Mortgage Shortfall, County Court Summons, Urgently Need Advice, Please Help!

[jadzia.dax1]

Hi all,

 

I’m gutted I didn’t find this site sooner!

 

I don’t know if anyone can help with this but any help given would be very much appreciated.

 

I've received a county court claim for a mortgage shortfall from the 1990's

The last payment made on the account was September 1995.

 

I had contact early on with the mortgage company’s solicitors by telephone but at that time I was unaware I could deny the debt, but I have since been told that you cannot acknowledge a debt by telephone anyway….does anyone know if this is correct?

 

The mortgage company made a lot of mistakes & then tried to cover them up after the arrears started but before the repossession, these things added a lot of extra costs onto the amount owed on the mortgage.

 

I sent a subject access rights request and received a large stack of paperwork, a lot of the items that I had requested were not included although it did include the information to prove the levels of incompetence & dishonesty from the mortgage company (which was nice of them to send … I’ll go into that later.)

 

I have since had contact with the mortgage company’s solicitors by letter, I have always put on the letters that I do not acknowledge the alleged debt, so far they have refused to answer my questions.

 

I went to see a solicitor for a 20 min appointment & he seems to think that the case is statute barred. Although he couldn’t act for me because I’m supposed to receive legal aid & his firm doesn’t do legal aid for shortfall cases (he wants £175.00 an hour) in fact the nearest one to me that does legal aid for shortfalls is 40 miles away & can’t fit me in until 23rd Sept but my defence has to be at the court by Monday, so needs to be posted tomorrow.

 

Even if the case isn’t statute barred, I don’t agree with the amounts they are saying I owe because of the mistakes made by them.

 

Do I need to prepare a defence based on the claim being statute barred or do I have to give full details of all the things they did wrong (there were a lot) at this stage or is it ok to just put brief details of what they did at this point & give full details later?

 

Also do I have to attach letters/documents of proof onto my defence forms or do i send them later?

 

Sorry it’s so long.

 

I’m sorry if I miss any details I’m new to all this If any further information is needed please just ask.

 

Many thanks

Jadzia.dax1

Edited September 14, 2008 by jadzia.dax1

[jadzia.dax1]

Me again

I forgot to add... on their particulars of claim they have put that i have paid £10.00 off the debt but this is not true. The only £10.00 i sent was the fee for the subject access rights info. On the SARN request i clearly put that i did not acknowledge the debt & that the enclosed £10.00 was the payment for the SARN info.

 

Many thanks

[Tawnyowl]

• Mortgage Shortfalls
  

 

Mortgage Shortfalls

 

 

Download Factsheet (PDF / 367Kb)

PDF download requires the Adobe Acrobat Reader - get it HERE

 

1. What is a mortgage shortfall?
   
2. How long can I be pursued for the debt?
   
3. Council of Mortgage Lenders Policy
   
4. Jointly-owned debts
   
5. Asking for details
   
6. Mortgage Indemnity Insurance
   
7. Disputing the amount
   
8. Making a complaint
   
9. Negotiating repayments
   
10. Further action the company can take
    
11. Useful addresses
    
12. Sample letters
    
13. Mortgage Possessions Register
    

Can you put the case back somehow-maybe ask for more time.As for 175.00 hour solicitors forget -i will try now to find you some info on who to contact.There are people on here who can help i will ask if any are around perhaps if Ell-Enn is around she maybe able to advise.If not today prob tommorrow.

[Tawnyowl]

Mortgage Shortfalls

 

 

 

 

1. What is a mortgage shortfall?
   
2. How long can I be pursued for the debt?
   
3. Council of Mortgage Lenders Policy
   
4. Jointly-owned debts
   
5. Asking for details
   
6. Mortgage Indemnity Insurance
   
7. Disputing the amount
   
8. Making a complaint
   
9. Negotiating repayments
   
10. Further action the company can take
    
11. Useful addresses
    
12. Sample letters
    
13. Mortgage Possessions Register
    

 

What is a mortgage shortfall?

