St James Place Solicitor Panel Example Support Desk Enquires from members of the public
The lawyer I wanted to use for conveyancing on a purchase said he would charge more if my mortgage is with St James Place due to their unusual legal requirements. Will I regret using St James Place? Is St James Place conveyancing so much more difficult?
St James Place conveyancing requirements for their panel are no better or no more complicated than most lenders.
It is the case now the CML Handbook, the "bible" used by solicitors to establish lender requirements, is different for each lender.
It is not clear if your lawyer is on the St James Place conveyancing panel. If they are not, this does add further risk of delay as St James Place will appoint their own solicitors to look after their interest.
My conveyancing solicitor has requested from me ID documents saying that this forms part of his obligations as a conveyancer on the St James Place Conveyancing panel. Is this right?
Due to Money Laundering Regulations your conveyancing lawyer is duty bound to confirm positively your identification when entering into a business relationship with you. It is a criminal offense if your lawyer not do this. If you do not provide ID early in the transaction the solicitor must refuse to act for you. It’s unlikely a lawyer will turn you away if you come to the first meeting without relevant ID but you will have to produce it at some point so you might as well bring it with you to the initial meeting so the lawyer can tick the ID verification box and start sorting out the conveyancing straight away. If you are getting a mortgage with St James Place your lawyer also has to check ID documents to satisfy St James Place
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 St James Place conveyancing panel?
The Council of Mortgage Lenders or BSA do not require online case tracking. Some law firms operate such technology and some don't.
My solicitors in Newcastle have advised me that no longer have my conveyancing file. At the time of my purchase I took out a mortgage with St James Place. Is it case that being on the St James Place conveyancing panel they need to have retained the file for a prescribed period?
Different lenders have different requirements but many of the Terms and Conditions of Conveyancing Panel Appointment require the file to be held for a period of 6 years. That being said we have not seen a copy of the St James Place Conveyancing Panel Terms. It might be worth you contacting St James Place directly.
Last month we had a mortgage agreed in principle with St James Place. Solicitors have been appointed? What is the average time that one could expect to receive a mortgage offer from St James Place?
Some lenders take longer than others. Have St James Place conducted the survey? Have you advised St James Place as your lawyers details and checked that your lawyer is on the St James Place conveyancing panel? It is not unusual for a mortgage offer to take a month to come through
I am buying a property where the roof has a solar panel. St James Place have issued a mortgage offer so presumably this is not a concern to them. Why is my solicitor raising questions about the panel?
Given that your lender is St James Place your lawyer must to check the St James Place conveyancing instructions contained in the Part of CML Handbook for St James Place . The CML Handbook contains minimum requirements for solar panel roof-space leases, and solicitors are required to report to St James Place where a lease does not meet these requirements. The requirements relate to the installation of panels on properties in England and Wales. Requirements for Scotland are due in the near future.
I have today made my last payment due on mortgage with St James Place. I assume I don't need a solicitor on the St James Place panel to remove the mortgage at the Land Registry. Am I right?
If you have finished paying off your St James Place 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 St James Place mortgage from the register. St James Place,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 St James Place has sent the Land Registry the discharge electronically, and
the St James Place has instructed the Land Registry to do so
The Land Registry will send you a letter confirming that your St James Place mortgage has been paid off.