A matter of identity ....

[angieh]

Sorry if this turns into a rant ..... and/or it's in the wrong place.

We had lodged the Deeds to our bungalow and our Wills with a firm of local solicitors, but something has happened to the firm and their affairs have been taken over by another firm who have written to us .... we have to file our request for the return of our documents within four weeks and in order for them to do so, we must prove our identity in a prescribed manner ....

Do we have a current full UK adult passport? No (well I did have but it expired last year - cost to renew over £70)
Do we have photographic drivers licences? No ( we have since both had to apply for one each - cost £40.00 for the two)

We do of course have our current drivers licences, birth certificates etc. etc. etc. But are these things worthy of consideration in law to prove that we are UK citizens? No. We were both born here, as were our parents - is the fact that we have both paid tax, N.I. etc. proof??? No.

Now (and I do not mean in any way to be racist by this comment) there is a huge list of ways by which a non-British citizen may prove their identity ... all of which are legal and are enumerated in detail.

I feel this is reverse discrimination ........ why should we have to go to such lengths to prove our identities when the solicitors wrote to us in the first place assuming that we are who we say we are? :smt102 :smt102 :smt102


ARRRRGGGGGHHHHHHHHHH

[Shelley123]

Yes i agree with you Angie, how frustrating. It seems wrong that you have to go to such lengths when it's not your fault the solicitors have been taken over. I think it's the fact that it's going to cost you money that is the most annoying. Why should you have to pay out.
It's right that id has to be proved, after all you wouldn't want someone else getting their hands on your documents.
Usualy you have to have one piece of photographic evidence such as a driving liscence and some other formm of id with your address on.

[dandysmom]

That is maddening; don't blame you at all for being furious. I wonder, is that a matter of law, or are the new solicitors just being extraordinarily difficult, to CTA just in case....??

[angieh]

I think it's normal practice Eileen. Up until now, I have not been able to register online with my GP surgery to ask for repeat prescriptions, although under their old procedure, I had been doing so for well over a year!

[Kazz]

I agree we cousins and I needed current passports and or a photo driving licence to prove who we were when we were asked to be "executors" of my uncles will.

What is worse is at work last year ....I have been there 26 years remember we had to bring in either full passport photo driving licence or full birth certificate to prove we were entittled and legal to work here as it is a rule/law (Lord knows) so that the illegals cannot work............I said I suppose the fact you have been paying me and I have been to work pretty much every day for the last 25+ years is not enough proof.....seemed not I brought in my passport.............I gave up arguing.

[Kim]

Absolutely agree with you Angie. I would be llivid, especially as this was in no way your fault.