Help Desperately Needed

MaggieM_2

Forgive me if I'm on the wrong Forum or thread for my problem - redirections welcome! I will try to make this as brief as possible whilst still covering pertinent details. A neighbour was admitted to hospital for a routine operation; before she went in she gave a 'friend' her credit card so she could make sure her gas and electricity were kept on in her absence and so the friend could buy her odds and sods as and when she needed them in hospital. My neighbour became seriously ill - to the point where we thought she would die and was in hospital much longer than was originally anticipated. When she finally came home it was discovered that the 'friend' had been helping herself via the credit card - and the neighbour now had a £300 + overdraft. Because she had given her PIN number to the 'friend' my neighbour was deemed to be responsible for the debt by her bank. The police were involved at one stage and the 'friend' promised to pay the money back. This has never happened.
My neighbour is a recovering alcoholic and drug user. She is on Benefits but, with the help of various agencies, is getting her life back on track and attending college and doing voluntary work. Now all her efforts are being thrown back in her face because, despite intervention attempts by all the agencies, the bank still insists on reclaiming the £300 from her - and adds to the debt by putting further charges on the amount each month. The £300 represents ONE month's mortgage repayment but the bank is hounding her - she has even had phone calls from them today (a Sunday) and their latest threat is that if she doesn't put her home on the market and sell it within the next month they (the bank) will reposses. The current market value of her home is about £92,000.
What - if anything - can be done to stop this process? What is she meant to do in order to make the bank see sense when agencies with all their knowledge and 'sway' have not succeeded? She is in such a state I don't know how to help her. Is there anyone out there who does or who can give us some useful advice please?

lindilou39

Unfortunately your neighbour is responsible, as disclosed by any banking institution..NEVER let your pin number be known to ANYONE not even a spouse. It doesnt matter that she has involved the police because she has wittingly let this person have control of her credit account therefore her so called friend hasnt committed an offence, furthermore, any institution you owe money to can apply for an order of sale whether this owed money is secured or unsecured. I wonder..are you the one that has fleeced her card?

MaggieM_2

lindilou39 wrote: »

Unfortunately your neighbour is responsible, as disclosed by any banking institution..NEVER let your pin number be known to ANYONE not even a spouse. It doesnt matter that she has involved the police because she has wittingly let this person have control of her credit account therefore her so called friend hasnt committed an offence, furthermore, any institution you owe money to can apply for an order of sale whether this owed money is secured or unsecured. I wonder..are you the one that has fleeced her card?

LOL! No, I am not a low-life and wouldn't fleece anyone. I am a retired Youth & Community worker and am often asked to try to sort out neighbourhood problems. I appreciate your reply but am fully aware of the dangers of giving out one's PIN number (as, now, is my neighbour) but, realistically, if you can't trust a friend, who can you trust? Yeah, I know, NOBODY! The problem I need help with is the bank's attitude. Yes, we realise the bank is perfectly entitled to demand it's £300 back or seek possession but don't you think it is more than extremely harsh under the circumstances? There are people in the banking industry responsible for losing millions of pounds of savers' and investors' money, not to mention those who themselves owe the banks miliions, so why are they hounding and harrassing a woman who only owes them £300 and who has never let her mortgage go into arrears previously? Surely this is not ethical and must be against some ruling or code of practice governing how banks operate? Sensible, HELPFUL replies will be appreciated, thank you.

Edinburghlass_2

Take it to the Financial Ombudsman...

http://www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk/

State the facts only, clearly and consisely, nothing about drugs or benefits or your opinion of the banks.