National Counties Building Society Conveyancing Panel Information

In the same way that there is a unique National Counties Building Society 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.

During 2013, 37 sections of the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook P2 were changed by National Counties Building Society. Some changes are more important than others but as a firm on the National Counties 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.

The concern here is if you are expect to enter into ‘more onerous’ conditions that than the Handbook obligations. You have to try and take an objective view as to whether the Terms relating to the National Counties Building Society conveyancing appointment (or other terms for other lenders) are ‘more onerous’ than the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook Conditions. Depending on the Terms you may need to provide details on your renewal form. If you are in any doubt please call your broker to discuss before moving forward on this question.

10 consumers attempt to locate a conveyancing practitioner on the National Counties Building Society panel every 4 weeks in Hendon. The lenderpanel directory service team who will show you how your firm can be found by those searching for conveyancing in Hendon.

The Law Society’s CQS membership gives no guarantee to lender panel acceptance. Nevertheless the CML have indicated that it is likely to become a prerequisite for firms wishing to remain on their approved list of conveyancing solicitors. A number of Lenders now use CQS as the starting point for Panel approval as is the case with HSBC.

You should communicate with National Counties Building Society to obtain standard documents. The CML Handbook incorporates an explicit question for lenders to enumerate who to contact to obtain standard documents. National Counties Building Society in their Part 2’s state: It is likely that you will need to quote your National Counties Building Society conveyancing panel reference.