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.”

New appointments at GLC

GLC is delighted to announce a number of exciting new appointments.

Jennifer Laughland is joining us to head up our new pan-Ayrshire Homelessness and Prevention Service (AHAP), in partnership with the Ayrshire Community Housing and Advocacy Project.

Jennifer was formerly the Principal Solicitor of Shelter's Scottish Housing Law Service where she specialised in housing and homelessness law. Before taking up her post at Shelter Scotland, Jennifer was Principal Solicitor at Paisley Law Centre.

Sarah-Jane Kissock has joined us from Balfour + Manson LLP as a second year Trainee Solicitor. We have also appointed Christine McKellar and Laura Simpson as Trainee Solicitors. Natile Carlin joins us to provide dedicated clerical support to AHAP.

GLC's Mike Dailly said: 'These important new appointments strengthen our ability to deliver specialist legal services to prevent homelessness in Scotland, and increase our organisational capacity'.