North East Property Buyers tenants hear fate after Christmas

Dec 24 2009 by Neil Preston, The Journal

THOUSANDS of innocent tenants caught up in the North East Property Buyers homes scandal face an uncertain 2010 as they wait to discover whether they will keep their homes.

Families that sold their houses to the buy-to-let agency believing they would be able to rent them back for life are now facing what could be their last Christmas in their homes as they await a court hearing next year to determine whether they will be evicted.

But many tenants have already been kicked-out of their properties by mortgage companies who have repossessed them in an attempt to claw back some of the millions of pounds they are allegedly owed by North East Property Buyers, which is accused of making fraudulent mortgage applications. All repossessions have now been put on hold until 10 test cases come before a judge in July.

And today some of the victims have told The Journal of their fears for the New Year as they try to make the best of a very bleak Christmas.

Eric Duffield sold his house in Fenham, Newcastle, that has been his home with wife Monica since 1985, to North East Property Buyers in 2006, after an accident at work forced him to give-up his job.

But he was served with an eviction notice early this year after the house’s new owners allegedly defaulted on mortgage payments.

And Eric, 56, today told The Journal that he was not looking forward to Christmas at all this year.

“I’m trying to put it to the back of my mind at the moment, but I can’t get away from the fact that it could be our last Christmas at home,” he said. “I haven’t put any decorations up. It just doesn’t seem worth celebrating this year.