Find a Law Firm
approved by Natwest Bank
Ready to buy a new home? Failing to check that a lawyer is on the Natwest Bank list of approved solicitors can put your transaction at risk of delay or failure.
Find an Approved Solicitor on the National Westminster Bank plc Conveyancing Panel
Examples of recent questions relating to the National Westminster Bank Conveyancing Panel
My IFA has has requested my lawyer’ panel reference for the National Westminster Bank conveyancing panel. How do I obtain this. I have tried my local National Westminster Bank office but they cant find it on their system.
You are best placed to get this information from your conveyancing lawyer. They should have a central record lender panel numbers including the National Westminster Bank panel reference.
My solicitor has spotted an inconsistency between the surveyor’s assumptions in National Westminster Bank’s valuation report and what is revealed within the title deeds. My solicitor informs me that as he is on the National Westminster Bank conveyancing panel he must ensure that the bank is OK with this discrepancy and is still content to lend. Is my solicitor’s approach appropriate?
A precondition to being on the National Westminster Bank approved panel is to comply with the CML Handbook requirements (last updated for this lender on National Westminster Bank) 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 both parties.
Are there any apps to help find a local solicitor on the National Westminster Bank conveyancing panel? I have a car and am prepared to travel up to 10 miles to meet the solicitor.
Feel free to make use of the find a conveyancing panel tool on this website. 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 Westminster Bank solicitor panel.
I am trying to get my ex-husband removed the mortgage deeds. Can National Westminster Bank really tell me which solicitor I can or can not instruct?
You can use any solicitor you like but National Westminster Bank then has the right to appoint a different solicitor to act for them at your expense. It might be more cost effective and quicker to instruct a lawyer who is on the National Westminster Bank solicitors panel
The mortgage over my property is with National Westminster Bank. Conveyancing was finalised a year ago. In the event that I decide to rent out the flat and do not currently have a buy-to-let mortgage do I need to remortgage to a buy-to-let mortgage or inform National Westminster Bank?
You must advise National Westminster Bank prior to renting your property as this is likely to be a breach of National Westminster Bank’s mortgage conditions. In many cases banks or building societies will permit you to let out your former home without needing to switch to a buy-to-let mortgage but some lenders will add a surcharge to your mortgage rate to reflect the higher risk. You should contact National Westminster Bank directly. It should not be necessary to do this via a National Westminster Bank conveyancing panel solicitor.
I recently had an offer accepted on an apartment. My financial adviser pressured me to appoint their lawyers I paid an upfront payment of 175. Soon after the conveyancers contacted me to say that they were not on the National Westminster Bank 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 National Westminster Bank 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 have instructed a lawyer having checked that they are on the National Westminster Bank conveyancing panel. Does my lawyer arrange the survey of the property?
Or
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 National Westminster Bank conveyancing panel - on this she said they don't do this and I need to contract an independent surveyor. is that correct?
National Westminster Bank will need an independent valuation of the property. Your lawyer will not arrange this. Usually National Westminster Bank 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.
or
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 National Westminster Bank you could contact your them to see if they have a list of approved surveyors.