West Bromwich Building Society Tracker Margins Legal Action

West Bromwich Building Society Tracker Margins Legal Action

18:38 PM, 30th September 2013, About 11 years ago 3869

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West Bromwich Tracker Rate Mortgages Legal Action Group

West Bromwich Building Society Tracker Margins Legal Action

Are you affected by the West Brom Tracker Rate Hike?

If your mortgage account number begins with the number 8 you are highly likely to be one of the unlucky 41% of the mortgage customers of the West Bromwich building Society with a West Bromwich Mortgage Company account affected by the 1.9% increase in your tracker margin rate. However, if you arranged your mortgage directly with West Bromwich Building Society (i.e. not via a broker) or before 2006 the chances are that your account number will begin with the number 9 and you are not affected – YET!!! West Brom will give no assurances that mortgages with account numbers beginning with the number 9 will not be affected at some point in the future.

OUR INTENDED CLASS ACTION LITIGATION OVERVIEW

Tracker Rate Class Actions Updates

The reasons we started this campaign are very simple:-

1) We believe the actions of West Brom are immoral

2) We believe the actions of West Brom are unlawful, i.e. they have no legal grounds to increase their tracker rate margins

3) We have no wish to subsidise other areas of the West Bromwich Building Society business model

4) We are fearful of other lenders following suit if West Brom are allowed to get away with this

Mark Smith (Barrister-At-Law) said …

“Representative actions, where one person starts a case representing many others, who all want the answer to a legal question from a court such as ‘is this contract enforceable against me?’ but are not seeking damages. All those who sign up to the action will get the benefit of the win, but they do not have to start their own cases, as they are ‘represented’ by the lead claimant.

The only people who will definitely benefit from success in the case are those who have signed up. There will be no free rides. Any others will have to fight their own corners individually, either alone or with legal help (which will inevitably cost significantly more than the group case).”

We will NOT settle on any basis.

Landlords take legal action against West Brom Mortgage Company

We have a moral duty to do what is right for those who support the values upon which this campaign was started. Our promise to all who support these values is that we will not sell out on you at any price. We will continue to fight this injustice and we will fight any other lender who tries to follow suit.

Are you with us?

This discussion thread is now closed – we’re off to Court!

To link to the new discussion please CLICK HERE

West Bromwich Mortgage Company Tracker Margins Legal Action


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Mark Landlord

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17:53 PM, 19th November 2013, About 11 years ago

Reply to the comment left by "Richard Adams" at "19/11/2013 - 17:28":

Hi Richard,

That seems perfect to me.

Would it be ok to use your template in my letter to them please ?

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18:46 PM, 19th November 2013, About 11 years ago

Reply to the comment left by "Richard Adams" at "19/11/2013 - 17:28":

thanks - we'll get on to that! Denise

Mike L

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18:56 PM, 19th November 2013, About 11 years ago

Reply to the comment left by "Richard Adams" at "19/11/2013 - 17:28":

Thank you for sharing Richard. Very helpful and would like to use as a rough template for my letter too - if that's ok with you?

Incensed Landlord

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19:12 PM, 19th November 2013, About 11 years ago

Reply to the comment left by "Richard Adams" at "19/11/2013 - 17:28":

I take your points Richard. In essence this is what I think we are mostly trying to say, but in different words, including a comment I made earlier.

I think 'KIS' (Keep It Simple) sums it up here: 'Breach of contract'! Whether or not this is for an unregulated product, surely we still have legal recompense? This simply cannot go unchallenged. I'd say it'd be a VERY sad day if the oldest so-called 'democracy' in the WORLD, with all its governmental bodies under the control of our ancient 'parliament' FAIL to bring this unlawful act to an appropriate end!

So it's breach of contract, plain and simple!

Mark Alexander - Founder of Property118

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20:06 PM, 19th November 2013, About 11 years ago

OUR WEST BROM MOLE

I have just had a 45 minute telephone conversation with a lady who has worked for the West Brom for the last few years and is in relatively high position there, to the extent that she has discussed the tracker rate issue directly with their CEO John Westhoff. Clearly she doesn't want to reveal her identity.

The first thing she told me is that she has two tracker rate BTL mortgages taken out with West Brom before she worked for them. She arranged them directly, NOT via a broker.

Apparently she has been following this thread every day since it was first posted! She also confirmed that her colleagues in West Brom have also been following this thread for different reasons to her, i.e. they want to know what we are up to.

