Bank of Ireland increase differential on tracker rates

Bank of Ireland increase differential on tracker rates

10:32 AM, 28th February 2013, About 12 years ago 1862

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The story of the Bank of Ireland decision to increase to the differential (interest rate margin) on  tracker mortgages started on this forum when a professional landlord contacted Property118 within minutes of a letter from Bank of Ireland landing on his door mat. What ensued was outrage from landlords and affected residential mortgage borrowers. The story was quickly picked up by the National Media as it wasn’t just the 13,500 affected borrowers who were worried.

Will this set a precedent for other mortgage lenders to follow?

Property118 reacted by using funds donated to The GOOD Landlords Campaign to underwrite the cost of a barristers opinion on the legality of the Bank of Ireland’s actions. The remainder of this thread,one of the most read and most commented threads of all time on Property118, continues to tell the story as it unfolds.

If you want to skip the story and cut to the chase simply CLICK HERE

Of the 13,500 affected borrowers, 1,200 have had the decision reversed by Bank of Ireland. With additional support and pressure we believe all affected borrowers can and will see justice done.

___________________________________________

Lee, a professional Landlord asks, “help! I have just received a letter from the Bank of Ireland stating they want to increase the differential on my tracker rates.

I have 12 mortgages with the Bank of Ireland previously Bristol and West. I have been on a base rate tracker of 1.75% above base, but now Bank of Ireland are using some fine print claiming they have to recapitalise and saying the ‘new differential will be 4.49%.

How can I fight back?”

The original policy wording seems to be:

6 INTEREST

Charging interest at a tracker rate

(j) Unless we change the differential (if any) under condition 6 (n), we will not change the tracker rate unless the base rate changes.

(m) in condition 6 (n):
– a “positive differential” means a percentage which we add to the base rate to arrive at the tracker rate; and a “negative differential” means a percentage which we subtract from the base rate to arrive at the tracker rate.

(n) We may reduce a positive differential or increase a negative differential at our discretion by giving you not less than seven days written notice. This means that we can change the differential in a way that is favourable to you.

The above seems to indicate that they can reduce the rate in my favour, but not give them the right to increase it. Am I correct?


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Cheryl Larkin

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19:23 PM, 22nd January 2014, About 11 years ago

I have just written to Helen Grant MP for Maidstone & the Weald

Lucy McKenna

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12:08 PM, 23rd January 2014, About 11 years ago

I really hope that there are hundreds of Bank of Ireland customers out there that are silently still monitoring this thread. If so please go to:
http://www.property118.com/tracker-rate-campaign-goes-to-parliament/62913/
and read the exciting things that are happening. Please write to your MP (it is only a copy and paste job) and donate to the marketing fund, it is suggested just £50 but it is a donation and a smaller amount will also be welcomed.
This really really affects us, please do all you can. Parliament is a very good route for us.

Paul Brindley

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12:30 PM, 23rd January 2014, About 11 years ago

Reply to the comment left by "Dee " at "23/01/2014 - 12:08":

I'm seing Sajid David, MP, at a small round table event tomorrow evening - he's part of the team in the UK Treasury. Having previously been given the brush off by him, I will make the facts know to him and not let him off the hook. After all, if the Treasury let the banks off the hook, there's no hope for any of us.

ian

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12:37 PM, 23rd January 2014, About 11 years ago

Reply to the comment left by "Paul Brindley" at "23/01/2014 - 12:30":

May I ask what happened to your day in court have you been given a new date ?

Paul Brindley

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13:01 PM, 23rd January 2014, About 11 years ago

You may ask, we've not been given a date. Unusually the bank suggested and we agreed that the action against my client would die unless the bank brought it back to court within a year. The bank has not put forward its counter argument to my view that the increase was unjustifable. The fact they haven't put forward their justification speaks volumes in my view, a month or so on from when ordinarily the bank should have put its case. And let's not forget that while you guys are all dutifully paying BOFI the increased interest, my client isn't, he's still paying the pre-increase sum. As I say, it all speaks volumes, particularly about the courage of my client and his trust in me and my advice.

But I also have another way to deal with this for the rest of you, or at least I think I might have - see my message of yesterday, it's very very important.

ian

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13:12 PM, 23rd January 2014, About 11 years ago

Reply to the comment left by "Paul Brindley" at "23/01/2014 - 13:01":

Many thanks looks very interesting, to answer your previous question I had independent Solicitors acting on both of my accounts.

Mark Alexander - Founder of Property118

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13:31 PM, 23rd January 2014, About 11 years ago

Reply to the comment left by "Paul Brindley" at "23/01/2014 - 12:30":

Sajid David's signature on EDM976 has to be your primary mission them 🙂
.

Fed Up Landlord

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13:40 PM, 23rd January 2014, About 11 years ago

Reply to the comment left by "Paul Brindley" at "23/01/2014 - 13:01":

Paul, I take it then that they have not validated the mortgage conditions that they say justified the increase?. The ones they would not disclose because they were "commercially sensitive"

Paul Brindley

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13:52 PM, 23rd January 2014, About 11 years ago

Reply to the comment left by "Gary Nock" at "23/01/2014 - 13:40":

No, they haven't

Lucy McKenna

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14:15 PM, 23rd January 2014, About 11 years ago

Reply to the comment left by "Paul Brindley" at "23/01/2014 - 12:30":

Hi Paul, hope you can persuade Sajid David to support EDM 976

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