Repayment Mortgage Decision Reference 2020-0279

• Case Outcome: Rejected
• Reference: 2020-0279
• Date: 24 August 2020
• Year: 2020
• Subject Matter: Repayment Mortgage
• Conducts Complained Of: Settlement amount (mortgage),Delayed or inadequate communication, Dissatisfaction with customer service
• Finantial Sector: Banking

Decision Ref:

2020-0279

Sector:

Banking

Product / Service:

Repayment Mortgage

Conduct(s) complained of:

Settlement amount (mortgage)

Delayed or inadequate communication

Dissatisfaction with customer service

Outcome:

Rejected

LEGALLY BINDING DECISION OF THE FINANCIAL SERVICES AND PENSIONS OMBUDSMAN

Background

This complaint concerns the Provider’s management of the Complainants’ mortgage loan

accounts, and its communication, customer service and complaints handling throughout.

The Complainants’ business accounts were transferred from the previous loan owner

(hereinafter referred to as ‘the Bank’) to the current loan owner (‘the Loan Owner’). The

Provider, against which this complaint is made, is a credit servicing firm, managing the

accounts for the Loan Owner.

The Complainants’ Case

The Complainants contend that they have been trying to resolve their outstanding liabilities

to the Provider since 2017. They submit that the Provider has declined their repayment

proposal and wrongfully imposed a condition on its consent to the sale of their property by

requiring them “to pay a disputed shortfall by 30th August 2017 before consent to the sale

would be given”. The Complainants state that they were unable to comply with this request,

and contend that their interactions with the Provider to date have been “less than

satisfactory” in many ways, including, but not limited to, the following:

 Correspondence from the Complainants to the Provider was “ignored”;

 Replies to correspondence were conflicting;

 The Complainants felt “bullied and threatened”;