Metro Bank Conveyancing Panel Information

You might expect Metro Bank via their Part Two requirements to address this but the Handbook makes no mention on deadlines to send deeds. Do look at the Terms of Metro Bank’s Conveyancing Panel Appointment that you previously signed. For many lender's these Terms include 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 imperative to keep Metro Bank informed. Law firms can often compound their problems by not communicating with the lender when there is a delay or problem.

Please tread carefully here as what you are suggesting may not be acceptable to the mortgage company. It is possible that you (as a non-panel firm) or the mortgage applicant are not entitled instruct a panel firm of your choice. An increasing amount of lenders are making 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.

With lenders and conveyancing firms working so closely together it is surprising that there has not been greater demand for the introduction of a bit of transparency regarding not just the figures for the Metro Bank conveyancing panel but for all bank panel listings

The Law Society’s CQS accreditation gives no guarantee to lender panel acceptance. Nevertheless the Council of Mortgage Lenders have indicated that it is likely to become a prerequisite for firms wishing to join their approved list of conveyancing solicitors. A number of mortgage companies now use the scheme as the starting point for Panel approval such as Santander.

You would be advised to contact Metro Bank to obtain standard documents. The The Council of Mortgage Lenders Handbook has an explicit section for banks to cite who to contact to obtain standard documents. Metro Bank in their Part 2’s state: Please remember to disclose your Metro Bank conveyancing panel reference.