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approved by St James Place
Ready to buy a new home? Failing to check that a lawyer is on the St James Place list of approved solicitors can put your transaction at risk of delay or failure.
Looking for information about your firm's panel status?
How does my firm apply to be on the St James Place Bank Conveyancing Panel? How can my firm be reinstated onto the St James Place Bank Conveyancing Panel?Find an Approved Solicitor on the St James Place Bank Conveyancing Panel
FAQs for the St James Place Solicitor Panel
My Conveyancer has never been on on the St James Place Solicitor Panel. Can I still use my family solicitor even though they are not on the St James Place panel?
You will need to have a conveyancer complete the legal work required when you take out a St James Place 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 St James Place conveyancing panel additional costs will be incurred as separate legal representation will be required by St James Place. Conveyancing panel applications can be submitted, so if your conveyancer has not previously applied for membership they can do so.
My solicitor has identified a difference between the assumptions in St James Place’s valuation survey and what is revealed within the legal papers for the property. My solicitor informs me that as he is on the St James Place conveyancing panel he needs to check that the lender is happy with this discrepancy and is content go ahead. Is my solicitor’s stance right?
A precondition to being on the St James Place approved panel is to comply with the CML Handbook requirements (last updated for this lender on St James Place) 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.
I have checked your search tool I can't find the lawyer I was hoping to instruct as being on the St James Place conveyancing panel. My lawyer has said that they are on the St James Place approved panel. How can I be sure given that they are not listed on your directory?
Not all firms are yet listed on our lender panel search tool which is still relatively new. Law firms are listing on a daily basis and it is probably the case that your lawyer is on the St James Place conveyancing lawyer and you should probably take them at their word. Please do feel free to suggest that they completing their listing on our site as it would only cost them £1 a month to list themselves as being on the St James Place solicitor panel.
I was supposed to complete on my dream home last Thursday. My lawyer’s firm is on the St James Place conveyancing panel but has changed address 8 weeks ago and had not informed St James Place of their new address. St James Place has locked down the release of mortgage funds as the information from the solicitors isn't correct.
This is as unusual as it is unlucky. The majority of lender Terms of Conveyancing Panel Appointment specifically oblige the solicitor to inform the lender of an address change. Your solicitor needs to treat this with the utmost urgency. Do speak with or register your concern with the senior partner (assuming he or she is not your direct lawyer). Most lenders would be reasonable in this situation and expedite the resolution of this issue. It may be prudent to enlist the help of your local St James Place branch or your mortgage broker to see if they can assist.
When it comes to mortgage companies such as St James Place do solicitors have to be pay a fee to be on the conveyancing panel?
We are not aware of any lender fees to be on their panel although some do charge an administration charge to deal with the processing of the conveyancing panel application.
Can I register a complaint to St James Place about the lawyers being on the St James Place conveyancing panel?
Complaining to St James Place about their conveyancing panel is unlikely to yield much of a response. All solicitors and conveyancer must have a complaints procedure. You can get information from the solicitor’s or conveyancer’s website or ask at their office. They must tell you about it if you ask.
The Legal Ombudsman will make sure that your complaint is addressed by the solicitor. It can also advise you how to complain.
If a licensed conveyancer does not have a complaints procedure or will not tell you about it, contact the Council for Licensed Conveyancers (CLC), which will make sure that your complaint is properly dealt with by the conveyancer. Please see below for more information.
I am selling my house. I had a double glazing fitted in month 7 but did not receive a FENSA certificate or Building Regulation Certificate. My buyer's mortgage company, St James Place are being problematic. The solicitor who is on the St James Place conveyancing panel is recommending indemnity insurance as a solution but St James Place are insisting on a building regulation certificate. Why do St James Place have a conveyancing panel of they don’t accept advice from them?
It is probably the case that St James Place have referred the matter to their valuer. The reason why St James Place may not want to accept indemnity insurance is because it does not give them any reassurance that the double glazing correctly and safely installed. It merely protects against enforcement action which is very unlikely anyway.
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