Property fraud firm boss lives in luxury as customers face eviction

Mar 30 2009 by Sophie Doughty, The Journal

Family got out of their home just in time

PARENTS Claire and Peter Young thought they had found their dream family home when they struck a deal with North East Property Buyers.

The couple, who have three children, began renting the new build home in Hadston, Northumberland, in the hope that they would be able to buy in one day and have a home for life.

But in September they were visited by a representative from a mortgage company and two weeks later they received a letter addressed to the occupier stating that the mortgage was in arrears and the mortgagee must contact them as soon as possible.

Believing North East Property Buyers to be the owner, the Youngs sent the letter on to them and were assured that it was all a mistake that had been sorted out and there was nothing to worry about. But in November they were contacted again by a company saying they were now managing the property.

Mrs Young 33, said: "When got a letter about arrears we thought it must have come through the wrong door. I phoned them and they said to forward it on to them but we started to get suspicious.

"We moved there with the intention it would be a long term thing and they said in three years we could buy the property. We made it our home and we wanted to stay there.

"But after we got the letter we became worried at this as, having three children, we were concerned that we may have to leave the property at any time. It turned our lives upside down."

Mr and Mrs Young decided to cut their losses and leave the home they loved for a more secure property in Amble, last month.

"Eventually we just thought we can’t put this off anymore," Mrs Young said. "We were getting no answers from anyone and these strange things kept happening and we just thought what if we go out and come back to find our locks have changed?"

And when they returned just days later to collect some trees from the garden they realised they had left just in time.

Mrs Young added: "We came to find that the locks in our property had now been changed and a notice placed on the window that any queries had to be made to the official receiver. Good job we moved when we did, I think."