 

Many people find themselves being asked to pay large sums by their mortgage lender after they have been repossessed or have handed in the keys on their house. Often people think that once they have left the house their liability ends. However, this is not the case if the house is sold for less than the outstanding mortgage. The debt that remains is usually referred to as a mortgage shortfall. This also include s the monthly installments and interest that has been added on to the debt until the house is sold, plus legal and estate agent's costs. You can still be asked to pay back a shortfall a long time after you left the house as mortgage lenders may try to pursue a shortfall debt up to twelve years afterwards. See below for details of when the time starts running.

 

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How long can I be pursued for the debt?

 

Lenders think that mortgages can be pursued for 12 years under the Limitations Act. Most other debts can only be pursued for 6 years. The time period starts running from the last time the lender contacted you and you agreed that you owed the money ("acknowledged" the debt ) or you made a payment to the lender (or someone who owned the house jointly with you made a payment).

 

• Following the cases of Paragon v Banks and Halifax v Grant, The Court of Appeal has made a decision. They say the limitation period for mortgage lenders trying to recover mortgage shortfall debts is 12 years (Section 20 of the Limitation Act 1980).
  
• This means the lender has 12 years from the last time a payment was made on the account or you acknowledged the debt to start action to recover the capital owed on the mortgage. It appears that the lender has 6 years to start action to recover interest added to the debt.
  
• This decision means that you will not be able to argue that lenders should have started action within 6 years. You may need to contact us again for further advice on your situation. Phone us for advice on 0800 074 6918.
  
• From 31 st October 2004 the Financial Services Authority (FSA) has taken over the regulation of mortgage lending and problems with existing mortgages. The Mortgage Conduct of Business Rules say that if the lender decides to recover the mortgage shortfall debt they must make sure you are told about this. This must happen within six years of the date of sale. If the lender does not do this then you can complain to The Financial Ombudsman. The contact details are in the "Useful Addresses" section.
  

The Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML) also follows this policy. See the section below.

 

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Council of Mortgage Lenders Policy

 

Mortgage lenders who are members of the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML) have not yet changed their policy on recovering mortgage shortfalls in light of The Court of Appeal decisions above. You can still argue the policy to your lender as a point of good practice.

From 11 February 2000 the policy is as follows:

The CML says anyone whose property was repossessed and sold and who has not been contacted by their lender within six years from the date of the sale will not be asked to pay the shortfall.

If your lender has already contacted you before 11 February 2000 then it appears they will continue to try and recover the shortfall even if your house was repossessed and sold more than six years ago.

If this applies to you then you should read the factsheet for options to negotiate with the lender. You could try arguing that it is unfair for the lender to keep trying to recover the money from you if your house was sold over six years ago.

Point out they have already accepted that they have a "commitment to fair and sympathetic treatment for people for whom possession cannot be avoided" and have already limited the recovery period for new cases.

See "sample letter M4" if you want to write to your lender asking them not to pursue the debt under the Council of Mortgage Lenders policy.

 

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Jointly-owned debts

 

If your mortgage was in joint names, you need to check what the other borrower has done. If they acknowledge the debt it doesn't affect you BUT if they have made a payment the limitation period starts running again for both of you from the date the last payment was made.

 

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Ask for the details of the debt

 

If you are contacted by your lender or their agent, the first thing to do is to ask for a detailed breakdown of how they have worked out the amount they say you owe. This should allow you to check all the figures and give you a basis for deciding if the correct procedures have been followed.

Important: don't acknowledge to the lender that you owe the debt at this stage.

You should ask for details of:

 

• the exact sale price of the house
  
• details of any valuations made on the property
  
• how they have calculated the interest that has been added on up to the time of the sale and since the sale
  

and

 

• any solicitors, estate agency fees or court costs that have been added on.
  

You can use the "sample letter M1" when writing for a breakdown of the amount claimed .

 

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What if my lender does not reply?

