Examples of recent questions relating to the State Bank of India UK Solicitor Panel
from members of the public
Am I correct in assuming that the fact that my solicitor is not isted on the State Bank of India UK Solicitor panel that there is a problem with the quality 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 most common reasons for removal are: (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 State Bank of India UK.
My solicitor has requested from me ID documents stating that this is part of his obligations as a solicitor on the State Bank of India UK Solicitor panel. This is news to me - can I refuse?
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 State Bank of India UK your lawyer also has to check ID documents to satisfy State Bank of India UK
Do all the firms listed on your directory have online case tracking as I understood that this was a condition of being on the State Bank of India UK conveyancing 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.
I am purchasing a right to buy flat and getting a mortgage with State Bank of India UK. How practical is it for me to do the conveyancing?
Leaving aside the complexities and merits of DIY conveyancing you will have to appoint a solicitor on the State Bank of India UK conveyancing panel to look after their interests. Most people therefore find it easier to let the solicitor act for them and the lender. Furthermore there is minimal cost savings to made in you doing to conveyancing for yourself and another lawyer conducting the conveyancing for the lender. Please feel free to use the search tool to find a lawyer on the State Bank of India UK conveyancing panel in your location.
Is it the case that all conveyancing solicitors on the State Bank of India UK conveyancing panel work on a no move no charge basis?
On the whole there are no requirements by lenders for their firms to operate on a no-sale-no-fee basis. There a small number of lenders who operate a very restricted conveyancing panel managed by a third party company (often termed in the industry as a ‘gatekeeper’). That third party may impose certain conditions such as non-sale-no fee on the panel firms. If you require this as a condition of your conveyancing then you should check with the conveyancing firm that this is part of their package
After much negotiation I have agreed a price on a house. My financial adviser recommended their conveyancers I paid an upfront payment of 175. Soon after the conveyancers contacted me to say that they were not on the State Bank of India UK 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 State Bank of India UK 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.
My offer was accepted on an apartment on the 6th March 2014, valuation was booked five days after, received a clean bill of health. Property lawyer retained, so all that was missing was my mortgage offer. Having made daily calls to State Bank of India UK and chasing them on my offer I have now been told that my offer will not be issued unless the lawyer is on the State Bank of India UK conveyancing panel. Are State Bank of India UK entitled to hold back the Mortgage pending the lawyer being on the approved list?
Mortgage companies tend not to not issue a mortgage until they have details of a lawyer on their panel. It can take a few weeks for State Bank of India UK to deal with your lawyers application to be on the State Bank of India UK conveyancing panel. There's no guarantee that your solicitors will be accepted.