Her mortgages are NOT affected by the rate increases at the moment BUT she can't get any assurances that her margins will not increase in the future. Clearly she is worried.

She explained to me that all mortgages arranged via brokers have an account numbers beginning with 8 and those arranged directly with the society start with the number 9. Only mortgages beginning with the number 8 are currently affected.

Basically the strategy is to see whether brokers get sued before considering further options. Given that they are now recruiting based on plans to get more business from an online system for brokers she sees this as a very dangerous strategy. Too bloody right it is !!!

She also explained that she had spoken to John Westhoff about his strategy to turn around the fortunes of the building society following their £9 million loss last year. His strategy is highly reliant on the tracker rate rise although there are other plans, the new online system for brokers being one of them.

I asked her what she thought of the new head office building and she said they haven't even put a spade in the ground yet even though construction was scheduled to begin in August. Perhaps we've got them worried?

I asked her what she and her colleagues thought about the increase and she agrees that West Brom don't appear to have a leg to stand on as the Society has always been very clear about what a Tracker Mortgage is and she feels they are just chancing their arm and attempting to treat trackers like a Standard Variable Rates. Her opinion was that the building society will realise they must back down IF a case goes to Court. She's apparently not the only person in the Society who thinks this way. However, the powers that be in the West Brom doubt we will ever raise enough money to get the case to Court. Now there's a challenge!

This may have been a hoax call, I may never know but she did email her number to me and I called her so I do have some information. She also sounded very genuine. I know which department she works in and I may just ask a friend to call her at work tomorrow just to confirm she does actually work there and to discuss something completely unrelated or simply hang up. I know calls are recorded so I don't want to put her career in jeopardy if she is genuine. I also have a few other ways to check her out but I will not disclose those here.

She also confirmed that Holly is back.
.

Badger

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20:08 PM, 19th November 2013, About 11 years ago

Reply to the comment left by "Mark Alexander" at "19/11/2013 - 13:41":

"It’s important to note that 50% of barristers are wrong in every case..."

Not quite Mark - some (many?) barristers take a case that they know is a no-hoper anyway, and yet others take the case because their client insists (with an open wallet...)

Richard Adams

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20:24 PM, 19th November 2013, About 11 years ago

Reply to the comment left by "Mark Landlord" at "19/11/2013 - 17:53":

You are all welcome to use my letter as a template. My letter is in the post already.

Dean

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20:25 PM, 19th November 2013, About 11 years ago

Reply to the comment left by "Mark Alexander" at "19/11/2013 - 20:06":

If this is genuine it puts a little faith back that there are some good people with morals Hopefully she will pass on more information in the future. Perhaps you should only email it to those registered just to protect this person. She is also due a very very big drink.

Maybe another direct mail to all brokers requesting a west brom boycott.

It would be nice if some of those with mortgage account numbers starting with 9 could contact mark just to confirm this. Keeping their identities private.

This is good news I believe It's been I good day today on the forum I think.

Anyone still debating whether to be in , get your money to Justin. If that call is genuine it will surely worry WB directors. If be thinking of a settlement if I were them.

Addicted to fighting the WBBS

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20:36 PM, 19th November 2013, About 11 years ago

Reply to the comment left by "Mark Alexander" at "19/11/2013 - 20:06":

Thanks.

Mark, I still believe there are account holders that are only just being informed about the initial 2% rate hike. I have spoken to a friend of a friend tonight who only received the initial communication on Friday last week and he has 2 mortgages and will be joining and paying up tomorrow. I believe December will see many new recruits when they see the difference in their monthly DD's and will be the first time they acknowledge what is happening.

Is there any 'value' in everyone sending a New and Separate complaint to WBBS et al about them treating/managing their mortgage like a Standard Variable Rate mortgage, which it is clearly not.

This is slightly different to the 2% rate hike initial complaint and has merit/grounds with the initial 2% and then 1.9% change, i.e. treating like a Standard Variable Rate Mortgage. Would this allow us to request a new response from WBBS and also allow the FCA/FOS to charge another £1k to WBBS as there are New Complaints being lodged ?

Alexander Law

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20:36 PM, 19th November 2013, About 11 years ago

Reply to the comment left by "Mark Alexander" at "19/11/2013 - 20:06":

So, am I reading this correctly?

Only accounts beginning with the number 8 are affected? So if we had 20 West Bromwich BTL tracker loans beginning with a 9 we would be exempt?

In the words of Alan Hansen - "That's shocking!"

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