 

If you lender is being awkward about supplying a breakdown of the mortgage shortfall account to you, then you should write to the lender and request they send you all information held by them on computer to do with the mortgage account. This request should be made under the Data Protection Acts 1984 and 1998 and refer to the "right of subject access" under the acts.

The lender can charge you up to £10.00 for supplying the information. They can also write back to you requesting you to be more specific or ask you for more information. You should be sent anything held on computer but not paper or microfiche files. (The Data Protection Act 1998 also covers paper and microfiche files but will only cover new cases).

If the lender does not comply with the request you should complain to the Information Commissioner who will take it up with the lender and can serve an Enforcement Notice if the information is not sent. The address for the Information Commissioner is under "Useful Addresses".

 

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Mortgage Indemnity Insurance

 

You also need to check whether you had a Mortgage Indemnity Guarantee (MIG) on the house. This is an insurance that covers the mortgage lender against a loss. You would usually have paid it out as a lump sum when you first bought the house, or it could have been deducted from your mortgage advance at the time.

You need to check that your mortgage lender has made a claim on any insurance available. This could limit the amount you owe to the mortgage lender although the insurance company can ask you to pay back the amount they pay out to the mortgage lender. The insurance company sometimes asks the lender to collect their share for them. From 31st October 2004 your lender must inform you in writing if your mortgage shortfall debt may be pursued by another company.

Some people argue that the indemnity policy should cover the borrower for any shortfall as they paid for the insurance in the first place.

This is a complicated area of law .

Following a case called Woolwich v Brown 1995 the Court of Appeal has decided that generally mortgage indemnity insurance only covers the lender and not the borrower. We suggest you phone us if you want further advice on this.

 

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Can I dispute the amount being claimed?

 

Building societies have an obligation to find the " best price which can be reasonably obtained" whilst banks have a " duty of care" to a borrower. From 31st October 2004 the FSA mortgage rules say that all lenders must obtain the "best price that might reasonably be paid". It is possible to dispute the amount being claimed by the mortgage lender in some cases.

 

• If you can show that the house was sold for substantially below the proper market price taking into account the market conditions at the time of sale.
  
• If the house was not marketed sufficiently to obtain a good sale price.
  
• If you arranged a sale which was refused by the lender, but after repossession the house was sold by the lender for a much lower price.
  
• If the house stood empty for a very long time you may be able to argue that the mortgage company should have rented it out and therefore offset possible rental income against the shortfall balance.
  
• If the lender decides to leave the house empty and not sell it either , then you may have an argument for asking the court to order a sale .
  

If you feel any of these examples may apply to you phone us for advice.

 

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Who do I complain to?

 

From October 31st October 2004 the Financial Services Authority (FSA) has taken over the regulation of mortgage lending and problems with existing mortgages. This applies to all mortgages where the lender had a first charge over the property and at least 40% of the property is occupied by you and/or your immediate family. It does not apply to secured loans regulated by the Consumer Credit Act. If you are not sure what type of loan you had phone us for advice.

The new rules say that the lender must market the property as soon as possible and obtain the "best price that might reasonably be paid" taking into account factors such as market conditions and the increasing amount you owe on the mortgage debt.

If you are not happy with the way in which your lender has dealt with your mortgage shortfall, you can complain to The Financial Ombudsman. The contact details are in the "Useful Addresses" section.

 

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Negotiating Repayments

 

The debt owed to either the mortgage lender or the insurance company can be treated in the same way as any other unsecured credit debt. One of the following options may be possible.

 

• We suggest you read through the The UK Insolvency Helpline information pack "Dealing with your Debts" and prepare a detailed personal budget. Work out your current income and essential outgoings. If you can afford to make payments, one option is to contact the lender in writing, enclose a copy of your personal budget and make an offer of payment.
  
• Be careful: lenders may ask you to fill in their own budgeting form. It may ask you for extra details you do not wish to provide . If they have not been to court you do not have to give employers/tax/bank details, but your lender may be less likely to help if you refuse.
  
• If your house has been repossessed and you are now in rented accommodation, you need to explain to them that you no longer have any assets such as a house and outline your exact financial position. This should help persuade your lender that there is little point in pursuing you for the debt.
  
