Is there a way round "photo ID" requirement in conveyancing?

danthemoneysavingman

Hi all,
hoping someone may know of how to resolve this.

I searched the forum but nothing useful came up.

My mother-in-law, who is 92 and partially blind, has an offer on her house and an offer accepted on a retirement property.

It took the conveyancing firm 6 weeks to start asking for a photo ID...
The problem is, she hasn't a driving licence and not been abroad in 30 years, so no passport.

Is there a way (or perhaps a more flexible conveyancer) so that she can proceed with the move?

It seems unreasonable to force the need for a photo ID on someone who clearly has no need for either a passport nor driving licence (which she couldn't get anyway being blind(ish). Is the only route to get a passport? How about the items required to get a passport - you would think this is acceptable.
My wife has power of attorney (not yet enabled but the paperwork is there), don't know if this can be used in any way?

Really stuck here, this move will change her life greatly for the better but cannot see a way forward - so "what to do", if someone in the know can help?!

Many thanks,
dtmsm

Brie

the alternatives may be a bus pass or a blue badge - both of which would require photos.  beyond that someone else should be able to vouch for her - a doctor, vicar, long standing neighbour perhaps?  i suspect a relative such as yourself wouldn't be acceptable.

Drawingaline

When we had to provide id for the solicitors there were definitely other routes bar the photo ID. But it required more of them. If that makes sense.

kingstreet

Have you asked the conveyancer for its list of acceptable ID/POR items?

If so, are there no non-photo alternatives?

user1977

kingstreet said:

Have you asked the conveyancer for its list of acceptable ID/POR items?

This. There are no standard "rules", so in the first instance ask the solicitors what their policy is, rather than asking us to guess. It won't be the first time they've been asked a similar question.

cashless_wonder

My Mum was in a similar position, they eventually went with her bus pass. 

danthemoneysavingman

kingstreet said:

Have you asked the conveyancer for its list of acceptable ID/POR items?

If so, are there no non-photo alternatives?

Of course (my first port of call wouldn't be a bunch of random internetters). And no, they say.

I'm asking here as I have exhausted all avenues with the conveyancers, and they will not budge on this point.

They appear to have never come across such before. And i have not found anyone else who has overcome this, hence asking.

They have rejected the bus pass, blue badge, doctor's confirmation, local "person of good standing". A local solicitor cant vouch as they "don't know her".

This also is why I ask if anyone is aware of solicitors who are less inflexible as my wife is tearing her hair out on this.

Hope this helps clarify.

ka7e

It seems the only solution is to change conveyancers. I am helping my Mum to sell her home and both the big local firms take a combination of personal paperwork if no photo ID is available. They provided a list of about 10 different pieces of suitable paperwork and she had to provide 3.

pinkteapot

Is this a local solicitor or a conveyancing warehouse? The former is likely to have more flexibility.

user1977

What's the current turnaround time for a passport renewal? Might be simplest just to bite the bullet rather than ask around other firms and then have to start from scratch with whatever else has already been done.

Flugelhorn

Mammoth document here - suspect a local solicitor might be able to help out using other bits of evidence https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/evidence-of-identity-conveyancers/practice-guide-67-evidence-of-identity-conveyancers