State Bank of India UK Solicitor Panel Sample Enquires to our Call Center
from members of the public
My partner and I are FTBs. Within the last couple of days our conveyancer has sent a preliminary report and documents to look through with a view to exchanging next week. State Bank of India UK have this afternoon contacted us to inform me that there is now an issue as our lawyer is not on their conveyancing panel. Please explain?
If you are buying a property with the assistance of a mortgage it is usual for the purchaser's solicitors to also act for the purchaser's lender.
In order to act for a bank or building society a law firm has to be on that lender's conveyancing panel. An application has to be made by the law firm to the lender to become a member of the lender's panel and there are increasingly strict criteria which the firm has to satisfy and indeed some lenders now require their panel members to be part of the Law Society’s Conveyancing Accreditation Scheme.
Your solicitors should contact State Bank of India UK and see if they can apply for membership of the State Bank of India UK conveyancing panel, but if that is not viable State Bank of India UK will instruct their own lawyers to represent them. You are not legally obliged to appoint a law firm on the State Bank of India UK conveyancing panel and you may continue to use your own solicitors, in which case your legal fees may increase, and it will likely delay the transaction as you are adding another lawyer into the mix.
I do hope you can help me. My conveyancer is informing me me that she is duty-bound to conduct a Local Authority search stemming from the fact that the firm are on the State Bank of India UK solicitor panel. Is this really necessary?
Unfortunately both you and your lawyer have little choice here. As you are taking a mortgage with State Bank of India UK your lawyer has to comply with their conditions as set out in their version of the CML Conveyancing Handbook. Your lawyer would have previously signed the Terms and Conditions of State Bank of India UK’s conveyancing panel appointment which obliges them to follow the CML Handbook requirements last updated State Bank of India UK. even if you were a cash buyer you would be ill advised not to carry out a local authority search.
Do banks and building societies provide you with an approved list of solicitors? How do you know who is on the State Bank of India UK conveyancing panel?
The law firm practices themselves provide us confirmation that they are on the State Bank of India UK conveyancing panel as opposed to being supplied with a list from State Bank of India UK directly.
I was supposed to complete on my dream home last Friday. My solicitor is on the State Bank of India UK conveyancing panel but has changed address 8 weeks ago and had not advised State Bank of India UK of their new address. State Bank of India UK has locked down the release of mortgage funds as the information from the solicitors isn't correct.
This is as unusual as it is unlucky. Most lender Terms of Conveyancing Panel Appointment specifically oblige the solicitor to inform the lender of an address change. Your solicitor needs to treat this with the utmost urgency. Do speak with or register your concern with the senior partner (assuming he or she is not your direct lawyer). Most lenders would be reasonable in this situation and expedite the resolution of this issue. It may be prudent to enlist the help of your local State Bank of India UK branch or your mortgage broker to see if they can help.
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 State Bank of India UK conveyancing panel requirements are different to State Bank of India UK’s conveyancing panel requirements.
The for formalities of my purchase has taken place with a loan from State Bank of India UK. Conveyancing was satisfactory but I would like to complain about State Bank of India UK. How do I make a complaint?
Almost all banks and building societies have complaints procedures. Your first point of contact should be one of the State Bank of India UK branches or the Customer Care Department at State Bank of India UK head office. Ordinarily complaints to State Bank of India UK are resolved effectively and efficiently. However if you are not satisfied that the matter is resolved you can write to the
Financial Ombudsman Service at South Quay Plaza, 183 Marsh Wall, London E14 9SR who will take matters further.
I have not been happy with the level or service received from my lawyer. Is there a State Bank of India UK conveyancing panel complaints department or do I complain directly to the law firm?
Complaining to State Bank of India UK about their conveyancing panel is unlikely to yield much of a response. Every solicitor firm and conveyancer must have a complaints procedure. You can get 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.