• If you can afford only a small offer of payment per month and have no assets then you might want to suggest that they don't pursue the debt as you are never going to be able to pay it back. Mortgage and insurance companies do not always take action to recover the debt when they can see it is pointless for them to do so. ( e.g. write off the debt).
  

See "sample letter M2" if you want to ask the lender to write off the debt.

It may also be possible to offer a part payment in the form of a lump sum in " full and final settlement" of the debt if you have no long term prospects of clearing the full balance. If you can't pay anything "up front", this could be in the form of installments over time, e.g. to pay £3,000 in full and final settlement over 5 years at £50 per month. This sort of offer has the advantage of giving the creditor something back but giving you a goal to aim for at the same time.

Warning: you should make sure that your full and final settlement offer has dealt with the whole shortfall and you do not still owe money to an insurance company for the amount paid out under any mortgage indemnity insurance .

 

• Do not pay any sort of part payment until you have the creditor's written agreement that they have accepted your offer in "full and final settlement". It is a good idea to send the payment via a third party as this makes the deal more legally binding. Never make a payment until the offer has been accepted in writing by the lender . If someone else is to make the payment on your behalf then they should only provide the money on condition that the offer has been accepted.
  

Use "sample letter M3" attached to this factsheet, which you can adapt when writing to the creditor.

It is important to get the creditor to agree to mark your credit reference file as "satisfied" before you make the payment. See the section: Mortgage Possessions Register.

You need to bear in mind that the Council of Mortgage Lenders maintains a Possessions Register with credit reference agencies and details of your previous mortgage and any shortfall debt are likely to remain on your file for approximately six years even if you are no longer being pursued for a shortfall debt. This may make it difficult to obtain a mortgage again in the future. See the section: Mortgage Possessions Register.

 

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What if the company takes further action?

 

If the company still writes back threatening further action once you have written to them enclosing a personal budget sheet and explaining your financial position, we suggest you phone us for further advice to discuss your options. If you cannot reach an agreement with the mortgage or insurance company about repaying the debt they may decide to take court action against you.

COUNTY COURT

 

• The creditor could sue you in the county court. For information on how to deal with a county court claim we suggest you look through our self-help pack "Dealing with your Debts". Phone us if you have not yet had a pack.
  

HIGH COURT

 

• From 26th April 1999 a lender must start court action in the county court. If the debt is not a consumer credit agreement, then the lender can try and enforce any county court judgment in the High Court. If this happens we suggest that you seek advice immediately. The forms used in the High Court are more complicated to reply to. You may want help with completing these especially if you want to pay the debt back in installments. Phone us for advice.
  

BANKRUPTCY

The mortgage or insurance company may threaten to make you bankrupt. This is not always a bad idea but will depend upon your current circumstances.

The point of bankruptcy is to allow any assets you have to be sold to go towards paying your debts. If you have no assets such as a house, valuable car, or savings then you will need to tell your lender. Write to them and explain your circumstances. Point out that if they make you bankrupt , they will not get any of the debt back. Under bankruptcy rules your debt will be written off if there are no assets that can be sold. If the company can see there is no financial point in making you bankrupt they will usually decide not to. If your lender is threatening to make you bankrupt you need to look at how this will affect you.Phone us for advice and ask for a copy of our bankruptcy factsheet.

It can be an option for you to make yourself bankrupt if you have no assets and no way of paying the shortfall debt off. The drawback is you have to pay £450 up front in fees to make yourself bankrupt. As a last resort, if you are prepared to make yourself bankrupt , you could try writing to the company and offer them the £450 in full and final settlement for the debt. They may accept this offer as being better than nothing.

Warning - If you are thinking about bankruptcy you need detailed advice about how you will be affected. Phone us for advice.

