West Bromwich Mortgage Company Conveyancing Panel : Questions and Answers from members of the public
Is there a reason why all solicitors are not on the West Bromwich Mortgage Company Solicitor panel?
Before the recession most lenders had an appetite for risk which was higher than today. The Financial Services Authority in 2010 conducted a thematic review into mortgage fraud which concluded: know the conveyancing solicitors that you are dealing with. Consequently, lenders have regularly sought more information from law firms about their operations and the individuals who work for them and set certain criteria such a completing on a minimum number of transactions. Many firms that have been excluded from lender panels have 100% healthy track record, no complaints and no claims and didn't just 'dabble' in conveyancing. Such firms were never going to meet the criteria of volume of transactions the lenders required.
Please assist. For no fault of my lawyer but, the conveyancing for my house purchase has been going on for months. The Local Authority Search from West Bromwich Mortgage Company was date stamped random date and we have agreed a date for me to move into the property on Tues etc. My lawyer has advised that as she is on the West Bromwich Mortgage Company conveyancing panel she needs to reorder the searches as they are no longer valid.
A precondition to being on the West Bromwich Mortgage Company approved panel is to comply with the CML Handbook requirements (last updated for this lender on West Bromwich Mortgage Company)which states that a local authority search be not more than 6 months old. You should nevertheless ask your lawyer to check whether something called ‘search validation’ indemnity insurance is acceptable to West Bromwich Mortgage Company.
What tools are available to find a local solicitor on the West Bromwich Mortgage Company conveyancing panel? I have a car and am prepared to travel up to 25 miles to meet the lawyer.
You can use the find a conveyancing panel tool on this website. Please choose the lender and your location and you will see a number of lawyer located nearest you. Alternatively you can type in the name of your proposed law firm and see if they are listed as being on the West Bromwich Mortgage Company solicitor panel.
I would like to get my former partner taken off the mortgage deeds. Can West Bromwich Mortgage Company really insist on which solicitor I can or can not retain?
You can use any solicitor you like but West Bromwich Mortgage Company then has the right to appoint a different solicitor to act for them at your expense. It might be more cost effective and quicker to instruct a lawyer who is on the West Bromwich Mortgage Company solicitors panel
When it comes to lenders such as West Bromwich Mortgage Company do solicitors have to be pay a fee to be on the list of approved solicitors?
We are not aware of any lender fees to be on their panel although some do charge an administration charge to deal with the processing of the conveyancing panel application.
My husband and I are in the throws of viewing flats and am about to put in an offer. Is it best to have a conveyancer on ‘stand by’? I intend to finance via a home loan with West Bromwich Mortgage Company
You should start obtaining conveyancing quotes from solicitors ASAP. After you have chosen your lawyer and once your offer is accepted you can instruct them to work for you and pass their details on the the estate agent. As you are getting a mortgage with West Bromwich Mortgage Company , ask your prospective lawyers check they are on the West Bromwich Mortgage Company conveyancing panel otherwise they can't do the mortgage legal work.
Can I register a complaint to West Bromwich Mortgage Company about the lawyers being on the West Bromwich Mortgage Company conveyancing panel?
There is little point in complaining directly to West Bromwich Mortgage Company. 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.