- 25 Feb 2019
- •
- < 1 min read
Did you know your conveyancer will want to see your original ID documents?
An increasing trend is for people to volunteer up photocopies, or a print-out of bank statements, or even email them to conveyancers. Sometimes with the commentary that ‘we bank/our utilities are all online, so we can only print off statements/bills’.
However, none of that is acceptable, this is incase of forgery. True, it is a great shame that online banks/utility companies do not expressly reveal that customers will be at an immediate disadvantage as they will no longer have the use of original statements as ID documents in their lives generally. However, customers will often visit a local bank branch and have statements printed off by the clerks and stamped by the bank.
The task for the conveyancer, and all those tasked with checking ID documents, is to ensure they (or an agent) inspects an original document, in case of forgery, as well as checking the true likeness of any photo to who they have so far met – even to compare the signature on the ID document to the one being used by who their purported client.
Someone once explained that would you ever walk into an off-licence, and when asked for ID, reply “I don’t have the original, but I prepared a photocopy of my passport earlier, will you take that”. Of course not.
No different when dealing with a conveyancer. It is the originals that have to be inspected, and first produced up to them – never copies, never emailed and never print-outs.
If you are looking for conveyancing services in the South, our expert residential property solicitors based in Salisbury, Southampton, Poole, Bournemouth and Winchester are on hand to provide you with the legal help and guidance you need. Don’t hesitate to contact Partner and Conveyancing Solicitor Tim Higham, on 01722 426985.
