Britannia Conveyancing Panel Information

The Council of Mortgage Lenders is an association rather than a regulator and therefore cannot advise on grievances against lenders. You can of course contact Lexsure to see if we can help.

We only know of two or three banks that operate a distinct conveyancing panel where the mortgage advance is over a certain threshold. You should nevertheless check directly with Britannia. At one stage HSBC would only allow Sole practitioners to act for them where the mortgage was below £150,000. We are not sure if HSBC still operate such a condition. In your case it is best to check with Britannia

The CML Part II requirements of Britannia are silent on this. Most lenders address the question of file retention via their Terms of panel appointment where they generally provide that for evidential purposes, the firm must keep the file for at least of 6 years from the date of the mortgage. Data imagining is normally suitable compliance with this requirement. Many lenders point out in that it is the practice of some fraudsters to demand the conveyancing file on completion in order to destroy evidence that may later be used against them. It is therefore important to retain these documents to protect Britannia’s interest. To be absolutely sure of Britannia requirements in this regard please check the Terms and Conditions of Britannia’s conveyancing panel acceptance.

Although not necessarily published, lenders have varying criteria . We do not hold specific requirements relating to the questions raised as part of the application to be on the Britannia conveyancing panel. Typically lenders need to have full knowledge of a firm including (but not limited to):

Whether the firm has ever knowingly accepted instructions on transactions involving Sale and Rent Back, Back to Back, Exchange and Delayed Completion and Lease Option, Below Market Value.

conveyancer client account(s) details

Summary of annual accounts

Whether the firm has ever accepted instructions in respect of property clubs and investment schemes

Full complaints history for each licensed conveyancer

Full disciplinary history for each licensed conveyancer

purchase and remortgage)

Full career history for each licensed conveyancer including registration date with Council of Licensed Conveyancers

top-up split and history of any refusals

List of all solicitors within firm

We would recommend that you supply details of the date of removal, information on the reason for removal, date of appeal and any reason given for reinstatement. This should not adversely impact your firm’s application but gives the Law Society viability as to what has happened.

You would be advised to contact Britannia to obtain standard documents. The CML Handbook includes an explicit section for banks to set out who to contact to obtain standard documents. Britannia in their Part 2’s state: It helps to quote your Britannia solicitors panel number.