 

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Useful Addresses

 

Financial Ombudsman Service

South Quay Plaza

183 Marsh Wall

London

E14 9SR

Tel: 0845 080 1800

Financial Ombudsman Service

The Financial Services Authority

25 The North Colonnade

Canary Wharf

London

E14 5HS

Consumer helpline 0845 606 1234

Financial Services Authority

Council of Mortgage Lenders

3 Savile Row

London

W1S 3PB

020 7437 0075

The Council of Mortgage Lenders

Information Commissioner

Wycliffe House

Water Lane

Wilmslow

Cheshire

SK9 5AF

01625 545 745

Information Commissioner's Office - Information Commissioners Office

 

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SAMPLE LETTER M 1

 

Breakdown of Balance owed

Your name:

Your address:

 

Name of Creditor:

Address:

 

Date: ...../...../.........

 

WITHOUT PREJUDICE

Dear Sir/Madam

Account No.

Thank you for your letter/telephone call concerning the above account.

I do not acknowledge the claim. Please supply me with a full breakdown of the balance claimed under the above account.

In order for me to deal with the matters you raised, I should be grateful if you would supply me with answers to the following points;

 

• When did the arrears begin?
  
• when was the last payment made on the account?
  
• when was any Possession Order given?
  
• when was the house sold?
  
• what valuations were made on the property before the sale?
  
• what costs were involved in maintaining the property during the period between the repossession and the sale?
  
• how was the house marketed and sold and at what price?
  
• what costs were involved in selling the property?
  
• has a claim been made against the indemnity insurance and how much was recovered?
  
• how has interest been calculated from the start of the arrears?
  

Please supply me with a full breakdown of the balance claimed under the above account.

(Optional - add details of your circumstances and financial situation)

I look forward to receiving your reply as soon as possible.

Yours faithfully

(Your signature)

REMEMBER

TO KEEP A COPY OF ALL LETTERS YOU SEND TO YOUR CREDITORS

 

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 Sample Letter M2

 

Please write off the debt

Your name:

Your address:

Date:

Creditor's Name:

Creditor's Address:

Dear Sir/Madam

Account No.

Further to our recent letters/telephone calls, I/we enclose a copy of my/our Personal Budget sheet which gives details of my/our present financial circumstances.

As you can see my/our outgoings are more than my/our income and I am/we are experiencing extreme financial hardship.

I/we would be very grateful if you would consider writing off the outstanding debt owing. I/we have always taken very seriously our financial responsibilities but unfortunately my/our circumstances are so bad that I/we cannot realistically maintain payments of any kind. We understand that under the “FSA Mortgage Conduct of Business Rules” a lender is not required to recover a mortgage shortfall debt where it is considered unviable to do so. Please take the following special information into account when making your decision.

(Include a paragraph outlining the special circumstances you have that you want the creditor to take into account. E.g. illness, disability, age, bereavement. Include evidence of your medical condition if possible, or supporting letters from a Doctor, Social Worker etc. Also include information about why your financial situation is unlikely to improve)

As you can see my/our situation is very unlikely to improve in the future, and my/our continued high debt level may have a serious effect on my/our physical and mental wellbeing.

I/we would therefore be grateful if you would seriously consider my/our request for the debt to be written off.

I/We would appreciate any help you can give me/us.

Yours faithfully

(Your signature)

REMEMBER

TO KEEP A COPY OF ALL LETTERS YOU SEND TO YOUR CREDITORS

 

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 Sample Letter M 3

 

Full & Final Settlement Letter

This example letter is designed to help you negotiate a full and final settlement offer with your lender. This is a type of offer where you ask the lender to accept part of the amount you owe and to write off the rest.

Your Name:

Your Address:

Date:

Name of Creditor:

Address of Creditor:

WITHOUT PREJUDICE

Dear Sir/Madam

Account No

I write with reference to the money which you are claming on the above account.

I can confirm that I am unable to offer to pay the money which I owe in full. (Add details of your circumstances and financial situation). However, I can raise £ (put the amount which you can afford to pay) and I want to offer this an ex-gratia payment in full and final settlement of the account. This offer is made on the clear understanding that, if accepted, neither you nor any associate company will take any other action to enforce or pursue this debt in any way whatsoever and that I will be released for any liability.

