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Ready to buy a new home? Failing to check that a lawyer is on the Saffron 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 Saffron Building Society Conveyancing Panel? How can my firm be reinstated onto the Saffron Building Society Conveyancing Panel?Find an Approved Solicitor on the Saffron Building Society Conveyancing Panel
Saffron Building Society Conveyancing Panel Recently Asked Questions
My Solicitor is not on the Saffron Building Society Approved Panel. Can I still retain my family solicitor notwithstanding that they are not on the Saffron Building Society panel?
You will need to have a conveyancer complete the legal work required when you take out a Saffron Building Society mortgage to buy your property. They’ll carry out all the necessary legal checks on the property, make sure that you’re properly registered as the owner and ensure that all the necessary mortgage documentation is in place. You can instruct a conveyancing firm of your choice. However, if the firm selected is not a member of the Saffron Building Society conveyancing panel additional costs will be incurred as separate legal representation will be required by Saffron Building Society. Conveyancing panel applications can be submitted, so if your conveyancer has not previously applied for membership they can do so.
My partner and I intend to remortgage our flat with Saffron Building Society. We have a son 19 who lives with us. The solicitor on the Saffron Building Society conveyancing panel has asked us to disclose any adults other than ourselves who lives in the flat. The solicitor has now sent a form for our son to sign, giving up any rights in the event that the property is forfeited by the lender. I have two concerns (1) Is this document specific to the Saffron Building Society conveyancing panel as he did not need to sign this form when we remortgaged 4 years ago (2) In signing this form is our son in any way compromising his right to inherit the property?
First, rest assured that your Saffron Building Society conveyancing panel solicitor is doing the right thing as it is established procedure for any occupier who is aged 17 or over to sign the necessary Consent Form, which is purely to state that any rights he has in the property are postponed and secondary to Saffron Building Society .This is solely used to protect the Saffron Building Society if the property were re-possessed so that in such circumstances, your son would be legally obliged to leave.
It does not impact your son’s right to inherit the apartment. Please note that if your son were to inherit and the mortgage in favour of Saffron Building Society had not been discharged, he would be liable to take over the loan or pay it off, but other than that, there is nothing stopping him from keeping the property in accordance with your will or the rules of intestacy.
Do banks and building societies provide you with an approved list of solicitors? How do you know who is on the Saffron Building Society conveyancing panel?
The law firm practices themselves provide us confirmation that they are on the Saffron Building Society conveyancing panel as opposed to being supplied with a list from Saffron Building Society directly.
I would like to get my former partner removed the mortgage deeds. Can Saffron Building Society really insist on which solicitor I can or can not instruct?
You can use any solicitor you like but Saffron Building Society 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 Saffron Building Society solicitors panel
The for formalities of my purchase has taken place with a loan from Saffron Building Society. Conveyancing was satisfactory but I feel I should register my dissatisfaction about Saffron Building Society. How do I make a complaint?
All lenders have complaints procedures. Your first port of call should be one of the Saffron Building Society branches or the Customer Services Team at Saffron Building Society head office. We understand that complaints to Saffron Building Society are resolved effectively and efficiently. If you feel that the matter is not resolved you can write to the
Financial Ombudsman Service at South Quay Plaza, 183 Marsh Wall, London E14 9SR with full details of your complaint.
After shopping around on the internet I have found a solicitor having checked that they are on the Saffron Building Society conveyancing panel. Does my lawyer arrange the survey of the property?
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I've digested plenty of house buying,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 Saffron Building Society conveyancing panel - on this she said they don't do this and I need to contract an independent surveyor. Is that normal?
Saffron Building Society will need an independent valuation of the property. Your lawyer will not arrange this. Usually Saffron Building Society 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.
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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 Saffron Building Society you could contact your them to see if they have a list of approved surveyors.
My ex -wife’s name is on the Saffron Building Society mortgage of my property but not on the land registry. The apartment was transferred to me on our divorce many years ago by way of a sealed court order. Does my ex still have a say on the sale even though the land registry showing the property in my name alone? Will I be required to take her name of the Saffron Building Society mortgage in order to sell?
In terms of the Saffron Building Society mortgage, it is unusual that your ex-wife’s name remains on the mortgage but not on the title. It is conceivable that this is an oversight on the part of your conveyancers to ensure that her name was removed or even an administrative error on the part of Saffron Building Society in failing to update their data. In any event, it should cause difficulty providing her name no longer appears on the Land Registry title and you have a court order ordering that the property is transferred to you.