In the past week we have again been contacted by clients who have been informed that a Charging Order has been placed on their UK property. The applicable Order was as a result of a previous Judgement being issued against the clients in a Court in Cyprus.
The Judgement emanated from the original service to the client in the UK of a Writ of Summons from the Cyprus Court.
In the majority of cases we see (although not all) clients either cannot recall receiving an initial Writ of Summons at their address from their foreign Bank or they do recall receiving a Writ however took no steps to address the matter at the time.
The vast majority of these Writs of Summons which originate from foreign Bank(s) relate to housing Loans which were taken out by individuals for the purchase of a foreign property.
What options do you have if a foreign Bank obtain a Charging Order on your property in the UK?
It’s important when looking for a firm to represent your interests and to negotiate with a foreign Bank on your behalf, that you look to engage a specialist and regulated firm of solicitors. Here at Judicare we have decades of combined experience in dealing with Banks in foreign jurisdictions, and as a specialist firm of Solicitors, we have been able to negotiate over €40million of foreign Bank debt being successfully written off for our clients.
One previous case we successfully handled related to a Charging Order which only became apparent when the client had agreed a sale on their UK property, and the lawyers in the UK acting for the Buyer, asked if the present charge on the property from Alpha Bank in Cyprus would be removed prior to the signing of contracts.
That charge was entered on the Title upon the application of the Bank in Cyprus following a Judgment against the client in the District Court of Paphos almost a decade previously. After default interest and legal fees had been taken into consideration, the charge on the property had escalated to circa £325,000.
In that case, we were able to contact the lawyers acting for the Cyprus Bank in the UK and start the negotiations for a full and final settlement of the outstanding debt. We finally agreed to settle the matter with the Bank for less than 10% of the debt. The agreement was duly signed, and the Order was removed from the property in the UK.
If you have concerns about a foreign mortgage debt or would simply like more information on our fixed fee approach a member of our team will be happy to take your call on a confidential basis at 01438 840258 or via email to admin@judicaregroup.com
We can also arrange a free no obligation teleconference via Zoom/Skype.
Getting in touch will allow us to understand your individual circumstances and discuss with you your concerns and objectives. Working with you we can then decide upon the correct strategy to approach and find the solution which is right for you.