Sainsburys Bank Conveyancing Panel : Questions and Answers from members of the public
I instructed a solicitor to conduct the legal paperwork on my remortgage 5 weeks ago having applied for a mortgage with Sainsburys Bank. The firm assured me that they are on Sainsburys Bank conveyancing panel and gave me their panel reference. Sainsburys Bank 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 approved panel for Sainsburys Bank?
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 Sainsburys Bank as to how long they think it will take to get the firm to get back on the panel.
My lawyer has uncovered a difference when comparing the assumptions in Sainsburys Bank’s valuation survey and what is revealed within the legal papers for the property. My lawyer has advised that as he is on the Sainsburys Bank conveyancing panel he needs to ensure that the lender is OK with this discrepancy and is content go ahead. Is my lawyer’s approach legitimate?
A precondition to being on the Sainsburys Bank approved panel is to comply with the CML Handbook requirements (last updated for this lender on Sainsburys Bank) 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.
I have checked your search tool I can't find the lawyer I was hoping to instruct as being on the Sainsburys Bank conveyancing panel. My lawyer has said that they are on the Sainsburys Bank approved panel. How can I be sure given that they are not listed on your directory?
Not all firms are yet listed on our lender panel search tool which is still relatively new. Law firms are listing on a daily basis and it is probably the case that your lawyer is on the Sainsburys Bank conveyancing lawyer and you should probably take them at their word. Please do feel free to suggest that they completing their listing on our site as it would only cost them £1 a month to list themselves as being on the Sainsburys Bank solicitor panel.
My house is up for sale and I have a buyer. Does my solicitor have to be on the Sainsburys Bank conveyancing panel in order to deal with paying off my mortgage?
Ordinarily, even if your lawyer is not on the Sainsburys Bank 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.
My wife and I have arranged a further advance on our mortgage from Sainsburys Bank as we wish to carry out alterations or improvements our home. Do we need to appoint a solicitor on the Sainsburys Bank conveyancing panel to deal with the legals?
Sainsburys Bank do not ordinarily instruct firms on their conveyancing panel to deal with such a matter. If they did require any legal work then you would need to ensure that such a lawyer was on the Sainsburys Bank list
I am currently in the process of buying my council flat. I have a mortgage agreed with Sainsburys Bank. Conveyancing is new to me. Can I proceed without a solicitor easily? I think we can but we keep being told I should use one. Any advice?
It is not advisable proceed with a house purchase without a solicitor. The council's solicitor are not acting for you. You need a solicitor for a number reasons. One of which is to verify what plans the Council have for repairs and refurbishment for the next five years. Many leaseholders have been stung for contributions of thousands of pounds. In any event if you are getting a mortgage with Sainsburys Bank you will need to appoint a solicitor on the Sainsburys Bank conveyancing panel.
My ex -wife’s name is on the Sainsburys Bank 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 Sainsburys Bank mortgage in order to sell?
As regards the Sainsburys Bank 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 Sainsburys Bank 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.