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Ready to buy a new home? Failing to check that a lawyer is on the Kensington Mortgage 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 Kensington Mortgage Company Ltd Conveyancing Panel? How can my firm be reinstated onto the Kensington Mortgage Company Ltd Conveyancing Panel?

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FAQs for the Kensington Mortgage Conveyancing Panel

For what reasons would a law firm be excluded from the Kensington Mortgage solicitor panel?
A survey recently commissioned by the Solicitors Regulatory Authority found that three quarters of solicitor practices had been excluded from a lender panel. The top reasons in order are :
  1. Low volume of transactions
  2. the lawyer is a sole practitioner
  3. as part of the HSBC panel reduction
  4. regulatory contact by SRA
  5. accidental removal. We are not aware of the specific or common criteria for removal by Kensington Mortgage
My conveyancer has uncovered an inconsistency when comparing the information in Kensington Mortgage’s valuation survey and what is revealed within the conveyancing documents. My solicitor says that as he is on the Kensington Mortgage conveyancing panel he is obliged to ensure that the bank is happy with this discrepancy and is still content to lend. Is my conveyancer’s approach correct?
A precondition to being on the Kensington Mortgage approved panel is to comply with the CML Handbook requirements (last updated for this lender on Kensington Mortgage) which do require that your lawyer disclose any incorrect assumptions in the lender’s valuation report and the legal papers. 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 pop into the offices of the Kensington Mortgage conveyancing panel solicitor to sign the mortgage deed? If so, I will choose one who does conveyancing in Manchester so that I can attend their offices if necessary.
Whereas this was necessary 12 years ago, most lenders no longer require their conveyancing panel solicitor to witness the borrowers signature. You will still be obliged to provide ID Documents and there are still distinct advantages to using a local solicitor, in your case a conveyancing solicitor in Manchester .
My grandmother passed away last year and as sole heir and executor was left the house. The house had a small mortgage remaining of approximately £8000. I want to have the title changed into my name whilst I re-mortgage to Kensington Mortgage , pay off the mortgage etc. Is this allowed?
If you intend to re-mortgage then Kensington Mortgage will insist on your using a conveyancer on the Kensington Mortgage 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 Kensington Mortgage 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 Kensington Mortgage mortgage is registered as a charge at the Land Registry.
Are all Conveyancing Quality Solicitors on the Kensington Mortgage conveyancing panel?
A selection of banks and building societies 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.
is it true that all solicitors on the Kensington Mortgage conveyancing panel regulated by the SRA?
As solicitors, in order to be on the Kensington Mortgage 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).
Kensington Mortgage have agreed my mortgage in principle, my offer on house has been accepted, now what?
The estate agent will want to know who your solicitors are (make sure these solicitors are on the lenders panel). Call up Kensington Mortgage or your broker and complete any relevant paperwork. Kensington Mortgage will tell you what documents they want. Kensington Mortgage will instruct a valuer. The valuer will get in touch with the estate agent or seller to book an appointment. Once conducted (assuming no problems) it takes about week to get a mortgage offer. Kensington Mortgage will issue the offer to you and your lawyer. The transaction will then take it’s course according the nature and complexity of the conveyancing.

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