GLC encourages Scottish homeowners to reclaim millions of pounds in unfair legal expenses

Many of the several thousand Scottish homeowners taken to court for mortgage repossession over the last few years, have had their cases dismissed and then re-raised for technical reasons.

Govan Law Centre believes they may have been unfairly charged twice for their lender's legal expenses along with additional administrative charges.

GLC will be launching a straight forward campaign and website to help consumers reclaim the 'repeat' legal expenses and charges added to their mortgage accounts, at a Scottish repossession conference hosted in Glasgow on Monday 3 December 2012 by Carrington Dean.

GLC's Principal Solicitor, Mike Dailly said: "Where a lender has raised incompetent proceedings, or deserts those proceedings to re-raise again, how can they reasonably expect their customers to pay for being taken to court twice?  We think passing on these repeat or double charges to Scottish consumers is clearly unfair in relation to the Financial Services Authority's (FSA) Principles of Business. The extra costs involved here add up to many millions of pounds which Scottish homeowners should not have to bear".

The reclaim mini-site is available online here.

GLC encourages Scottish homeowners to reclaim millions of pounds in unfair legal expenses

GLC welcomes FSA intervention to prevent 'double charging' to Scottish homeowners threatened with repossession

Govan Law Centre (GLC) has welcomed the intervention of the Financial Services Authority (FSA) to prevent lenders 'double charging' Scottish homeowners where court proceedings are re-raised following the Supreme Court ruling in RBS plc v. Wilson and others.

It is estimated that as many as 5,000 cases were requried to be dismissed for want of service of a pre-court 'calling-up notice', with up to 15,000 historic cases potentially affected. News of the FSA's intervention was revealed in The Herald over the weekend.

Govan Law Centre's Jennifer Laughland, who defends mortgage repossessions across Ayrshire as part of a local partnership 'AHAP' service, said: “We welcome the FSA’s intervention on this important issue, particularly as we are now seeing repossession actions, which had been dismissed after last year’s Supreme Court ruling, being brought back to court".

“The clients whom we see facing homelessness through mortgage arrears are generally struggling to pay their mortgage and make ends meet. The last thing they need in these tough financial times is to be billed twice by their bank’s lawyers, through no fault of their own. The FSA’s action here will protect some of the most vulnerable homeowners in Scotland.”

GLC welcomes FSA intervention to prevent 'double charging' to Scottish homeowners threatened with repossession