Payment difficulties We understand when times get tough

The Money Advice Service, set up by the government, has also devised a helpful guide for those struggling with their mortgage. It can be found at www.moneyadviceservice.org.uk/en.

We recommend you review this information and we have set out a summary below of what is recommended.

• Tell us as soon as possible if you are having problems repaying your mortgage or think that you might experience problems shortly
• Seek debt advice (for example from Citizens Advice) if you would like help with managing your finances
• Reply quickly if we try to contact you
• Make sure you keep any other people paying the mortgage and anyone guaranteeing the mortgage up to date with what is happening
• Keep to the payment plan we agree with you, or tell us if there is a change in your circumstances that may affect the arrangement. If you do not make the agreed payments, we might have to go to court to get the money you owe us, or to repossess your property
• Check whether you can get any state benefits or tax credits, which could help to increase your income
• If you have an insurance policy, check whether it can help with your payments
• Tell us if you move to a new address

You may want to talk to a professional adviser, such as a debt counsellor or a lawyer, before you change your mortgage arrangements. We would strongly advise that you seek independent, free debt advice.

• Contact you as soon as possible to discuss your problem
• Talk to an agency which gives debt advice (for example, Citizens Advice) if you want us to
• Give you reasonable time to pay back your debt
• Only start proceedings to repossess your home if we cannot solve the problem with you

• Arrange a new payment plan with you, taking your interests and our own into account
• Change the way you make your payments or the date you make them
• Allow you to pay back your mortgage over a longer period of time (which would reduce your monthly payments)
• Change the type of mortgage for a temporary period

If we can make one of these arrangements with you, we will explain how it would work and give you time to consider it. If we cannot offer you any of these options, we will tell you why. We might agree to you remaining in the property to sell the property yourself, depending on your circumstances.

If you have a payment shortfall, we may charge you for our reasonable administrative and legal costs. We will tell you the amount you will have to pay.

• We may send a debt counsellor to see you to discuss your financial circumstances and the cost of the visit may be charged to your mortgage account
• We may go to court to start proceedings to repossess your home. If proceedings take place, we strongly recommend that you attend the court and that you seek independent debt advice
• Starting court proceedings does not necessarily mean that we will repossess your home. We will keep trying to solve the problem with you. Possession is a last resort
• Before we repossess your home, we will give you advice about getting in touch with your local authority to see if they can find you somewhere else to live

• We will sell it for the best price we can reasonably get. We will try to sell it as soon as possible
• We will give you reasonable time to take your possessions from your home
• We will use the money raised from selling your home to pay your mortgage and any other loans or charges
• If there is any money left over, we will pay it to you

• You will still owe us the amount that is left (a shortfall debt). We will tell you what this is as soon as possible
• If you bought your home with other borrowers, each of you is responsible for all the money borrowed. This is true even if you normally only pay part of the mortgage
• We will contact you within six years of selling your property (five years in Scotland) to arrange for you to pay back what you still owe
• We will take account of your income and outgoings when we arrange a payment plan for this shortfall debt with you. If we cannot arrange a suitable plan, we may go to court to get our money back. You might have to pay additional court costs
• If a shortfall debt is not paid, it could affect whether you are able to get credit in future

Some companies may offer you new loans or even invite you to sell your property to them and then lease it back as a way of resolving your short term financial difficulty. Please be careful, as such actions may not be in your long term best interests. We would advise you to seek independent advice before entering into any arrangement of this type.

You may be thinking about handing your keys over to us. If you do this, you will still owe us any outstanding debt and we would advise you to discuss this option with us before taking such action.

If you do not think we have treated you fairly, you should contact us using the details below:

Chief Executive
Market Harborough Building Society
Welland House
The Square
Market Harborough
Leicestershire
LE16 7PD

customersfirst@mhbs.co.uk

01858 412250

If your complaint is not dealt with to your satisfaction, you may then take it to the Financial Ombudsman. The Financial Ombudsman Service provides a free and independent service for consumers and can be contacted at:

Financial Ombudsman Service
Exchange Tower
London
E14 9SR

0800 023 4567

complaint.info@financial-ombudsman.org.uk