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

Text Size

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


Share This Article


Comments

Jay James

Become a Member

If you login or become a member you can view this members profile, comments, posts and send them messages!

Sign Up

17:54 PM, 24th September 2013, About 11 years ago

Reply to the comment left by "Gavin Ewan" at "24/09/2013 - 17:49":

So, single borrowers and owner occupiers are in the firing line.

It seems that this lender at least is testing the waters with multiple BTL borrowers before trying it on with single borrowers.
They are probably not sure they can get away with it.
I wonder if they also think they are on shaky legal ground , hence their testing the waters.
--
Its worth copy pasting your post to the forum "FIGHT BACK! Help us to protect YOUR tracker margins".

Mark Alexander - Founder of Property118

Become a Member

If you login or become a member you can view this members profile, comments, posts and send them messages!

Sign Up

22:07 PM, 24th September 2013, About 11 years ago

Excellent article in The Guardian with a link back to this discussion 🙂

See >>> http://www.theguardian.com/money/2013/sep/23/west-bromwich-interest-rates-buy-to-let-mortgage
.

Mark Alexander - Founder of Property118

Become a Member

If you login or become a member you can view this members profile, comments, posts and send them messages!

Sign Up

12:24 PM, 25th September 2013, About 11 years ago

You may find the complaint letter template linked below to be of use 🙂
.

Mark edwardmarks

Become a Member

If you login or become a member you can view this members profile, comments, posts and send them messages!

Sign Up

16:05 PM, 25th September 2013, About 11 years ago

Reply to the comment left by "Mark Alexander" at "25/09/2013 - 12:24":

I have just added this to http://www.housepricecrash.co.uk

Robert Hayes

Become a Member

If you login or become a member you can view this members profile, comments, posts and send them messages!

Sign Up

16:43 PM, 25th September 2013, About 11 years ago

Mark Alexander

I'm a BLT mortgage holder with West Brom (2 others elsewhere)

I received 'that' letter today and was shocked to find their justification for such a massive increase is buried in the middle of a supplementary document - absolutely nowhere is it mentioned in the mortgage offer document

The 1st paragraph of that same supplementary document includes their aim of protecting the customer and maintaining market confidence - areas they are spectacularly failing in

I’m further disappointed that I paid a huge arrangement fee to secure this mortgage with the terms clearly detailed in the mortgage offer of BoE rate plus a 0.99% until term end . Clearly they are no longer happy to provide the product I paid this huge fee for.

I believe West Brom are acting on the very edge of what they think they can get away with and will be more than happy to contribute £100 to help fund a class action to fight what I consider to be yet another example of very shoddy practice by the financial industry

I’d strongly advise everyone else in this position or even potentially in this position (which is anyone with a tracker, with any lender) to follow suit as should they get away with this, it will undoubtedly be you somewhere down the line.

Once you organise details of how to contribute please let me know and the money will be on its way.

Thank you very much for your fine work this far – it’s very much appreciated

Mark Alexander - Founder of Property118

Become a Member

If you login or become a member you can view this members profile, comments, posts and send them messages!

Sign Up

17:03 PM, 25th September 2013, About 11 years ago

Reply to the comment left by "Mark lockwood" at "25/09/2013 - 16:05":

Hi Mark

Please provide the full link to the thread you have created.

You might also wish to share the articles linked below 🙂

http://www.property118.com/complaint-letter-template-to-mortgage-lenders-and-the-financial-ombudsman-service/43746/

and

Mark Alexander - Founder of Property118

Become a Member

If you login or become a member you can view this members profile, comments, posts and send them messages!

Sign Up

17:14 PM, 25th September 2013, About 11 years ago

Still on the west Brom website right now

"Tracker mortgages give you the certainty of knowing that the rate you pay will move in line with Bank Base Rates. We offer a choice of variable trackers, including flexible mortgages."

and here's the link to prove it >>> http://www.westbrom.co.uk/westbrom/mortgages.category?id=26 - no product any more though! Strange that hey?!!!

Mark Alexander - Founder of Property118

Become a Member

If you login or become a member you can view this members profile, comments, posts and send them messages!

Sign Up

17:29 PM, 25th September 2013, About 11 years ago

Check this out for a piece of damning evidence!

Still on the West Brom website right now

"Tracker mortgages give you the certainty of knowing that the rate you pay will move in line with Bank Base Rates. We offer a choice of variable trackers, including flexible mortgages."

and here's the link to prove it http://www.westbrom.co.uk/westbrom/mortgages.category?id=26

and a screen shot

West Brom Screen Shot

Mark Alexander - Founder of Property118

Become a Member

If you login or become a member you can view this members profile, comments, posts and send them messages!

Sign Up

13:06 PM, 26th September 2013, About 11 years ago

From a blog at What Sam Say Today - http://www.whatsamsawtoday.com/2013/09/26/wtf-do-west-bromwich-building-society-think-they-are-doing/

WTF Do West Bromwich Building Society Think They Are doing?

It is not my fault the property market collapsed.

