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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.
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How does my firm apply to be on the National Westminster Bank plc Conveyancing Panel? How can my firm be reinstated onto the National Westminster Bank plc Conveyancing Panel?Find an Approved Solicitor on the National Westminster Bank plc Conveyancing Panel
National Westminster Bank Conveyancing Panel Recently Asked Questions
I appointed a solicitor to carry out on my purchase three weeks ago having applied for a mortgage with National Westminster Bank. The solicitors confirmed to me that they are on National Westminster Bank conveyancing panel and provided me their panel reference. National Westminster Bank then ,via my broker advised that their panel number was dormant and would need to be reactivated. What happens next? Do I instruct a different law firm currently on the conveyancing panel for National Westminster Bank?
You may be very frustrated with the lawyer but if it only go take a few more days they it may be worth waiting as, depending on how far progressed you are you may end up delaying the transaction by a number of weeks if you need to replace your solicitor You may wish to enlist the help of your broker to check with the National Westminster Bank as to the time frame to get your lawyer reinstated on the panel once again.
My solicitor has discovered a difference between the information in National Westminster Bank’s valuation report and what is revealed within the title deeds. My lawyer has advised that as he is on the National Westminster Bank conveyancing panel he must ensure that the lender is OK with this discrepancy and is content go ahead. Is my lawyer’s course or action 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 you.
I require the services of a National Westminster Bank panel solicitor in Inverness. Can you assist?
It is not clear why you need a National Westminster Bank panel solicitor but in any event, if you can not find one on our search tool you will need to speak directly to National Westminster Bank to find out which solicitors in National Westminster Bank are on their panel. If you do find such a firm not listed please direct them to our site to list. After all the cost is only one £1 a month
Can you clarify what the consequences are if my lawyer’s firm is removed from the National Westminster Bank Conveyancing panel before the moving date as agreed at exchange of contracts?
First, this is a very rare occurrence. In most cases even where a law firm is removed off of a panel the lender would allow the completion to go ahead as the lender would appreciate the difficulties that they would place you in if you have ti instruct a new solicitor days before completion. In a worst case scenario where the lender insists that you instruct a new firm then it is possible for a very good lawyer to expedite the conveyancing albeit that you may pay a significant premium for this. The analogous situation is where a buyer instructs a lawyer, exchanges contracts and the law firm is shut down by the regulator such as the SRA. Again, in this situation you can find lawyers who can troubleshoot their way to bring the conveyancing to a satisfactory conclusion - albeit for a fee.
Is it the case that all solicitors on the National Westminster Bank conveyancing panel regulated by the SRA?
As solicitors, in order to be on the National Westminster Bank 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 recently had an offer accepted on an apartment. My financial adviser pressured me to appoint their lawyers I paid an upfront payment of 200. 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.
My offer was accepted on a house on the 12th March 2014, valuation was booked 3 days after, all came back fine. Property lawyer appointed, so all that was missing was my mortgage offer. Having made daily calls to National Westminster Bank and chasing them on my offer I have now been told that my offer will not be issued unless the lawyer is on the National Westminster Bank conveyancing panel. Can the lender hold off the offer?
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 National Westminster Bank to deal with your lawyers application to be on the National Westminster Bank conveyancing panel. There's no guarantee that your solicitors will be accepted.