Examples of recent questions relating to the Stafford Railway Building Society Solicitor Panel from members of the public
My property lawyer is not listed on the Stafford Railway Building Society Approved Panel. Is it possible for me to continue with my preferred solicitor notwithstanding that they are not on the Stafford Railway Building Society panel?
You will need to have a conveyancer complete the legal work required when you take out a Stafford Railway 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 Stafford Railway Building Society conveyancing panel additional costs will be incurred as separate legal representation will be required by Stafford Railway Building Society. Conveyancing panel applications can be submitted, so if your conveyancer has not previously applied for membership they can do so.
We are due to exchange on the purchase a house but as a result of damage from the recent storms I have agreed compensation from the seller of £3k approx by way of a reduction in the price. This was going to be dealt with as part of the conveyancing process but my mortgage company Stafford Railway Building Society will not agree to this. Why was Stafford Railway Building Society even consulted?
Your lawyer being on the Stafford Railway Building Society conveyancing panel is duty bound to inform Stafford Railway Building Society of any changes to the purchase price. If you were to refuse your lawyers to disclose the reduction to Stafford Railway Building Society then they would have to discontinue acting for you and Stafford Railway Building Society.
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 Stafford Railway Building Society solicitor 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.
My grandmother passed away six months ago and as sole heir and executor was left the property. The house had a relatively small loan remaining of approximately £5k. I want to have the title changed into my name whilst I re-mortgage to Stafford Railway Building Society , pay off the mortgage etc. Is this allowed?
If you intend to re-mortgage then Stafford Railway Building Society will insist on your using a conveyancer on the Stafford Railway Building Society conveyancing panel. Here is link to the Land Registry online guidance around what to do when a property owner dies. This will help you to understand the registration process behind changing the details re the registered title. in your case it would appear that you are effectively purchasing the property from the estate. Your Stafford Railway Building Society conveyancing panel solicitor pays the new mortgage money into the estate, the estate pays off the old mortgage, the charge is released and you become the owner and the Stafford Railway Building Society mortgage is registered as a charge at the Land Registry.
Can you point me to a directory of Stafford Railway Building Society panel conveyancers on the Council of Mortgage Lender’s Website?
No. There is no such tool on the Council of Mortgage Lenders or Building Society Association websites. Very few lenders make their panel listings available online.
I recently had an offer accepted on an apartment. My mortgage broker suggested a solicitor I paid an upfront payment of 200. Soon after the conveyancers contacted me sheepishly admitting that they were not on the Stafford Railway 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 Stafford Railway 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.
At last I have had an offer on an apartment accepted, but there is a chain. The vendors have offered on somewhere, but not been accepted yet, and have viewings of other properties booked. My conveyancing solicitor has been instructed. What do I do now? When should I get the mortgage app going with Stafford Railway Building Society?
It is usual to have concerns where there is a chain as you are unlikely to want to be too out of pocket too early (mortgage application is approx £1k, then survey/valuation, conveyancing search costs, etc). First you should check that your solicitor is on the Stafford Railway Building Society conveyancing panel. As to the next stages this very much depends on the circumstances of your case, desire for this property and on the state of the market. In a hot mortgage some buyers would pally for the mortgage with Stafford Railway Building Society and pay for the valuation and only if it comes back ok would they pay their solicitor to press on with searches.