Find a Law Firm
approved by Harpenden BS
Ready to buy a new home? Failing to check that a lawyer is on the Harpenden BS list of approved solicitors can put your transaction at risk of delay or failure.
Find an Approved Solicitor on the Harpenden Building Society Conveyancing Panel
Harpenden Building Society Solicitor Panel Sample Enquires to our Call Center
What is the rationale as to why all solicitors aren't included on the Harpenden Building Society Conveyancing panel?
Harpenden Building Society and other mortgage companies normally imposes restrictions either the type or the number of conveyancing practices on their panel. Typical examples of such restriction(s) being that a firm must have two or more partners. In addition to restricting the type of firm, some have decided to limit the number of firms they use to represent them. You should note that Harpenden Building Society have no responsibility for the quality of advice provided by any member of Harpenden Building Society Conveyancer Panel. Mortgage fraud was a key driver in the rationalisation of conveyancing panels a few years ago and whilst there are differing views about the extent of solicitor involvement in some of that fraud. Statistics from the Land Registry reveal that thousands of law firms only carry out one or two conveyances a year. Those supporting conveyancing panel cuts ask why law firms should have the right to be on a Lender panel when clearly, Conveyancing is not their speciality? To put it another way; would you want a conveyancing solicitor to represent you if you were charged with a crime; probably not.
Our son is purchasing a newly built flat with a mortgage from Harpenden Building Society. His solicitor has said that there is a delay in completing the ‘Disclosure of Incentive Form’. Who needs to receive the form?
The document is intended to provide information to the main parties engaged in the transaction. Therefore, it will be provided to your son’s lawyer who should be on the Harpenden Building Society conveyancing panel as a standard part of the process, and to the valuer when requested.
The Developer will be required to start the process by downloading the form and completing it.
The form will therefore need to be available for the valuer at the time of his or her site visit. The form should be sent to the Harpenden Building Society conveyancing panel solicitor as early as possible, in order to avoid any last minute delays, and no later than at exchange of contracts.
Are the lawyers identified as being on the Harpenden Building Society conveyancing panel, together with their details provided by Harpenden Building Society?
The law firm practices themselves provide us confirmation that they are on the Harpenden Building Society conveyancing panel as opposed to being supplied with a list from Harpenden Building Society directly.
I was due to complete on my dream home last Friday. My lawyer’s firm is on the Harpenden Building Society conveyancing panel but has changed address 8 weeks ago and had not informed Harpenden Building Society of their new address. Harpenden Building Society is now refusing to release my funds until such time as their systems are up to date with the correct details.
This is a rare situation indeed. The majority of lender Terms of Conveyancing Panel Appointment specifically oblige the solicitor to inform the lender of an address change. Your solicitor needs to treat this with the utmost urgency. Do speak with or register your concern with the senior partner (assuming he or she is not your direct lawyer). Most lenders would be reasonable in this situation and expedite the resolution of this issue. It may be prudent to enlist the help of your local Harpenden Building Society branch or your mortgage broker to see if they can help.
Is the case that all CQS (Conveyancing Quality Scheme) solicitors on the Harpenden Building Society conveyancing panel?
Some major lenders now use CQS as the starting point for Panel membership 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 join their panels.
Are all solicitor firms on the Harpenden Building Society conveyancing panel overseen by the Solicitors Regulatory Authority?
As a firm of solicitors, in order to be on the Harpenden Building Society conveyancing panel they would need to be regulated by the SRA. Many lenders do allow licenced conveyancers on their panel in which case such firms would be regulated by the Council of Licensed Conveyancers (CLC).
I was told four weeks ago that my mortgage has been agreed
to by Harpenden Building Society. Is it usual for Harpenden Building Society to only issue the offer once my
solicitor is approved on their conveyancing panel?
Mortgage companies tend not to not issue a mortgage until they have details of a lawyer on their panel. It can take a few weeks for Harpenden Building Society to deal with your lawyers application to be on the Harpenden Building Society conveyancing panel. There's no guarantee that your solicitors will be accepted.