Clydesdale Bank Conveyancing Panel Information

You might expect Clydesdale Bank via their Part Two conditions to address this but the Handbook is silent on time frames. You need to look at the Terms of Clydesdale Bank’s Conveyancing Panel Appointment that you previously signed. For a number of banks these Terms include a provision along the following lines: ‘To keep us informed of the reasons for any delay in your being able to send the title deeds and documents we require to us within 3 months of completion or evidence of proof of registration within that period. (We will send reminders if the deeds have not been received but will not acknowledge receipt of deeds’ It is imperative to keep Clydesdale Bank updated. Law firms can often compound their problems by not communicating with the lender when there is a delay or problem.

The answer to this question really depends on the reason that your firm has been removed off the Clydesdale 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 compliance officer 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 Clydesdale 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 Clydesdale Bank conveyancing panel to see if you are entitled to a reason.

You should supply details of the date of removal, information on the reason for removal, date of appeal and any reason given for reinstatement. This should not negatively affect your application but gives the CQS team viability as to what has happened.

You need to get in touch with Clydesdale Bank to obtain standard documents. The The Council of Mortgage Lenders Handbook has a specific inquiry for lenders to establish who to contact to obtain standard documents. Clydesdale Bank in their Part 2’s state: Always remember to quote your Clydesdale Bank conveyancing panel reference.