Find a Law Firm
approved by Holmesdale BS
Ready to buy a new home? Failing to check that a lawyer is on the Holmesdale BS list of approved solicitors can put your transaction at risk of delay or failure.
Looking for information about your firm's panel status?
How does my firm apply to be on the Holmesdale Building Society Conveyancing Panel? How can my firm be reinstated onto the Holmesdale Building Society Conveyancing Panel?Find an Approved Solicitor on the Holmesdale Building Society Conveyancing Panel
Holmesdale Building Society Conveyancing Panel Recently Asked Questions
I am progressing with the sale of my maisonette and the EA has just texted me to warn that the buyers are changing their property lawyer. The excuse is that Holmesdale Building Society will only engage with property lawyers on their conveyancing panel. Why would a leading mortgage company only deal with specific lawyers?
UK lenders have always had an approved set of law firms they are willing to work with, but in the past few years big names such as Lloyds Banking Group, have reviewed and reduced their conveyancing panel– in some cases removing conveyancing firms who have worked with them for more than 25 years.
Lenders blame a rise in fraud as the reason for the cull – criteria have been tightened and a smaller panel should be easier to keep an eye on. No lender will say how many solicitors have been dropped, claiming the information is commercially sensitive, but the Law Society says it is hearing daily from firms that have been removed from panels, or have other concerns about them. Some do not even realise they have been dropped until contacted by a borrower who has instructed them as might be the situation in your buyer’s case. Your purchasers are unlikely to have any sway in the decision.
Can you help?. For no fault of my lawyer but, my purchase conveyancing has been going on for months. The Local Authority Search from Holmesdale Building Society was dated random date and we have agreed a date for me to move into the property on 6 months + 3. My lawyer has advised that as she is on the Holmesdale Building Society conveyancing panel she needs to reorder the searches as they are now out of date.
A precondition to being on the Holmesdale Building Society approved panel is to comply with the CML Handbook Part 2 obligations (last updated for this lender on Holmesdale Building Society)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 Holmesdale Building Society.
Are there any apps to help find a local solicitor on the Holmesdale Building Society conveyancing panel? I have a car and am prepared to travel up to 20 miles to meet the solicitor.
Feel free to make use of the find a conveyancing panel search on this page. 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 Holmesdale Building Society solicitor panel.
I am attempting to get my former partner removed the mortgage deeds. Can Holmesdale Building Society really insist on which solicitor I can or can not retain?
You can use any solicitor you like but Holmesdale Building Society 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 Holmesdale Building Society solicitors panel
The for formalities of my purchase has taken place with a mortgage from Holmesdale Building Society. Conveyancing was of an acceptable standard but I feel I should register my dissatisfaction about Holmesdale Building Society. Who do I contact should I wish to lodge a complaint?
Most lenders have complaints procedures. Your first port of call should be one of the Holmesdale Building Society branches or the Customer Services Department at Holmesdale Building Society head office. We understand that complaints to Holmesdale Building Society are resolved effectively and efficiently. If you feel that the matter is not resolved you can write to the
Financial Ombudsman Service who will take matters further.
On the whole I have been dissatisfied with the level or service received from my lawyer. Is there a Holmesdale Building Society conveyancing panel complaints department or do I complain directly to the law firm?
There is little point in complaining directly to Holmesdale Building Society. Every solicitor firm and conveyancer must have a complaints procedure. Usually one can find this 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.
My offer on house has been accepted, but there is a chain. The vendors have offered on somewhere, but not been accepted yet, and have viewings of other properties in the pipeline. My conveyancing solicitor has been instructed. What should be my next step? When should I get the mortgage app going with Holmesdale 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 Holmesdale 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 Holmesdale Building Society and pay for the valuation and only if it comes back ok would they pay their solicitor to press on with searches.