I also request that, if accepted, you will make an entry on a credit reference agency file relating to the above account as "satisfied" in full.

Payment can be made within (put the number of days or weeks within which you will pay) of receiving your written agreement of this offer and method of payment.

I look forward to receiving your reply.

Yours faithfully

(Your signature)

REMEMBER

TO KEEP A COPY OF ALL LETTERS YOU SEND TO YOUR CREDITOR

 

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Sample Letter M4

 

THIS EXAMPLE LETTER IS DESIGNED TO BE USED WHERE YOUR HOUSE WAS SOLD MORE THAN 6 YEARS AGO AND YOU WERE FIRST CONTACTED BY THE LENDER AFTER 11TH FEBRUARY 2000. LENDERS SHOULD NOT PURSUE THE MORTGAGE SHORTFALL UNDER THE COUNCIL OF MORTGAGE LENDERS POLICY. YOU CAN ARGUE THE POLICY APPLIES TO YOU AND THE DEBT SHOULD NOT BE PURSUED.

Your Name:

Your Address:

Date

Name of Creditor:

Address of Creditor:

WITHOUT PREJUDICE

Dear Sir/Madam

Account No

You have contacted me/us regarding the amount you claim is owed as a shortfall on the mortgage following the sale of my/our property.

 

I/we understand you are member of The Council of Mortgage Lenders. As you will be aware, The Council of Mortgage Lenders has the following policy on obtaining repayment of shortfall debts. This applies to all Council of Mortgage Lenders members.

“Lenders are committed to fair and sympathetic treatment of people who have suffered repossession, and accept that individuals should not face long delays before lenders contact them to discuss repayment of the shortfall”.

“From 1 February 2000, lenders who are members of The Council of Mortgage Lenders have agreed voluntarily that they will begin all recovery action for the shortfall within the first six years following the sale of a property in repossession. Anyone whose property was taken into possession and sold more than 6 years ago, and who has not been contacted by their lender about recovering any outstanding debt will not now be asked to pay the shortfall”.

I/we would point out that the property in question was sold on (insert date).

Also the first contact I/we had from yourselves was by phone/in writing on (insert date).

I/we therefore suggest that under The Council of Mortgage Lenders policy my/our property was sold more than 6 years ago and I/we have not been contacted by yourselves within that time. Therefore I/we should not be asked to pay any shortfall debt outstanding.

I/we would also point out that from 31st October 2004 the Financial Services Authority have issued “The Mortgage Conduct of Business Rules” which say that if a lender decides to recover a mortgage shortfall debt they must make sure the borrower is informed of this within 6 years of the date of sale.

I/we look forward to your confirmation in writing that any outstanding shortfall debt will not be pursued against me/us any further.

Yours faithfully

(Yours Signature)

 

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Sample Letter M5

 

LENDER CANNOT PURSUE DEBT AS OVER TWELVE YEARS OLD

THIS EXAMPLE LETTER IS DESIGNED TO HELP YOU DISPUTE LIABILITY FOR A MORTGAGE SHORTFALL DEBT WHERE A CREDITOR HAS NOT CONTACTED YOU FOR OVER TWELVE YEARS AND YOU HAVE NOT MADE A PAYMENT OR WRITTEN ACKNOWLEDGMENT THAT YOU OWE THIS DEBT DURING THIS PERIOD

Your Name:

Your Address:

Date

Name of Creditor:

Address of Creditor:

WITHOUT PREJUDICE

Dear Sir/Madam

Account No

Account number (reference number)

You have contacted me/us regarding the account with the above reference number, which you claim is owed by me/us.

I/we would point out that under the Limitation Act 1980 Section 20 (1) "No action shall be brought to recover (a) any principal sum of money secured by a mortgage or other charge on property (whether real or personal)… after the expiration of twelve years from the date on which the right to receive the money accrued."

As the last correspondence/payment /acknowledgement or payment of this debt was made over twelve years ago and no further acknowledgment or payment has been made since that time I/we suggest that you are no longer able to take any action against me/us to recover the alleged amount claimed.

