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Ready to buy a new home? Failing to check that a lawyer is on the National BS 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 National Counties Building Society Conveyancing Panel? How can my firm be reinstated onto the National Counties Building Society Conveyancing Panel?Find an Approved Solicitor on the National Counties Building Society Conveyancing Panel
Common questions asked concerning the National Counties Building Society Solicitor Panel
My partner and I are FTBs. Within the last couple of days our lawyer has sent a preliminary report and documents to look through with a view to exchanging next week. National Counties Building Society have this evening contacted us to advise us that they have now hit a problem as our lawyer is not on their conveyancing panel. Please explain?
If you are buying a property with the assistance of a mortgage it is usual for the purchaser's solicitors to also act for the purchaser's lender.
In order to act for a bank or building society a law firm has to be on that lender's conveyancing panel. An application has to be made by the law firm to the lender to become a member of the lender's panel and there are increasingly strict criteria which the firm has to satisfy and indeed some lenders now require their panel members to be part of the Law Society’s Conveyancing Accreditation Scheme. Your property lawyers should contact National Counties Building Society and see if they can apply for membership of the National Counties Building Society conveyancing panel, but if that is not viable National Counties Building Society will instruct their own solicitors to act. You don't have to instruct a firm on the National Counties Building Society conveyancing panel as you are at liberty to use your preferred lawyers, in which case your legal fees may increase, and it will likely delay the transaction as you have another set of people involved.
We are nearing an exchange and my parents having sent the 10% deposit to my lawyer. I am now advised that as the deposit has not come from me my lawyer needs to disclose this to my lender National Counties Building Society. I am advised that, being on the National Counties Building Society conveyancing panel and acting on their behalf he must inform National Counties Building Society if the balance of the mortgage advance is coming from anyone other than me. I advised the bank about my parent’s contribution when I applied for the mortgage so is it really necessary for him to raise this?
Your lawyer is obliged to check with National Counties Building Society to make sure that they are aware that the balance of the purchase price is not from your own funds. Your solicitor can only report this to National Counties Building Society if you agree, failing which, your lawyer must cease to continue acting.
How do I find a local solicitor on the National Counties Building Society conveyancing panel? I have a car and am prepared to travel up to 10 miles to meet the solicitor.
You can use the find a conveyancing panel tool on this page. Please choose the lender and your location and you will see a number of lawyer located nearest you. Alternatively you can type in the name of your proposed law firm and see if they are listed as being on the National Counties Building Society solicitor panel.
I am selling my house. Does my solicitor have to be on the National Counties Building Society conveyancing panel in order to deal with redeeming my mortgage?
Ordinarily, even if your lawyer is not on the National Counties Building Society conveyancing panel they can still act for you on your sale. it might be that the lender will not release the original deeds (if applicable and increasingly irrelevant) until after the mortgage is paid off. You should speak to your lawyer directly before you start the process though to ensure that there is no problem as lenders are changing their requirements fairly frequently at the moment.
Is there a list of National Counties Building Society panel solicitors on the Building Society Association’s Website?
No. There is no such tool on the Council of Mortgage Lenders or Building Society Association websites. Very few lenders make their panel listings available online.
Can I be sure that the solicitor on the National Counties Building Society panel is any good?
Getting recommendations is a good start. Before you go ahead check if they offer a no sale no fee offer. Also you often get what you pay for - a firm which quotes more will often provide a better service than one which is cheap as chips. We would always recommend that you speak with the lawyer handling your conveyancing
I have paid off my mortgage with National Counties Building Society. I assume I don't need a solicitor on the National Counties Building Society panel to remove the mortgage at the Land Registry. Am I right?
If you have finished paying off your National Counties Building Society 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 National Counties Building Society mortgage from the register. National Counties Building Society,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 National Counties Building Society has sent the Land Registry the discharge electronically, and
the National Counties Building Society has instructed the Land Registry to do so
The Land Registry will send you a letter confirming that your National Counties Building Society mortgage has been paid off.