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approved by Accord Mortgages

Ready to buy a new home? Failing to check that a lawyer is on the Accord Mortgages list of approved solicitors can put your transaction at risk of delay or failure.

Find an Approved Solicitor on the Accord Mortgages Ltd Conveyancing Panel

Common questions asked concerning the Accord Mortgages Solicitor Panel

I appointed a solicitor to carry out on my house purchase six weeks ago having applied for a mortgage with Accord Mortgages. The solicitors confirmed to me that they are on Accord Mortgages conveyancing panel and advised me their panel reference. Accord Mortgages then ,via my broker advised that their panel number was dormant and would need to be reactivated. What do I do from here? Do I instruct a different law firm listed on the conveyancing panel for Accord Mortgages?
The answer depends on whether you still have confidence in the said solicitors and how long it will take for the firm to be reinstated on the Accord Mortgages conveyancing panel You may wish to enlist the help of your broker to check with the Accord Mortgages as to how long they think it will take to get the firm to get back on the panel.
Please assist. For no fault of my lawyer but, my purchase conveyancing has been going on for months. The Local Authority Search from Accord Mortgages was dated random date and we have agreed a date for me to move into the property on 6 months + 3. My solicitor says that as she is on the Accord Mortgages conveyancing panel she needs to redo the searches as they are no longer acceptable to the lender.
One of the many conditions to being on the Accord Mortgages approved panel is to comply with the CML Handbook Part 2 obligations (last updated for this lender on Accord Mortgages)which specifies that a local authority search be not more than half a year old. You should nevertheless ask your lawyer to check whether something called ‘search validation’ indemnity insurance is acceptable to Accord Mortgages.
Your search tool is useful but there are many lawyers listed near Manchester on the Accord Mortgages conveyancing panel. Can you recommend a specific firm on the conveyancing panel for Accord Mortgages ?
We do not recommend specific firms as the right firm for you depends on where your priorities lie. For example you may require a local firm with local knowledge or you might be looking for the low cost conveyancing. We recommend that you speak to 3 or 4 lawyers listed before you make your choice..
The solicitors that just started acting on my purchase in Brighton has suddenly closed. I only went with them because I needed a solicitor on the Accord Mortgages conveyancing panel and my family lawyer was not. I paid them £200 on account. What should be my next steps?
If you have an estate agent involved then let them know immediately so that they can let the sellers know that there may be a slight delay due to the problems encountered. Most sellers would be sympathetic and urge their lawyer to send a new set of papers to your new solicitors. You should appoint new lawyers that are on the Accord Mortgages 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
My brother and I have agreed a price on a house I spoke to a lawyer recommended by my mum and he suggested using a law firm approved by Accord Mortgages. The estate agent recommended two local firms so I asked Accord Mortgages if the 2 suggested solicitors are approved, which they are not. Accord Mortgages pointed out that either firm can fill out the appropriate forms to become approved. Do I (1) save myself the aggravation and use one of Accord Mortgages 's conveyancing panel solicitors (2) Use the local solicitor and accept there may be delays etc as they go through the approval process.
Ask Accord Mortgages for conveyancing panel firms in your area. Lenders have them all over the country. You can also use our search tool at the top of this page to search for a lawyer on the Accord Mortgages conveyancing panel based on location. If you particularly like the sound of one of the local lawyers that you have spoken to ask them if they would go onto Accord Mortgages conveyancing panel as it may only take about 2-3 weeks. As long as they meet Accord Mortgages’s requirements it can be a very simple job for the solicitor. Other stuff will be going on in parallel (as you are at an early stage) so it may not delay matters.
I have paid off my mortgage with Accord Mortgages. I assume I don't need a solicitor on the Accord Mortgages panel to remove the mortgage at the Land Registry. Please confirm
If you have finished paying off your Accord Mortgages mortgage they may send you evidence showing that you have paid it off. Alternatively they may notify the Land Registry directly. The Land Registry need to see this evidence before they will remove the Accord Mortgages mortgage from the register. Accord Mortgages,and any evidence they send you, will determine the action you need to take. In cases where no conveyancer is acting for you and you have paid off your mortgage: but are not moving to another property where the Accord Mortgages has sent the Land Registry the discharge electronically, and the Accord Mortgages has instructed the Land Registry to do so The Land Registry will send you a letter confirming that your Accord Mortgages mortgage has been paid off.
I recently had an offer accepted on an apartment. My financial adviser suggested a solicitor I paid an upfront payment of 150. Soon after the conveyancers contacted me to say that they were not on the Accord Mortgages 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 Accord Mortgages 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.