I/we would further point out that the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML) have agreed that with effect from 11th February 2000, anyone whose property was repossessed and sold and has not been contacted by their lender within six years of the date of sale, will not be asked to pay the shortfall. Whether or not you are a member of the CML, I/we consider this policy to be an indication of good practice and urge its adoption.

I/we would also point out that from 31st October 2004 the Financial Services Authority have issued "The Mortgage Conduct of Business Rules" which say that if a lender decides to recover a mortgage shortfall debt they must make sure the borrower is informed of this within 6 years of the date of sale.

I/we await your written confirmation that no further contact will be made concerning the above account and confirmation that this matter is now closed.

I/we look forward to your reply.

Yours faithfully

(Yours Signature)

 

 

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Mortgage Possessions Register

 

WHAT IS THE MORTGAGE POSSESSIONS REGISTER?

The Council of Mortgage Lenders keeps a register of people who have been repossessed or who have handed in the keys on their home. The information is passed on to the credit reference agencies, Experian, Equifax and Callcredit and appear on your credit reference file. The information is only available to members of the Council of Mortgage Lenders and the register may be checked if you apply for a new mortgage.

The aim is to stop people taking out a new mortgage without telling their new lender they have previously lost their homes. It is not necessarily impossible to get a mortgage if you are on the register but it may be more difficult, especially if you still owe money to your previous lender .

You may have to shop around for a mortgage and be prepared to explain why you lost your home and how your circumstances have now changed. Every mortgage company has its own lending policy and should make decisions on an individual basis, taking all the facts into account.

WHAT DETAILS WILL BE KEPT ABOUT ME?

The register will have details of anyone who has been repossessed since 1989 and the information will stay on the credit reference agencies' files for six years from the date of repossession or when you handed the keys in to the lender. The register does not include details of actual arrears on the account.

Warning: this does not mean the debt is written off after 6 years. Mortgage lenders may try and recover a mortgage shortfall for up to 12 years .

Details will include:

 

• your full name
  
• the date actual possession was taken of your home
  
• the address of the repossessed property
  
• any previous address they may have for you
  
• your forwarding or current address
  

This will only apply once you have actually left your home. If you are still in your home you will not be on the register just because you already have a court order against you.

HOW DO I CHECK WHAT THE REGISTER SAYS ABOUT ME?

The mortgage possessions register information will be on your credit file. You can order a copy of your credit file in the normal way to see if any mortgage information is included.

For information on how to check what the credit reference agencies say about you see "Credit Explained," a booklet published by The Information Commissioner. This is available from The UK Insolvency Helpline or directly from The Information Commissioner. It describes how to check what your file says and what to do next if you think the information is wrong. Phone us for advice.

WHAT DO I DO IF THE INFORMATION IS WRONG?

You have the right to ask credit reference agencies for full details of the information they hold about you. If the information is wrong then you can correct the file.

You do not have the right to have a correct entry removed but the file should be marked "satisfied" if you pay the outstanding arrears/shortfall or if the proceeds from the sale of your house covers any outstanding debt. We have a factsheet on "Credit Reference" which may help you. Phone us for advice.

 

Remember: You can always Phone us for advice about any difficulty you are having in dealing with your debts

0800 074 6918

© Copyright National Debtline 2001 (updated June 2005)

 

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Sure someone will be along soon in meantime-this may help-sure is urgent.

[Tawnyowl]

I’m supposed to receive legal aid & his firm doesn’t do legal aid for shortfall cases (he wants £175.00 an hour) in fact the nearest one to me that does legal aid for shortfalls is 40 miles away & can’t fit me in until 23rd Sept but my defence has to be at the court by Monday, so needs to be posted tomorrow.

 

On court form does it say you can ask for more time to prepare your defence-sure looks like you may need it.Tawny

[Ell-enn]

Hi there, you're very short on time to enter a defence, but if as you say the last payment was made in 1995 then this account is statute barred as it is over 12 years - and that would be your defence.

