Scottish Building Society Conveyancing Lender Panel Compliance Tool

Lexsure’s COMPLETIONmonitor is an online pre- and post-completion checklist for residential conveyancing lawyers. Supported by the CML and PI insurers. It is a unique risk mitigation tool.

This software facilitates the way you can prove to lender panels that you are, and can remain fully compliant with their instructions, with notifications given on Scottish Building Society’s changes. While using COMPLETIONmonitor is not a prerequisite for Scottish Building Society , demonstrating you can stay up to date with Scottish Building Society’s Handbook requirements is a helpful support to your panel application and, more importantly, safeguard your firm’s panel standing.

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

Find a Law Firm approved by Scottish Building Society

Lenders frequently change their requirements. The UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook requirements from Scottish Building Society 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, Scottish Building Society has made 288 revisions or additions to sections of their version of the CML Handbook.
That equates to a section change every 9.5 days. In total, 90% of the sections of P2 of the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook for Scottish Building Society have been changed since 15/12/2008.

To find out more about lender panel compliance,

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Recent Changes Include

# Date Assoc. Changes Related To
17.2.1b 12/07/2013 CML
Evidence of Discharge of Mortgage
Do Scottish Building Society send the discharge via a DS 1 form or direct with the Land Registry?
16.5.3b 02/12/2010 CML
Deed of Rectification
Where do solicitors and conveyancers send the deed of rectification in relation to Scottish Building Society mortgages ?
17.2.1a 02/12/2010 CML
Redemption Payments
Where do solicitors and conveyancers send the discharge and repayment remittance in relation to Scottish Building Society mortgages ?
5.14.1 02/12/2010 CML
Leasehold Conveyancing
Scottish Building Society panel lawyers leasehold conveyancing requirements : minimum unexpired lease term
5.1.1 02/12/2010 CML
Properties owned for less than 6 months
Contact details at Scottish Building Society for conveyancing panel lawyers where there is a restriction on use.
6.14.1b 02/12/2010 CML
buildings insurance in joint names or lender interest noted
6.14.1c 02/12/2010 CML
buildings insurance total sum insured calculation
6.3.1 02/12/2010 CML
Purchase Price
Contact details at Scottish Building Society for approved lawyers to used where there are any issues relating to purchase price.
6.4.4 02/12/2010 CML
Disclosing Incentives
Scottish Building Society approved lawyers additional requirements concerning reporting incentives
6.9.1 02/12/2010 CML
Easements
Contact details at Scottish Building Society for conveyancing panel lawyers if necessary easements are absent
Unknown Rights and Easements Indemnity Insurance

Last update 31/03/2020

Frequently asked questions relating to the Scottish Building Society Solicitor Panel from members of the public

Is the fact that my solicitor is not isted on the Scottish Building Society Solicitor panel that there is a problem with the standard of his conveyancing?
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 top 3 reasons are as follows: (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 Scottish Building Society.
Please assist. My lawyer is not to blame but, the conveyancing for my house purchase has been going on for months. The Local Authority Search from Scottish Building Society was date stamped random date and we have agreed a date for me to move into the property on 6. My lawyer informs me that as she is on the Scottish Building Society conveyancing panel she needs to reorder the searches as they are now out of date.
One of the many conditions to being on the Scottish Building Society approved panel is to comply with the CML Handbook Part 2 obligations (last updated for this lender on Scottish Building Society)which states 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 Scottish Building Society.
Is it necessary during the course of the conveyancing process to visit the offices of the Scottish Building Society conveyancing panel solicitor to execute the mortgage deed? If so, I will appoint a lawyer who conducts conveyancing in Liverpool so that I can pop in to their offices if required.
Most conveyancing panel lawyers for Scottish Building Society undertake all of the work via the post, internet or over the phone. This means that they can undertake your Conveyancing Transaction no matter where you live in England or Wales. However you should check if you can still book an appointment to go into appointed conveyancing lawyer if you prefer.
I am trying to get my ex-husband taken off the mortgage deeds. Can Scottish Building Society really tell me which solicitor I can or can not retain?
You can use any solicitor you like but Scottish Building Society 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 Scottish Building Society solicitors panel
Do the majority of banks operate their own panel of solicitors?
Many lenders do operate a restricted conveyancing panel but a lot of lenders allow any solicitors to join their panel so long as they meet their criteria. Each lender sets their own criteria. For example the Scottish Building Society conveyancing panel requirements are different to Scottish Building Society’s conveyancing panel criteria.
I am currently in the process of buying my council flat. I have a mortgage agreed with Scottish Building Society. Conveyancing is not something I have any knowledge of. 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 Scottish Building Society you will need to appoint a solicitor on the Scottish Building Society conveyancing panel.
On the whole I have been dissatisfied with the level or service received from my lawyer. Is there a Scottish Building Society conveyancing panel complaints department or do I complain directly to the law firm?
Complaining to Scottish Building Society about their conveyancing panel is unlikely to yield much of a response. 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.