Skipton Building Society Conveyancing Panel : Questions and Answers from members of the public
My Conveyancer has never been on on the Skipton Building Society Solicitor Panel. Can I still retain my preferred solicitor even though they are excluded from the Skipton Building Society approved list?
You will need to have a conveyancer complete the legal work required when you take out a Skipton Building Society mortgage to buy your property. They’ll carry out all the necessary legal checks on the property, make sure that you’re properly registered as the owner and ensure that all the necessary mortgage documentation is in place. You can instruct a conveyancing firm of your choice. However, if the firm selected is not a member of the Skipton Building Society conveyancing panel additional costs will be incurred as separate legal representation will be required by Skipton Building Society. Conveyancing panel applications can be submitted, so if your conveyancer has not previously applied for membership they can do so.
I am buying a newly built flat and my conveyancer is informing me that she is duty bound to reveal incentives from the developer as her practice is on the Skipton Building Society conveyancing panel. I am on a tight deadline to exchange contracts and I dont want to prolong deal. Is my lawyer right?
You should not exchange unless you have advised to do so by your lawyer. A precondition to being on the Skipton Building Society approved panel is to comply with the CML Handbook requirements (last updated for this lender on Skipton Building Society). The CML Conveyancing Handbook requires that your lawyer have the appropriate Disclosure of Incentive form completed by the developer and accepted by your lender.
How do I find a local solicitor on the Skipton Building Society conveyancing panel? I have a car and am prepared to travel up to 20 kilometers to meet the solicitor.
Feel free to make use of the find a conveyancing panel tool on this page. Please choose the lender and your location and you will see a number of lawyer located nearest you. Alternatively you can type in the name of your proposed law firm and see if they are listed as being on the Skipton Building Society solicitor panel.
My house is up for sale and I have a buyer. Does my solicitor have to be on the Skipton Building Society conveyancing panel in order to deal with redeeming my mortgage?
Ordinarily, even if your lawyer is not on the Skipton Building Society 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.
I have today made my last payment due on mortgage with Skipton Building Society. I assume I don't need a solicitor on the Skipton Building Society panel to remove the mortgage at the Land Registry. Am I right?
If you have finished paying off your Skipton Building Society 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 Skipton Building Society mortgage from the register. Skipton Building Society,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 Skipton Building Society has sent the Land Registry the discharge electronically, and
the Skipton Building Society has instructed the Land Registry to do so
The Land Registry will send you a letter confirming that your Skipton Building Society mortgage has been paid off.
It is not clear whether my mortgage offer requires a lease extension . I have called Skipton Building Society on various occasions and told it wasn't a problem and they would lend. My solicitor - who is on the Skipton Building Society conveyancing panel- telephoned and was told not they would not lend in accordance with their CML Handbook minimum lease term requirements. I simply dont know who is right
Your lawyer has to follow the CML Handbook Part 2 requirements for Skipton Building Society. Unless your lawyer obtains specific confirmation in writing that Skipton Building Society will go ahead your lawyer has no choice but to refrain from exchanging contract and committing you to the purchase. We would suggest that you ask Skipton Building Society to contact your lawyer in writing confirming that they will accept the remaining number of years left on the lease.
After much negotiation I have agreed a price on an apartment. My mortgage broker pressured me to appoint their lawyers I paid an upfront payment of 200. Soon after the conveyancers contacted me sheepishly admitting that they were not on the Skipton Building Society 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 Skipton Building Society 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.