I find it incredible too that they say they are under no obligation to disclose their charges - I was sure they were since they do note they will "from time to time" publish new rates in the press when you sign up with them in the T&C's - or at least they USED to. Check the T&C's and ensure they aren't under any obligation to disclose. Surely they MUST at least disclose their charges to their customers or they can just slap any old price on anything - "customer charges £50" (you breathe air while in a branch and are being charged for it).

I'd stick to your timetable - no second chances IMO! Also you are using the 29% is it ok to do that? Wow if it is then I can't wait for the statements from 2000 - 2002!

I've seen this mentioned before - its pretty much standard for them to check the "will defend" box its a stalling tactic. Don't worry just wait the 28 days and all should be fine.

Thanks Tracey and Natwestbankstaffmember (I LOVE that you are here helping people it really is heartwarming to me). Hrm if the rest of the statements arrive and they have not done as requested in the S.A.R (they take the line at the start that "statements will be acceptable" and send just the statements and no details) should I write and bring that up with them? If so should I send that to the same chap I sent the S.A.R to? I'll wait on the rest of the statements first before writing though. I'm actually very excited to think I might be able to recover the charges. At the time when this all happened, my mother came with me because I was unable to speak - was crying the entire time. She asked about the charges and they fobbed us off. It was charges on charges and fees on fees - I've been with Nat West since 1985, parents were with Nat West since at least 1970 - the way they dealt with me cost them my parents business, they were disgusted with how things went. When I told her about this site she crossed her fingers and said "go get them."

sheesh thats a LOT of charges over 6 years! You go girl, hope you get it sorted!

Interestingly, I just got home now to find statements enclosed from October 2002. Does this mean I can expect a package for pre-October 2002 or should I write asking where the missing statements are? My other question to Tracey is how do you know what the charges are.. I was just looking at the statements and it just says "charges £28" and there is also some weird charge on my current statement that says "fee July 2006 £30" - I am overdrawn currently, I have a £200 overdraft limit but that appears to have disappeared from the top of my current statement - I'm £127 overdrawn. I'm now confused since in the S.A.R - (Subject Access Request) I requested (as per the template on this site): "Additionally, where there has been any event in my account history over this period which has required manual intervention by any member of your staff, or any other person, I require disclosure of any indication or notes which have either caused or resulted in that manual intervention, or other evidence of that manual intervention in relation to my banking business with you." At present this request appears to be ignored... maybe I'm impatient and it will all come nicely packaged with a bow tied around it and the statements pre-October 2002? Can anyone help me identify which items have required manual intervention on the statements? Should I just tot up anything that says "charges" and gives no details? (some are obviously letters the £28 is the cost of a letter - no idea what that £30 from July 2006 is!) Edit: Also on the single statement in single envelope it shows the £5 charge for statements. Now digging through a pile of old papers in a box to see if any old statements are in there - the joy of squirrelling everything away is that you have to find it again later. I always put things in a safe place, I know its safe because I can't ever find it so if I can't no one else can!

Cool! Grats on getting it back btw =D

No hes looking for the date that goes in the bit after you put the judges name I think?

Bump! Don't know the answer to this but thought I'd bump to see if someone can help with your answer

can they charge an additional £5 on top of the £10 you send? Also can you claim that fiver back if you win too? =D

ROFL I guess it did teach him a thing or two... nothing like diving in at the deep end when you start out in your career haha

I was once 17 too =D Poor kid didn't know what hit him when he met a ranting 34 year old bint a few years ago hehe If it was you, I'm sorry I must have come across as a complete loony I could barely speak because I was crying so much!

OK so on 18th August I sent via registered post my S.A.R - (Subject Access Request) to Mr Alex Lyons Data Protection Manager Retail Regulatory Risk 2nd Floor Business House B GOGARBUREN P.O.Box 1000 EDINBURGH EH12 1HQ Hope that was the right place to send it, maybe I should have sent it to my branch... Oh well anyway we'll see what I can get back. Nat West almost bankrupted me about 5 years ago and were insisting I sell my home. I'd lost my job they refused my calls and never replied to my letters. Eventually they agreed to meet - they sent a 17 year old boy who had been in the job about 3 weeks to talk to me. Now Nat West, lets see what I can claim back for your daylight robbery! Also to say that this is my first proper post on the forums in relation to banking stuff - this site is brilliant, I've been reading and reading. I found it when I did a search for action against Halifax bank - I have another issue with them that I'll possibly end up detailling too but its in relation to something different (breach of data protectionact). Anyway so far I've recommended this site to 5 people. I'll keep recommending it - it has been a brilliant source of information for me.

Ok well have a great holiday! Also though - when she bought the house she had the offer to buy (right of first refusal) but for some time (years even?) she was making payments on the lease and under the terms of the lease to the specified landlord. It would appear that later on the lease has been sold, was she given right of first refusal at the later date? I am pretty sure she should have been given the right of first refusal at that time too. The Landlord didn't sell the lease at the time he offered her the right to buy, but when he did sell quite some time later, he didn't inform her of the change of landlord or offer her the right to first refusal. Her circumstances could have easily changed from when she bought the property to the date the freehold was sold. I really would say get some legal advice, for the amount it will cost it will be worth it, but that right to first refusal / right to buy thing I've seen stuff in the Telegraph money section on that too very recently. I'm interested in this because if I want to sell my freehold I will have to offer it at a reasonable price (usually a multiplier of the ground rent) to the tenant. If I then hold onto it for a few years I'll have to re-submit that offer to the tenant before I can sell it on elsewhere. Hope you get it sorted. Sounds absolutely like she should not be responsible for the costs and the new Landlord doesn't sound too clued up (especially if they can't even get the name of the tenant right!!).

Reading what has been said here - as a Landlord I can tell you this. The original freeholder to which your friend paid the ground rent appear to have transfered the freehold (sold it) to another party. Your friend should have been notified of this and given the right to buy. Your friend possibly has the right to buy her freehold at the very least at the price it was sold to the new freeholders. I would strongly suggest engaging a solicitor who is experienced in this kind of thing - for example my own conveyencing solicitor is experienced but she refuses to do litigation work, this is because it is too costly on her time (she has a family to look after). She does however have a firm she recommends people to use for litigation because they have more time available to them and more experience at litigation. There are laws to protect you in relation to the sale of the freehold of the property - you need to get some information on those. I can't help with telling you where to get that information other than strongly suggest taking legal advice. It might cost a couple of hundred quid to get advice and a letter or two from a solicitor in relation to this but frankly it will be worth every penny! Edit: also go look here for advice on buying the freehold - I found this through another post on this forum Shelter: Buying the freehold Also this details of when they sell the freehold to a non resident - you should have been offered the right to buy first! Shelter: Sale of the freehold to a non-resident Hope this helps!

I'm with Halifax at the moment - actually its for buildings insurance. There is a dispute with them over the policy. They have resolved the dispute (much to my surprise they were quite helpful but it took a full week of phone calls, faxes and letters to get through to someone who knew what they were talking about!). Halifax had said they had not insured me - but for the last 10 years they were taking premiums from me. After much faff they have agreed they did in fact insure me but that when the policy is up for renewal they won't insure me again. Just a heads up to read carefully what Halifax say to you.