Coutts & Co Conveyancing Panel Information

No such training is arranged by the CML however they do provided numerous useful conveyancing related conferences which are attended by firms on the Coutts & Co conveyancing panel. It is our intention to run specific lender focused seminars in the coming months including a webinar on Coutts & Co’s Part 2 obligations. Law firms on the Coutts & Co conveyancing panel will be invited. Further details will be communicated as part of the LENDERmonitor Alerts.

You might expect Coutts & Co via their Part Two obligations to address this but the Handbook is silent on time frames. You need to look at the Terms of Coutts & Co’s Conveyancing Panel Appointment that you are bound by. For many lender's these Terms contain a clause such as: ‘To keep us informed of the reasons for any delay in your being able to send the title deeds and documents we require to us within 3 months of completion or evidence of proof of registration within that period. (We will send reminders if the deeds have not been received but will not acknowledge receipt of deeds’ It is important to keep Coutts & Co informed. Law firms can often compound their problems by not communicating with the lender when there is a delay or problem.

There are many reports available, five of which are as follows:

• Current and historic missed priority dates
• The percentage of the firm’s business which is conveyancing (broken down into sale/purchase and remortgage)
• Evidence of undertaking logs
• Average mortgage advance
• Number of conveyancing cases by lender

In the same way that there is a unique Coutts & Co conveyancing panel most building societies, operate a conveyancing panel for solicitors and other conveyancers that the lender will instruct. Terms and Conditions and criteria for inclusion on a building society conveyancing panel vary from lender-to-lender. Having CQS accreditation may be a requirement. Institutional lenders, such as a building society, is a client and is entitled to instruct the solicitor or conveyancer of its choosing (who, in turn, is free to accept or refuse instructions). Therefore, if lender and borrower cannot agree which solicitor or conveyancer should represent them jointly, they would usually proceed on a separate representation basis. The BSA have not published the equivalent of the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook Part 3s.

In this situation please explain on the form what steps you have taken to find out the reasons behind cancellation of your Coutts & Co panel status. In particular please provide details if you have received communications from the lender. E.G. before termination of your panel membership did you receive any letters or calls from the lender putting you on notice?

You need to get in touch with Coutts & Co to obtain standard documents. The The Council of Mortgage Lenders Handbook has an individual section for banks to reveal who to contact to obtain standard documents. Coutts & Co in their Part 2’s state: You will need to quote your Coutts & Co conveyancing panel number.