 

In the stuff you got in response to your SAR was there a statement showing when the last payment was made?

 

Ell-enn

[jadzia.dax1]

Hi tawnyowl & Ell-enn

 

Thank you for your reply's

 

No Tawny it doesn't say I can ask for more time on the form unfortunatly.

 

Yes Ell-enn the last payment made was 15th Sept 1995 but they are trying to say the SARN fee of £10.00 was a payment even though it was clearly stated in the SARN request that it wasn't & that I didn't acknowledge the debt.

 

I have done some of the defence so hopefully I will get it finished.

Many thanks.

[Tawnyowl]

Heres hoping you finish your defence-am sure you will have positive outcome-good luck-keep posting of any news- will follow thread for any news.Maybe tell us you finished it -that would be good news-bye for now tawnyowl

[Ell-enn]

Hi there, in that case you need to affix your SARN request letter, and the statement showing the last payment.

 

You need to write the claim number on the top left of each of your attachments and also write Appendix 1, 2 etc on the top right. Then list your Appendices at the bottom of your defence page.

 

i.e.

Appendix 1 - S.A.R - (Subject Access Request) letter dated

Appendix 2 - Statement

 

Suggested wording for your defence:

 

1.I deny any allegation made in the claimants Particulars of Claim and put the claimant to strict proof thereof.

 

2. In respect of that which is denied, no written acknowledgment of the debt has been made nor has any payment towards this debt been made for a period of 12 years from the date of the cause of action. (Appendix 1)

 

3. Accordingly the defendant avers that the claim be barred by way of the Limitation Act 1980

 

4. Therefore I put the claimant to strict proof of any acknowledgment or payment within the 12 year period from the date of the cause of action.

 

5. The payment the claimant states is acknowledgment of the debt was the required sum of £10 for a Subject Access Request which was sent to the claimant on XXXdateXX. (Appendix 2) in order for me to establish the validity of their claim.

 

 

 

This is only my suggestion.

 

Good Luck

 

Ell-enn

 

 

[Ell-enn]

I have made some changes to the above

[jadzia.dax1]

Thank you so much, that's a great help

 

It looks like I will be getting some sleep tonight after all!

 

Many thanks again.

[Ell-enn]

If you're posting your defence send it recorded or preferably special delivery.

[jadzia.dax1]

ok will do

 

Many thanks for your help.

[jadzia.dax1]

Hi tawnyowl & Ell-enn,

 

I got my defence finished & in the post literally with minuets to spare!

 

Just wanted say thank you so much for your help & super quick responses.

 

P.S I have tipped your scales

[Ell-enn]

Hi thanks for your kind words - fingers crossed for you

 

Ell-enn

[jadzia.dax1]

Hi,

 

I would like to send a request for information under Part 18 of the Civil Procedure Rules as I've seen on here that it should provide some useful information regarding my case, but i'm not sure how to write the request & what to put in it for a shortfall case...

 

Could anyone help with that please?

 

Any help would be greatly appreciated as i'm not really sure what i'm doing

 

Many thanks

 

jadzia

[jadzia.dax1]

Can anyone help with this please, i'm running out of time & getting desperate

 

Many thanks

 

jadzia

[Bona]

Sorry when is the date of the hearing how much is it for which court is it in

let me know and I will help you with a part 18 request

[Ell-enn]

Hi there, the information you received from your SARN request should be sufficient for your defence, although you say a lot of the items you requested were not sent - what were they?

 

Ell-enn

[inafix]

Any update on this case ?????

[Tawnyowl]

Wondering what happened.Hope things worked out.Tawnyowl

[ndcdavis]

You also need to try to get a copy of the original possession order.

 

If that included a judgment for the amount due under the mortgage then the claim against you should probably be struck out as an abuse of process. Here is a report on a case I have run on this:

http://anlaw.co.uk/downloads/files/Allaince%20and%20Leicester%20v%20Reynolds.pdf

 

Hope this helps.

Nick.