Q and A’s regarding the Rooftop Mortgages Solicitor Panel from members of the public
I am expecting a mortgage offer from Rooftop Mortgages. I hope to use a Licensed Conveyancer. Does the Rooftop Mortgages Solicitor panel exclude Licensed Conveyancers
Rooftop Mortgages’s approved solicitor list is, like many other lenders represented by the Council or Mortgage Lenders or Building Society Association, open to Licensed Conveyancers regulated by the CLC.
Can you help?. My lawyer is not to blame but, the conveyancing for my house purchase has been going on for months. The Local Authority Search from Rooftop Mortgages was issued random date and we have agreed a date for me to move into the property on 6 months + 3. My lawyer has advised that as she is on the Rooftop Mortgages conveyancing panel she needs to redo the searches as they are now out of date.
One of the many conditions to being on the Rooftop Mortgages approved panel is to comply with the CML Handbook Part 2 obligations (last updated for this lender on Rooftop Mortgages)which specifies that a local authority search be not more than 6 months old. You should nevertheless ask your lawyer to check whether something called ‘search validation’ indemnity insurance is acceptable to Rooftop Mortgages.
Do all the firms listed on your directory have online case tracking as I was under the impression that this was a precondition of being on the Rooftop Mortgages conveyancing 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.
I am buying a right to buy flat and getting a mortgage with Rooftop Mortgages. Can I do my own conveyancing?
Leaving aside the complexities and merits of DIY conveyancing you will have to appoint a solicitor on the Rooftop Mortgages conveyancing panel to look after their interests. Most people therefore find it easier to let the solicitor act for them and the lender. Furthermore there is minimal cost savings to made in you doing to conveyancing for yourself and another lawyer conducting the conveyancing for the lender. Please feel free to use the search tool to find a lawyer on the Rooftop Mortgages conveyancing panel in your location.
I have today made my last payment due on mortgage with Rooftop Mortgages. I assume I don't need a solicitor on the Rooftop Mortgages panel to remove the mortgage at the Land Registry. Am I right?
If you have finished paying off your Rooftop Mortgages mortgage they may send you evidence showing that you have paid it off. Alternatively they may notify the Land Registry directly. The Land Registry need to see this evidence before they will remove the Rooftop Mortgages mortgage from the register. Rooftop Mortgages,and any evidence they send you, will determine the action you need to take. In cases where no conveyancer is acting for you and you have paid off your mortgage:
but are not moving to another property
where the Rooftop Mortgages has sent the Land Registry the discharge electronically, and
the Rooftop Mortgages has instructed the Land Registry to do so
The Land Registry will send you a letter confirming that your Rooftop Mortgages mortgage has been paid off.
I have not been happy with the level or service received from my lawyer. Is there a Rooftop Mortgages conveyancing panel complaints department or do I complain directly to the law firm?
There is little point in complaining directly to Rooftop Mortgages. 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 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.
I am selling my house. I had a double glazing fitted in month 2010 but did not receive a FENSA certificate or Building Regulation Certificate. My buyer's mortgage company, Rooftop Mortgages are being difficult. The solicitor who is on the Rooftop Mortgages conveyancing panel is happy to accept ‘lack of building regulation’ insurance but Rooftop Mortgages are requiring a building regulation certificate. Why do Rooftop Mortgages have a conveyancing panel of they don’t accept advice from them?
It is probably the case that Rooftop Mortgages have referred the matter to their valuer. The reason why Rooftop Mortgages may not want to accept indemnity insurance is because it does not give them any reassurance that the double glazing correctly and safely installed. It merely protects against enforcement action which is very unlikely anyway.