Countrywide Conveyancing/HSBC - avoid like the plague if you want to complete

Thrugelmir

southerly123 wrote: »

I just want to avoid Countrywide and have someone efficient dealing with everything.

No solicitor will guarantee a speedy transaction. As it just doesn't work like that.

southerly123

I appreciate no solicitor would ever guarantee a fast transaction (that would be stupid of them) but some solicitors are quicker than others (eg Countrywide). Does anyone have experience of successfully bypassing CCS on an HSBC mortgage and using one of the panel solicitors? Thanks again

kingstreet

I'm going to expand on what I said earlier.

If you're going to HSBC for a mortgage you HAVE to pick one of the other 42 firms from the panel, to avoid Countrywide.

This means when you're with HSBC TELL them you want to use a panel solicitor, but not Countrywide.

If you use your own solicitor who isn't on the HSBC panel, you are likely to get Countrywide acting for HSBC. You can't control that, unfortunately.

You can't tell HSBC to use another solicitor if you decide to use a firm which isn't on the panel. It's the bank's choice and Countrywide, being the panel manager, appears to be the default option.

southerly123

Unfortunately for various reasons I am stuck with HSBC as my lender. Does anyone have any experience of any of the other HSBC panel firms apart from countrywide who might be ok to go with? I am in London. Anyone used Devonshires in London?

Many thanks

Richard_Webster

But what HSBC are trying to stop is fraudulent solicitors, not honest solicitors like you who wouldn't take on work if they thought there was a fraud going on. As you know, before the credit crunch there were crooked solicitors working with borrowers to defraud mortgage companies.

Countywide would not be able to do much about the father pretending to be his daughter's employer if the father was clever enough to not make any mistakes, but then neither would you if you hadn't had a friend who lived next door to the father.

As with life in general, a few dodgy solicitors have made life difficult for all the honest ones.

OK, then do some more checks and throw a few people you are not sure about off your panel - but don't reduce it from 11,000 to 43!!!

SuzieSue

Richard_Webster wrote: »

OK, then do some more checks and throw a few people you are not sure about off your panel - but don't reduce it from 11,000 to 43!!!

How can they possibly check 11,000 solicitors? I assume they have done thorough checks on the 43 and hopefully they will increase their panel and stop using Countrywide if people boycott their mortgages, but until people stop borrowing from them, they don't need to do anything.

Yorkie1

SuzieSue wrote: »

How can they possibly check 11,000 solicitors? I assume they have done thorough checks on the 43 and hopefully they will increase their panel and stop using Countrywide if people boycott their mortgages, but until people stop borrowing from them, they don't need to do anything.

Have you heard of the Conveyancing Quality Mark Scheme? The solicitor has to jump through a lot of hoops to acquire this. That would be one very good way of 'checking' solicitors.

Another is the approach taken by several other lenders, i.e. to remove from your panel those solicitors which have done no conveyancing work for you in the previous x months or years. That will weed out those who do not do sufficient work to be assured of familiarity with the lender's particular practices (which should, in any event, be minimal given the CML handbook).

Thrugelmir

Richard_Webster wrote: »

OK, then do some more checks and throw a few people you are not sure about off your panel - but don't reduce it from 11,000 to 43!!!

No wonder they want rationalisation.

The current levels of housing transactions would only give these firms one transaction a week each.

xjenp89x

Hi, my partner and I have taken out a mortgage with HSBC and seem to be suffering simlilar problems to a lot of you.
We were told at the end of signing the documents about CC but that our solicitors (not on the panel) would reimburse this fee, as they actually would not be doing the extra work......totally the opposite!! My sols said they need the charge me additional fees due to the extent of ectra work CC require. In addition, CC legal fees are adding up to over £300??! This is currently being investigated because I sent in a very stern complaint. We have totally been mis-sold this and are taking it all te way.
I think everyone who is going through similar experiences should definately put in a complaint ASAP because HSBC should not be able to do this. We won't let it go, so hope somethign comes of it.

glastolover

timmyt wrote: »

Why even have an HSBC mortgage? :eek:There are other Lenders as competitive.

You say that, but as I said, while there are other lenders that get close to their tracker deal (eg First Direct), I have found none that offer it as a lifetime deal, they are all 2 year deals that revert to high rates after the 2 years. While there is a good chance I might remortgage after 1 or 2 years, the HSBC offer is mighty good as it may well still be competitive for a long time (if BoE rate stays low) and avoid the need to remortgage (and pay associated rip off arrangement fees). This is a major plus IMO, and makes the HSBC mortgage the best option for me by quite a long way. So much so that I am planning to go with it, use one of their panel (tho obviously not CC), and hopefully that will be fine.

Anyone who wants to suggest alternative mortgage deals that are as good, I am all ears until I do the application (tomorrow or Monday at latest!)

Thanks to all for your thoughts, very helpful and much appreciated.