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approved by Birmingham Midshires
Ready to buy a new home? Failing to check that a lawyer is on the Birmingham Midshires list of approved solicitors can put your transaction at risk of delay or failure.
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How does my firm apply to be on the Birmingham Midshires Conveyancing Panel? How can my firm be reinstated onto the Birmingham Midshires Conveyancing Panel?Find an Approved Solicitor on the Birmingham Midshires Conveyancing Panel
Frequently asked questions relating to the Birmingham Midshires Conveyancing Panel
My lawyer is not on the Birmingham Midshires Approved Panel. Is it possible for me to retain my preferred solicitor even though they are excluded from the Birmingham Midshires panel?
You will need to have a conveyancer complete the legal work required when you take out a Birmingham Midshires mortgage to buy your property. They’ll carry out all the necessary legal checks on the property, make sure that you’re properly registered as the owner and ensure that all the necessary mortgage documentation is in place. You can instruct a conveyancing firm of your choice. However, if the firm selected is not a member of the Birmingham Midshires conveyancing panel additional costs will be incurred as separate legal representation will be required by Birmingham Midshires. Conveyancing panel applications can be submitted, so if your conveyancer has not previously applied for membership they can do so.
We are due to exchange on the purchase a house but as a result of damage from the recent storms I have agreed compensation from the seller of £3k approx by way of a reduction in the price. This was going to be dealt with as part of the conveyancing process but my mortgage company Birmingham Midshires will not agree to this. Why was Birmingham Midshires even consulted?
Your lawyer being on the Birmingham Midshires conveyancing panel is duty bound to inform Birmingham Midshires of any changes to the purchase price. If you were to refuse your lawyers to disclose the reduction to Birmingham Midshires then they would have to discontinue acting for you and Birmingham Midshires.
I have been looking for conveyancing quotes online. Can I be sure that all the law firms that are listed on your website are on the Birmingham Midshires conveyancing panel?
The solicitor and licensed conveyancing practices listed on our site have advised us that they are on the Birmingham Midshires panel and agreed to advise us to take down their listing in the event of removal off of the Birmingham Midshires panel. To date we have not been informed by either a lender or a member of the public that the data about a specific firm being on the Birmingham Midshires conveyancing panel is not accurate.
The solicitors that I appointed last week on my house acquisition in Manchester has suddenly closed. I chose them because I needed a lawyer on the Birmingham Midshires conveyancing panel and my preferred lawyer was not. I gave them a cheque for £150 in advance. What should be my next steps?
Assuming that you have an Estate Agent in the equation then inform them straight away so that they can let the sellers know that there may be a slight delay due to reasons beyond your control. Hopefully they will be sympathetic and urge their lawyer to send a new set of papers to your new solicitors. You will need to appoint new lawyers that are on the Birmingham Midshires conveyancing panel and notify the lender. If you have paid over any money it will hopefully be held by the SRA as money in an intervened firm's bank accounts is transferred to the SRA. Then, the SRA or the intervention agent looks at the intervened firm's accounts to work out who the money belongs to. To claim your money you will need to contact the SRA. If the SRA cannot return money you are owed from the firm's bank accounts, or if they can only return part of the money, you can apply to the Compensation Fund for a grant. Your new solicitors may be able to assist
Is the case that all CQS (Conveyancing Quality Scheme) solicitors on the Birmingham Midshires conveyancing panel?
It is true that some banks and building societies now use the accreditation scheme as the starting point for Panel approval such as HSBC and Santander. The Law Society’s CQS membership however is no guarantee to lender panel acceptance. That being said,the Council of Mortgage Lenders have indicated that it is likely to become a pre-requisite for firms wishing to remain on their approved list of conveyancing solicitors.
I am buying a property where the roof has a solar panel. Birmingham Midshires have issued a mortgage offer so presumably this is not a concern to them. Why is my solicitor raising questions about the panel?
As you are obtaining a mortgage with Birmingham Midshires your lawyer must to check the Birmingham Midshires conveyancing instructions contained in the Part of CML Handbook for Birmingham Midshires . The CML Handbook contains minimum requirements for solar panel roof-space leases, and solicitors are required to report to Birmingham Midshires where a lease does not meet these requirements. The requirements relate to the installation of panels on properties in England and Wales. The CML are developing guidance for Northern Ireland and Scotland.
After much negotiation I have agreed a price on an apartment. My mortgage broker suggested a solicitor I paid an upfront payment of 175. Soon after the conveyancers contacted me sheepishly admitting that they were not on the Birmingham Midshires 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 Birmingham Midshires 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.
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