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Issue 782
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NORTH EDITION
roundtownnews.com
10-16 OCTOBER 2014
British pensioners lose £6 billion by living abroad according to currency specialists HiFX BRITISH PENSIONERS living overseas have potentially lost out on over £6.4 billion of their income since 2007 due to the falling strength of Sterling. Read the full story on page 22
Judge halts bank’s ‘repo’ bid by Jack Troughton
The HELP team in pink
Think pink By Jack Troughton JALON VALLEY HELP President Elaine Horton is flanked by two of the charity’s team of volunteers at the annual coffee morning coinciding with Breast Cancer Awareness Week. For the full story turn to page 3.
RETIRED BUSINESSMAN Mike Kemp is celebrating a court victory against banking giant Barclays after a judge refused to grant a repossession order so his villa could go to public auction. The 72-year-old’s own criminal case against Barclays Bank – he accuses the bank of corruption, fraud and false advertising – was accepted by Orihuela Court three years ago but is stuck somewhere in the judicial system in an over-worked legal system. At the heart of the case is Mike’s 310,000€ Catral home – one of some 1,200 illegal villas built on rural land – and there are two outstanding demolition orders lodged against it. After last Friday’s ruling he told RTN: “Barclays wanted to repossess my house to auction off – the judge basically told the bank ‘yes, you can do that but you must wait until the case against you for corruption and fraud is heard’. “This is a first for this area and I am absolutely over the moon over it – it has taken 10 years to get here. I have not just done this for myself but for other across Spain in the same position.” Mike, a former Kingston upon Hull councillor and company director, took out a 100,000€ mortgage with Barclays after being assured
by a financial consultant and a former senior manager with the bank, it would never lend against an illegal property. But his ‘belt and braces’ approach failed and in 2005 he was shocked to learn his dream home in the sun was illegal – triggering a David and Goliath struggle with Barclays. PROTECTED The bank maintains the loan was advanced based on an architect’s report – a professional working for the developer – that maintained the house was over five-yearsold and protected by the law of antiquity. Mike claims Barclays ignored the valuation survey it required before granting the mortgage; which he had to pay for. He said it took him five years to see a copy – customers normally receive these automatically – and he had to seek EU intervention before the bank released it. And he said the first part of the survey underlined the house was new and illegal – a position confirmed by Catral Town Hall and backed up by aerial photographs. And while Barclays says Mike should be taking action against the writer of the architect’s report, he believes the bankers who granted the mortgage and Barclays itself are responsible for his predicament. Continued on page 4