West Bromwich Building Society Solicitor Panel Example Support Desk Enquires from members of the public
For what reasons would a firm of solicitors be excluded from the West Bromwich Building Society solicitor panel?
According to a recent survey report by the solicitors regulator three quarters of law firms had been excluded from a lender panel. The top reasons in order are :
- Low volume of transactions
- the lawyer is a sole practitioner
- as part of the HSBC panel reduction
- regulatory contact by SRA
- accidental removal. We are not aware of the specific or common criteria for removal by West Bromwich Building Society
Please help. My lawyer is advising me that he has to apply for a Local Authority search as the firm are on the West Bromwich Building Society approved lawyer panel. Is my lawyer correct?
You have limited options available to you. Given that you are taking out a loan with West Bromwich Building Society 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 West Bromwich Building Society’s conveyancing panel appointment which obliges them to follow the CML Handbook requirements last updated West Bromwich Building Society. even if you were a cash buyer you would be ill advised not to carry out a local authority search.
I note that you have a post code search directory listing solicitors on the West Bromwich Building Society conveyancing panel. Do firms pay you a referral fee if I appoint them for my own conveyancing?
We are a listing service only for law firms wishing to communicate if they are on the West Bromwich Building Society conveyancing panel or other lender panels. We do not charge referral fees to the any conveyancer that you subsequently appoint.
My lawyers in Newcastle have advised me that no longer have my conveyancing file. At the time of my purchase I took out a mortgage with West Bromwich Building Society. Is it case that being on the West Bromwich Building Society conveyancing panel they need to have retained the file for a number of years?
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 West Bromwich Building Society Conveyancing Panel Terms. It might be worth you contacting West Bromwich Building Society directly.
is it true that all solicitors on the West Bromwich Building Society conveyancing panel regulated by the SRA?
As solicitors, in order to be on the West Bromwich Building Society conveyancing panel they would need to be regulated by the SRA. Many lenders do allow licenced conveyancers on their panel in which case such firms would be regulated by the Council of Licensed Conveyancers (CLC).
I have instructed a lawyer having checked that they are on the West Bromwich Building Society conveyancing panel. Does my lawyer arrange the survey of the property?
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Having digested plenty of mortgage guides,I note that it is considered advisable to get your house surveyed prior to buying it. When I asked my solicitor - who is on the West Bromwich Building Society conveyancing panel - on this she said they don't do this and I need to contract an independent surveyor. is that correct?
West Bromwich Building Society will need an independent valuation of the property. Your lawyer will not arrange this. Usually West Bromwich Building Society will appoint their own surveyor to do this, and you will have to pay for it. Remember that this is a valuation for mortgage purposes and not a survey.
You may wish to consider appointing your own surveyor to carry out a survey or prepare a home buyers report on the property. It is up to you to satisfy yourself that the property is structurally sound before you buy it. If the survey or report reveals that building work is needed, you should tell your solicitor. You may wish to renegotiate with the seller.
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Your lawyer will not organise the survey but they may be able to put you in touch with a local one that they recommend. RICS offers a find a surveyor service (just google it) where you can search for a qualified surveyor by postcode. As you are getting a mortgage with West Bromwich Building Society you could contact your them to see if they have a list of approved surveyors.
My ex -wife’s name is on the West Bromwich Building Society mortgage of my property but not on the land registry. The apartment was transferred to me on our divorce many years ago by way of a sealed court order. Does my ex still have a say on the sale even though the land registry showing the property in my name alone? Will I be required to take her name of the West Bromwich Building Society mortgage in order to sell?
In terms of the West Bromwich Building Society mortgage, it is unusual that your ex-wife’s name remains on the mortgage but not on the title. It is conceivable that this is an oversight on the part of your conveyancers to ensure that her name was removed or even an administrative error on the part of West Bromwich Building Society in failing to update their data. In any event, it should cause difficulty providing her name no longer appears on the Land Registry title and you have a court order ordering that the property is transferred to you.