Harpenden Building Society Conveyancing Panel Information

The CML, together with Harpenden Building Society and other lenders created a standard set of instructions where a solicitor is acting for a lender such as Harpenden Building Society alone in a residential conveyancing transaction. These requirements are contained at Part Three of the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook and are to be read together with Parts 1 & 2. The CML have published an example requirements letter to the borrower’s conveyancing solicitor for adaptation by the lender's conveyancer, and sets out to the borrower's conveyancer, the documentary and information requirements of the lender's panel solicitor.

Criteria differ from lender to lender. We do not hold specific requirements relating to the questions raised as part of the application to be on the Harpenden Building Society conveyancing panel. Typically lenders need to have full knowledge of a firm including (but not limited to):

List of all those staff who work within the conveyancing team

Summary of annual accounts

purchase and remortgage)

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.

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

SRA or equivalent regulator registration number where applicable

Whether the firm is able to operate in other jurisdictions

Full disciplinary history for each conveyancing solicitor

Full complaints history for each licensed conveyancer

top-up split and history of any refusals

You need to be careful here as what you are suggesting may not be acceptable to the lender. It is possible that you (as a non-panel firm) or the mortgage applicant are not at liberty instruct a panel firm of your choice. Many lenders make it clear to their panel firms that where a non-panel member firm is instructed by one of their mortgage applicants, the lender must appoint a panel firm to carry out its instructions and to liaise with the borrower's conveyancing firm. You also need to make the costs implications and potential for delay very clear to your client.

During 2013, 107 sections of the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook P2 were changed by Harpenden Building Society. Some changes are more important than others but as a firm on the Harpenden Building Society conveyancing panel you are of course obliged to comply with individual lender requirements, as set out in Part II of the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook. Locktons have recently pointed out in an article that non-compliance with Part 2 requirements account for a number of high value claims, and it is therefore important to be aware of any particularly onerous terms that an individual lender may impose.

Remember: CML requirements are not guidelines; they are the lender client’s instructions.

In the circumstances please clarify on the application what steps you have taken to find out the reasons behind cancellation of your Harpenden Building Society panel membership. 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 informing you as to why they reached this decision?

You need to communicate with Harpenden Building Society to obtain standard documents. The CML Handbook contains an individual inquiry for lenders to establish who to contact to obtain standard documents. Harpenden Building Society in their Part 2’s state: Please remember to quote the firm’s Harpenden Building Society conveyancing panel reference.