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approved by Chelsea BS
Ready to buy a new home? Failing to check that a lawyer is on the Chelsea BS list of approved solicitors can put your transaction at risk of delay or failure.
Find an Approved Solicitor on the Chelsea Building Society (a trading name of Yorkshire BS) Conveyancing Panel
Frequently asked questions relating to the Chelsea Building Society Solicitor Panel
It has come to my attention via my lender that my solicitor is not on the Chelsea Building Society Conveyancing panel. How can I be certain that this is indeed the case?
You need to contact your conveyancer. You lawyer should advise you of the situation. If they are not on the panel they may recommend you to a firm that is on the the approved Chelsea Building Society solicitor panel.
Our solicitor has discovered a problem with the lease for the apartment we are buying. The other side have put forward title insurance as a workaround. We are happy with insurance and will cover the costs. Our solicitor says that as he is on the Chelsea Building Society conveyancing panel he must check that the lender is happy with this solution. Who is the client here, us or Chelsea Building Society?
The short answer to your last question is that, notwithstanding the potential for a conflict of interest, you and Chelsea Building Society are the client. A precondition to being on the Chelsea Building Society approved panel is to comply with the CML Handbook requirements (last updated for this lender on Chelsea Building Society). The CML Handbook conditions require your lawyer to disclose issues such as defects will the lease so that Chelsea Building Society can be afforded the opportunity to check with their valuer as to the extent that the value of the property is affected . Should you refuse to allow your lawyer to make the appropriate notification then your lawyer will have no choice but to discontinue acting for you.
Is it necessary during the course of the conveyancing process to have a meeting at the offices of the Chelsea Building Society conveyancing panel solicitor to sign the mortgage deed? If so, I will instruct a firm who offer conveyancing in Leeds
so that I can attend their offices if necessary.
Most conveyancing panel lawyers for Chelsea Building Society undertake all of the work via the post, internet or over the phone. This means that they can undertake your Conveyancing Transaction no matter where you live in England or Wales. However you should check if you can still book an appointment to go into appointed conveyancing lawyer if you prefer.
I am considering applying for a Chelsea Building Society mortgage for purchase of a newly converted (under development) with 70% LTV. Is it compulsory to choose a solicitor on the conveyancing panel for Chelsea Building Society?
In theory, you could use a solicitor that is not on Chelsea Building Society conveyancing panel, but Chelsea Building Society would require one of their panel solicitors to be instructed to act in their interests, and you'd have to pay for this - so most people instruct a panel solicitor. It's also easier, as otherwise you'd have to deal with two solicitors for the same conveyancing matter.
I recently had an offer accepted on a house. My financial adviser pressured me to appoint their lawyers I paid an upfront payment of 200. Soon after the conveyancers contacted me sheepishly admitting that they were not on the Chelsea Building Society 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 Chelsea Building Society 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.
I am due to exchange contracts on my apartment. I had a double glazing fitted in month 8 but did not receive a FENSA certificate or Building Regulation Certificate. My purchaser’s mortgage company, Chelsea Building Society are being pedantic. The solicitor who is on the Chelsea Building Society conveyancing panel is happy to accept ‘lack of building regulation’ insurance but Chelsea Building Society are insisting on a building regulation certificate. Why do Chelsea Building Society have a conveyancing panel of they don’t accept advice from them?
It is probably the case that Chelsea Building Society have referred the matter to their valuer. The reason why Chelsea Building Society may not want to accept indemnity insurance is because it does not give them any reassurance that the double glazing correctly and safely installed. It merely protects against enforcement action which is very unlikely anyway.
I have instructed a lawyer having checked that they are on the Chelsea Building Society conveyancing panel. Does my lawyer arrange the survey of the property?
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Having read lots of mortgage guides,I note that they all recommend that you should get your house surveyed prior to buying it. When I asked my solicitor - who is on the Chelsea Building Society conveyancing panel - on this she said they don't do this and I need to contract an independent surveyor. is that correct?
Chelsea Building Society will need an independent valuation of the property. Your lawyer will not arrange this. Usually Chelsea Building Society will appoint their own surveyor to do this, and you will have to pay for it. Remember that this is a valuation for mortgage purposes and not a survey.
You may wish to consider appointing your own surveyor to carry out a survey or prepare a home buyers report on the property. It is up to you to satisfy yourself that the property is structurally sound before you buy it. If the survey or report reveals that building work is needed, you should tell your solicitor. You may wish to renegotiate with the seller.
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Your lawyer will not organise the survey but they may be able to put you in touch with a local one that they recommend. RICS offers a find a surveyor service (just google it) where you can search for a qualified surveyor by postcode. As you are getting a mortgage with Chelsea Building Society you could contact your them to see if they have a list of approved surveyors.