DB UK Bank Conveyancing Panel Information

Criteria differ from lender to lender. We do not hold specific requirements relating to the questions raised as part of the application to be on the DB UK Bank conveyancing panel. Typically lenders need to have full knowledge of a firm including (but not limited to):

House price discrepancies (declared to lender vs. registered at Land Registry)

Full complaints history for each licensed conveyancer

Full complaints history for each conveyancing solicitor

List of fee-earners who are foreign qualified

top-up split and history of any refusals

Whether the firm has ever accepted instructions in respect of property clubs and investment schemes

List of all those who can sign off the Certificate Of Title

Full career history for each licensed conveyancer including registration date with Council of Licensed Conveyancers

Summary of annual accounts

Whether the firm has ever applied for accreditation and the outcome of the application

What you should do largely depends on the reason that your firm has been removed off the DB UK Bank conveyancing panel. The top 3 reasons are as follows:

1. lack of transactions
2. the lawyer is a sole practitioner
3. as part of the HSBC panel reduction.

In these three circumstances it is unlikely that you would expected to take any action. Disclosure and other compliance considerations are more likely to be relevant if the reason for removal is due to breaches of lender requirements or allegations of fraud or negligence. Whether the reasoning should trigger a disclosable 'material' breach will depend on the firm and the circumstances around possible failures to comply with the SRA Authorisation Rules, and the SRA will judge each case on its own merits. Factors such as the detriment or risk of detriment to clients, the scale of the issue and overall impact on the firm will need to be considered in deciding whether a failure is 'material'. As the COLP you will need systems to identify patterns of breaches. Even if you don't consider there to be regulatory implications the firms COFA should give some thought to whether she/he needs to take any action as result of being removed from the DB UK Bank conveyancing panel.

For most lenders participation on the lender's panel of conveyancers is at the absolute discretion of the the lender. Many lenders reserve the right to accept or reject any application without giving any reason. You should check your original application to join the DB UK Bank conveyancing panel to see if you are entitled to a reason.

The best placed professionals to answer this question are your insurance brokers. The chances are that on the basis that you have not been removed for fraud or negligence reasons that there will be little or no impact. The main reason why a firm would be removed off of a lender panel is due to low volume of conveyancing cases although there may be a number of criteria for DB UK Bank solicitor panel membership. Please remember that it is always important that you complete your insurance forms accurately.

You would be advised to get in touch with DB UK Bank to obtain standard documents. The The Council of Mortgage Lenders Handbook incorporates an individual question for lenders to reveal who to contact to obtain standard documents. DB UK Bank in their Part 2’s state: Please remember to disclose the firm’s DB UK Bank solicitors panel number.