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approved by Britannia
Ready to buy a new home? Failing to check that a lawyer is on the Britannia list of approved solicitors can put your transaction at risk of delay or failure.
Find an Approved Solicitor on the Britannia Conveyancing Panel
Frequently asked questions relating to the Britannia Solicitor Panel
My fiance and I are buying a 1 bedroom flat in Hackney with a mortgage from Britannia. We would like to retain our lawyer but Britannia says she’s not on their "panel". It seems we have little choice but to instruct one of the Britannia panel firms or keep our solicitor and pay for one of their panel ones to represent them. This seems very unfair; is there anything we can do?
No, not really. The mortgage offered to you is subject to its terms and conditions, one of which will be that lawyers will on the Britannia conveyancing panel. Until recently, most lenders had large numbers of law firms on their panels: a borrower could choose one for themselves, as long as it was on the lender's panel. The lender would then simply instruct the borrower's lawyers to act for the lender, too. You can use your lender's panel lawyers or you could borrow from another lender which does not restrict your choice. A further alternative is for your solicitors to apply to be on the conveyancing panel for Britannia
I am purchasing a newly built flat and my conveyancer is informing me that she has to reveal incentives from the seller as her firm is on the Britannia conveyancing panel. The Estate Agents are hassling me to sign contracts and I have no desire to prolong matters. Can I insist on an exchange regardless of what my lawyer says about being on the Britannia panel?
You should not exchange unless you have advised to do so by your lawyer. A precondition to being on the Britannia approved panel is to comply with the CML Handbook requirements (last updated for this lender on Britannia). The CML Conveyancing Handbook requires that your lawyer have the appropriate Disclosure of Incentive form completed by the developer and accepted by your lender.
Do all the licensed conveyancers and solicitor practices listed on your directory have online case tracking as I understood that this was a condition of being on the Britannia solicitor panel?
No. There is no CML Part 2 or Building Society Association requirement relating to online case tracking. Some law firms operate such technology and some don't.
My grandmother passed away 10 months ago and as sole heir and executor was left the house. The house had a relatively small loan remaining of approximately £4500. I want to transfer the title deeds into my name whilst I re-mortgage to Britannia , pay off the mortgage etc. Is this allowed?
If you intend to re-mortgage then Britannia will insist on your using a conveyancer on the Britannia conveyancing panel. Here is link to the Land Registry online guidance around what to do when a property owner dies. This will help you to understand the registration process behind changing the details re the registered title. in your case it would appear that you are effectively purchasing the property from the estate. Your Britannia conveyancing panel solicitor pays the new mortgage money into the estate, the estate pays off the old mortgage, the charge is released and you become the owner and the Britannia mortgage is registered as a charge at the Land Registry.
We have had an offer accepted on a apartment I spoke to a conveyancer recommended by my brother and he recommended instructing a law firm approved by Britannia. The estate agent recommended two local firms so I asked Britannia if the 2 suggested solicitors are approved, which they are not. Britannia pointed out that either practice can fill out the appropriate forms to become approved. Do I (1) save myself the aggravation and use one of Britannia 's conveyancing panel solicitors (2) Use the local solicitor and accept there may be delays etc as they go through the approval process.
Ask Britannia for conveyancing panel firms in your area. Most banks have lawyers on their panel throughout the UK. You can also use our search tool at the top of this page to search for a lawyer on the Britannia 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 Britannia conveyancing panel as it may only take about 2-3 weeks. As long as they meet Britannia’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.
Planning on purchasing a house with a mortgage with Britannia. I have received an online quote from a licensed conveyancer, which states: "There will be no charge for dealing with the Building Society if you are obtaining a mortgage". I take this to mean that there will be no additional fee if the solicitor is on the Britannia conveyancing panel. I wanted to make sure it means there will be no additional fees for dealing with the mortgage.
They are simply saying that the cost for acting for the lender is included in the fee being quoted. It is worth you checking that they are on the Britannia conveyancing panel
My ex -wife’s name is on the Britannia 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 Britannia mortgage in order to sell?
As regards the Britannia 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 Britannia 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.