Sainsbury's Bank Conveyancing Panel Information

The information on this page is designed to keep solicitors and licensed conveyancers abreast of latest requirements changes by Sainsbury's Bank and to assist in remaining on the Sainsbury's Bank Sainsburys Bank Conveyancing Panel.

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Sainsbury's Bank Solicitor Panel: Recently Asked Questions

my firm is on the Sainsbury's Bank conveyancing panel. Can I get an archived copy of a Sainsbury's Bank Part 2 from the CML?

The CML do not maintain duplicates of the Part 2's pre-December 2010. We would recommend you make a request of Sainsbury's Bank directly.

Is there a standard appeals process to prevent solicitors from being unfairly removed them from lender conveyancing panels?

We have come across many solicitors who feel they have been removed from lenders’ panels without an explanation or a good reason. It is highly unlikely, given that lenders have distanced themselves from creating a standardised appeals process for brokers, that an appeals process will be introduced for lawyers. Commenting on the call by brokers to have a standardised process the CML said’ “While we understand that some lenders do have an appeals process, it would not be appropriate for a trade body such as the CML to seek to be prescriptive about such a process.” Some lenders do of course set out an appeals policy. The Law Society does have information on it’s site that may be of assistance. If you would like to talk to one of our compliance experts about our Lender Panel Protection Service please click here.

A recent SRA survey reveals that 76% of solicitors have been removed from a lender conveyancing panel. Sainsbury's Bank and other lenders have restricted their panel over the years. Why?

In operating open conveyancing panels, lenders such as Sainsbury's Bank face a number of fraud and negligence risks. While there is no authoritative source of data on lender exposure to solicitor–led mortgage fraud, anecdotal evidence from lenders indicates exposure on individual cases are often in the millions of pounds. The National Fraud Authority estimates that £1bn per year is lost in mortgage -related frauds in total, which is seen as a conservative estimate.

These risks are exacerbated by the lack of a comprehensive set of data on all conveyancing firms (which, for the avoidance of doubt, would include solicitors and conveyancers across the UK) which is in a readily accessible format. Currently, lenders vet the suitability of their panel firms against a variety of disparate, incomplete and potentially inaccurate sets of information. One top 5 lender pointed out to us that it is almost impossible to track individual fraudsters who move from firm to firm, especially where they are no longer registered or no longer hold a valid practicing certificate.

Sainsbury's Bank and other lenders are in varying stages of reviewing their approach to vetting firms on their conveyancing panels, to ensure their ongoing exposure to unsuitable firms is reduced. There is also regulatory impetus on lenders to ensure that they have satisfactory oversight of their third party panels, including a due-diligence process.

I understand that Sainsbury's Bank could request or audit my files as I am on the Sainsbury's Bank conveyancing panel. What do I do if I receive such a request?

We can't comment specifically on Sainsbury's Bank. Many major lenders are now introducing ‘file auditing’ as standard practice in relation to completed matters. This raises questions of confidentiality in relation to the borrower and the purpose to which the results of such audits will be put. The starting point is to remember that the file does not belong to your firm, it belongs to the ‘client’. But, of course, we will normally have two clients – the buyer and the lender - and you will owe a duty of confidentiality to each. So basically, you have to separate the file and just send the lender the parts solely relating to themselves. But, of course, as this will basically be correspondence with the lender, mortgage instructions etc.

Check with your COLP but a firm should not send the complete conveyancing file without the buyer client’s express consent – and if he is in arrears with the lender she is hardly likely to agree. However, if the lender can establish a prima facie case of fraud, then you may be under an obligation to disclose the whole file.

The emerging convention is that lenders are including an authority to disclose in loan application forms to counter this problem. Mortgage Express v Sawali, [2010] EWHC 3054 (Ch) indicates that such provisions are valid. Please click here for more information about that case.

Can you give me an example of some of the reports available via COMPLETIONmonitor to support my application to be on the Sainsbury's Bank conveyancing panel ?

There are many reports available, five of which are as follows:

Average time frame to send deeds to the lender (calculated from completion date or title registration)
The percentage of the firm’s business which is conveyancing (broken down into sale/purchase and remortgage)
Analysis as to the nature of clients (e.g.existing/new/seen in person)
Disclosure/Notification to Lender analysis indicating frequency and nature of disclosures - to include benchmarking analysis against aggregate data
Buy to Let transactions

My firm has just been advised that it’s Sainsbury's Bank panel membership revoked but we have not yet been given an explanation yet. I am completing a CQS renewal form what details must I put forward?

In the circumstances please explain on the application what steps you have taken to discover the reasons behind cancellation of your Sainsbury's Bank panel membership. In particular please provide details if you have received communications from the lender. E.G. before revocation of your panel membership did you receive any letters or calls from the lender informing you as to why they reached this decision?

My firm is listed on the Sainsbury's Bank conveyancing panel and all set to complete a purchase shortly. My file does not contain a Mortgage Deed for the client to execute. Who do I contact at Sainsbury's Bank to get a duplicate Deed?

You need to communicate with Sainsbury's Bank to obtain standard documents. The CML Handbook has an explicit inquiry for banks to enumerate who to contact to obtain standard documents. Sainsbury's Bank in their Part 2’s state:

It helps to disclose the firm’s Sainsbury's Bank solicitors panel number.

Find a Lawyer on the Sainsbury's Bank Sainsburys Bank Conveyancing Panel

Average number of days to register title including a charge in favour of Sainsbury's Bank

This information relates to purchase only and not remortgages.

Year	Days*
2021	[no data]
2020	[no data]
2019	31.5
2018	28.5
2017	[no data]
2016	[no data]

* Data aggregated from sources including COMPLETIONmonitor

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Please note that Lexsure Ltd is in no way associated with nor affiliated with Lexsure Solicitors