Skipton Building Society Conveyancing Panel Information

Skipton Building Society’s answer to this question can be found at section 6.4.4 of their CML Part 2 requirements

Paragraph 16.2.1 of Part 1 of the Handbook relevant to a solicitor on the Skipton Building Society conveyancing panel reads ‘Our mortgage secures further advances. Consequently, when a further advance is required for alterations or improvements to the property we will not normally instruct a member of our conveyancing panel but if you are instructed the appropriate provisions of this Handbook will apply’.

In order to be on the Skipton Building Society conveyancing panel solicitors have to complete an application form and agree Terms and Conditions. A sample of 5 conditions that we see amongst many lenders Terms (but not necessarily Skipton Building Society) are as follows:

• Without prejudice to your obligation to comply in full with the Safeguards provisions in the CML Lenders’ Handbook, to report to us as soon as possible any suspicion that you have about the genuineness of any transaction in any respect.
• To quote on all communications with us relating to deeds/registration issues, whether by telephone or in writing, the panel number that we provide for each practising address and the mortgage account or application number for the mortgage concerned.
• To forward the title deeds and documents to another solicitor/conveyancer within 24 hours of an instruction from us requiring you to do so. On forwarding the deeds as instructed you will confirm to us that you have done so. Upon receipt of your confirmation, we will release you from all undertakings relating to your holding the title deeds.
• If you are a sole practitioner, to arrange for appropriate locum cover from our panel where necessary. Your locum must be a member of the Conveyancing panel.
• That any deeds you borrow from us in connection with the personal mortgage of a partner or director at your firm must be requested by a partner or director other than the partner or director concerned and the transaction must be handled by that other partner or director. If you are a sole practitioner and require the loan of deeds in connection with your own mortgage, you must nominate a different firm on our panel to request the deeds and handle the transaction.

5 borrowers attempt to locate a conveyancing practitioner on the Skipton Building Society panel on a monthly basis in Hendon. The lenderpanel directory service team who will show you how your firm can be listed by those searching for conveyancing in Hendon.

The Law Society’s CQS accreditation is 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 panels. A number of Lenders now use the Conveyancing Quality Scheme accreditation as the starting point for Panel acceptance such as Astra Mortgages.

You should get in touch with Skipton Building Society to obtain standard documents. The CML Handbook has an explicit section for lenders to reveal who to contact to obtain standard documents. Skipton Building Society in their Part 2’s state: Please remember to disclose the firm’s Skipton Building Society solicitors panel reference.