apartment I spoke to a conveyancer previously used by my uncle and he advised retaining a solicitor approved by Royal Bank of Scotland -Natwest One. The estate agent recommended two local firms so I asked Royal Bank of Scotland -Natwest One if the 2 suggested solicitors are approved, which they are not. Royal Bank of Scotland -Natwest One suggested that either practice can fill out the appropriate forms to become approved. Do I (1) save myself the aggravation and use one of Royal Bank of Scotland -Natwest One 's conveyancing panel solicitors (2) Use the local solicitor and accept there may be delays etc as they go through the approval process.
Ask Royal Bank of Scotland -Natwest One for conveyancing panel firms in your area. Lenders have them all over the country. You can also use our search tool at the top of this page to search for a lawyer on the Royal Bank of Scotland -Natwest One conveyancing panel based on location. If you particularly like the sound of one of the local lawyers that you have spoken to ask them if they would go onto Royal Bank of Scotland -Natwest One conveyancing panel as it may only take about 2-3 weeks. As long as they meet Royal Bank of Scotland -Natwest One’s requirements it can be a very simple job for the solicitor. Other stuff will be going on in parallel (as you are at an early stage) so it may not delay matters.
I recently had an offer accepted on a house. My financial adviser suggested a solicitor I paid an upfront payment of 200. Soon after the conveyancers contacted me sheepishly admitting that they were not on the Royal Bank of Scotland -Natwest One 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 Royal Bank of Scotland -Natwest One 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.