Help needed ?? please

Mezza1979

We are due to exchange the week after next. We have had our mortgage offer in writing but just been told by our lender that due to our solictors having more than 4 partners, they are not CQS approved! If we continue then our lender has to employee their own solictors too act on their behalf and we are liable to pay their costs.

What the hell? has anyone heard of this before and know how we overcome this?
I've emialed our Sol's asking them to advise!

Dave_Ham

Assuming the lender is Kensington, they are mega fussy on their solicitors panel.

There is unlikely to be a way around this, although cannot believe none of broker, solicitor or lender picked up on this before.

Sorry, cannot see past you taking this on the chin with a moan to all parties listed above.

Good luck

Leon_W

Do you meen they need more than 4 partners ?

Kensington.
The firm of solicitors acting for Kensington must be registered with The Law Society, be a member of the Law Society CQS (Conveyancing Quality Scheme) and have a minimum of 4 partners. Applicants are free to choose a firm of solicitors to act on their behalf that does not meet this requirement, but the firm cannot also represent Kensington. In these circumstances, Kensington will appoint its own solicitor. Applicants will be responsible for the payment of both their own legal fees and the legal fees of Kensington’s solicitor.

Kayalana99

We had this problem but fortunatly found out early on! (Not so early we hadnt already got one in place though :mad:)

All you can do is change solictors ...thiers nothing else for it if you want this to go ahead.

Why they can't just tell you in the first place is BEYOND me.

Mezza1979

Thanks everyone.. Panic over

Your guess was spot on! It is Kensington.

However, My Solictor just confirmed that they are accredited and have contacted Kensington with the relevant paperwrk and ref numbers to prove. Kensington just accepted in writing and now we're okay!

Phew... stressful and yes, i would have be very annoyed had the result have been different and we had got 6 weeks along and no one informed me previously.. especially given that all parties knew who the lender was, etc etc.

Anywho.. one less thing to worry about.

its all resting on local seragces coming back now!