Find an Approved Solicitor on the Danske Bank UK
Conveyancing Panel
Common questions asked concerning the Danske Bank Conveyancing Panel
I am progressing with the sale of my maisonette and the EA has just e-mailed to warn that the purchasers are swapping property lawyer. The excuse is that Danske Bank will only deal with property lawyers on their conveyancing panel. Why would a major lender only work with specific solicitors?
Lenders have always had an approved set of law firms they are willing to work with, but in the past few years big names such as Lloyds Banking Group, have reviewed and reduced their conveyancing panel– in some cases removing conveyancing firms who have worked with them for more than 25 years.
Lenders blame a rise in fraud by way of justification for the cull – criteria have been tightened and a smaller panel should be easier to keep an eye on. No lender will say how many solicitors have been dropped, claiming the information is commercially sensitive, but the Law Society says it is hearing daily from firms that have been removed from panels, or have other concerns about them. Some do not even realise they have been dropped until contacted by a borrower who has instructed them as might be the situation in your buyer’s case. Your purchasers are unlikely to have any sway in the decision.
I am due to complete my purchase next Thursday. I have now been asked to send a copy of my building insurance schedule by my solicitor as he says that he has to check this in has capacity as lawyer for Danske Bank. What does the insurance need to cover?
Any lawyer on the Danske Bank conveyancing panel would need to check that the following risks are covered fire; lightning; aircraft; explosion; earthquake; storm; flood; escape of water or oil; riot; malicious damage; theft or attempted theft; falling trees and branches and aerials; subsidence; heave;landslip;collision;accidental damage to underground services;professional fees, demolition and site clearance costs; and public liability to anyone else. There are some other issues such as the level of excess that are set out in Danske Bank’s Part 2 requirements of the CML Handbook (last updated on Danske Bank). Being on the Danske Bank conveyancing panel your lawyer is expect to follow these instructions.
I note that you have a post code search directory identifying law firms on the Danske Bank conveyancing panel. Do firms pay you a referral fee if I instruct them for my own conveyancing?
We are a listing service only for law firms wishing to communicate if they are on the Danske Bank conveyancing panel or other lender panels. We do not charge referral fees to the any conveyancer that you subsequently appoint.
I am selling my house. Does my solicitor have to be on the Danske Bank conveyancing panel in order to deal with redeeming my mortgage?
Ordinarily, even if your lawyer is not on the Danske Bank conveyancing panel they can still act for you on your sale. it might be that the lender will not release the original deeds (if applicable and increasingly irrelevant) until after the mortgage is paid off. You should speak to your lawyer directly before you start the process though to ensure that there is no problem as lenders are changing their requirements fairly frequently at the moment.
On the whole I have been dissatisfied with the level or service received from my lawyer. Is there a Danske Bank conveyancing panel complaints department or do I complain directly to the law firm?
Complaining to Danske Bank about their conveyancing panel is unlikely to yield much of a response. All solicitors and conveyancer must have a complaints procedure. You can get information from the solicitor’s or conveyancer’s website or ask at their office. They must tell you about it if you ask.
The Legal Ombudsman will make sure that your complaint is properly dealt with by the solicitor. It can also advise you how to complain.
If a licensed conveyancer does not have a complaints procedure or will not tell you about it, contact the Council for Licensed Conveyancers (CLC), which will make sure that your complaint is properly dealt with by the conveyancer. Please see below for more information.
I was told three weeks ago that my mortgage has been agreed
to by Danske Bank. Is it usual for Danske Bank to only issue the offer once my
solicitor is approved on their conveyancing panel?
A lender would not issue a mortgage until they have details of a lawyer on their panel. It can take a few weeks for Danske Bank to deal with your lawyers application to be on the Danske Bank conveyancing panel. There's no guarantee that your solicitors will be accepted.
My ex -wife’s name is on the Danske Bank mortgage of my property but not on the land registry. The apartment was transferred to me on our divorce many years ago by way of a sealed court order. Does my ex still have a say on the sale even though the land registry showing the property in my name alone? Will I be required to take her name of the Danske Bank mortgage in order to sell?
As regards the Danske Bank mortgage, it is unusual that your ex-wife’s name remains on the mortgage but not on the title. It is conceivable that this is an oversight on the part of your conveyancers to ensure that her name was removed or even an administrative error on the part of Danske Bank in failing to update their data. In any event, it should cause difficulty providing her name no longer appears on the Land Registry title and you have a court order ordering that the property is transferred to you.