It is not my fault market conditions have changed.

It is not my fault West Bromwich Building Society cannot run their business prudently, efficiently and competitively.

So why West Bromwich Building Society, do you think you can pin the blame on me and the other 6,000-odd buy to let borrowers who took out a mortgage with you?

Why do you think you can now change the rules?

Why do you think you can pull out the “RTFM” card and jack up interest rates to sort your beleaguered business out?

Why did I sign a legally binding mortgage contract which clearly states my loan is a variable rate which is the same as the Bank of England base rate, with a premium of 0.99%, until the term end, when you can just change it?

Which is what you plan to do, just in time for Christmas this year.

Apparently adding another 2% premium to my mortgage will help you run your business more efficiently, prudently and competitively.

But I am at a total loss what any of this has got to do with me and the mortgage I took out with you SIX years ago.  My mortgage contract very clearly states what I am expected to pay for the term of my mortgage.

But, having spoken to your scripted call centre staff, it’s all contained in a little booklet of terms and conditions – which I hasten to add, is not referenced in my mortgage product offer.  And I tend to feel that important shit like: we can change the interest rate premium on your loan whenever we feel like it, should be explicitly pointed out to customers.

Because I had no idea.

I actually thought when I signed this contract I now had a mortgage deal as stated in my product offer.

More fool me, it would appear.

So I have lodged a formal complaint.  Which I fully expect to be forwarded to the newly established department: CAGDWBTCTSMA, which stands for:  Customers Are Gullible Dipshits Who Believe The Contracts They Sign Mean Anything

Well, you know what West Bromwich: SCREW YOU.

You are a thieving bunch of bankers who think you can crucify and bully your loyal and long term customers.  Customers, I may hasten to add, who used to pay a hell of a lot more interest on their loans before the Bank of England lowered the Base Rate.

But I didn’t have a crystal ball.

When I signed that mortgage contract with you all those years ago, I was taking (and am still taking) one hell of a risk in trying to run my own buy to let business prudently, efficiently and competitively.  Words, which I am sure you will understand.

I won’t bore you with the details of the tenants from hell I have had to endure at that property.

I won’t bore you with the complaints I had from the neighbours.

I won’t bore you with the sleepness nights I had worrying about what to do.

I won’t bore you with how I had to find several thousands of pounds to get that property back together again after the tenants from hell wrecked it.

I won’t bore you with my tales of F*CKING WOE because you don’t want to hear it.

My business is my business and your business is your business.

I try and run mine the best I can – but you know what sometimes SHIT HAPPENS.

And when you’re running a business you have to plan for it.  I can’t just decide to up the rent on all my other tenants and treat them like shit because of one set of lousy tenants.

It was not my other tenants’ fault.

So why West Bromwich, are you making other people’s mistakes my fault?

Why are you passing the blame to me?

Why are you treating me so badly when I have always been a good customer.

I have never come to you with a begging bowl when times got tough.  I never bothered you when my tenants stopped paying the rent, trashed the house and you still wanted your several hundreds of pounds mortgage payments every month.  I just got on with it.  I had to find the money to pay for it until I could sort the mess out.

Because that is business.

But that is clearly not how you run your business.

You expect every buy to let customer to get you out the shit.  To make up foryour mistakes.

You tell me how fair you’re being that I can go elsewhere and you won’t charge me any admin fees.  Well, thanks for that – you may have noticed in the past few years, since I first took that loan out – the world has changed.  It is not very easy to get lending.  And it’s damn near impossible to get lending without exorbitant arrangement fees which are the equivalent of buying a small car.

But, oh sorry, I forgot, it’s because the world has changed which is why you’re screwing me.

Well what about when my world changed?  What about all the shit I have had to put up with because I bought that property?

At any point did you ever, ever see me running to you, asking for time, asking for money – asking for f*cking anything?

NO.

I have just got on with it.  I understood the mortgage contract I had signed and I just got on and paid the mortgage as I was legally obliged to.

So West Bromwich let me tell you something.  I have had enough of being bullied.  I have had enough of being harassed.  I have had enough of trying to run this property as efficiently, prudently and competitively as I can for you to come along with your sticky little fingers and stick them in my business.

I have fought tooth and nail to get this property back on track and it has taken me years.  The financial and emotional turmoil of being a landlord with the tenants from hell takes years off your life.

Where in the small print do I get compensated for that?

Oh sorry I forgot this is a one-sided contract where only one party – that is YOU – get to make up the rules and change them as you go along.

Well you know what.

I’m going to fight you.

Become a Member

If you login or become a member you can view this members profile, comments, posts and send them messages!

Sign Up

13:38 PM, 26th September 2013, About 11 years ago

Reply to the comment left by "Mark Alexander" at "26/09/2013 - 13:06":

couldn't have put it better myself - and your described nightmare scenario exactly mirrors ours in the very property West Brom have decided to hit

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 387

Leave Comments

In order to post comments you will need to Sign In or Sign Up for a FREE Membership

or

Don't have an account? Sign Up

Landlord Automated Assistant Read More