Adverse Effects

Former US Ambassador to Spain and nineteenth century author Washington Irving once said, “There is, in every true woman’s heart, a spark of heavenly fire which lies dormant in the broad daylight of prosperity but which kindles up and beams and blazes in the dark hour of adversity” and in the face of further obstacles of my own, kindling up and blazing with heavenly fire seems the only way forward.

During the past month I have been advised by our land lord,

• He wishes to carry out building works on a neighbouring property which will necessitate the decimation of our back garden throughout July and August.
• He is switching our central heating system to that of sustainable fuel in two months during which time he expects us to use up all the LPG and oil we have already purchased for next winter
• Our residential tenancy is in jeopardy because, not only have we enjoyed a very low rent for the past four years but, despite having been given permission to have lodgers at outset, we are technically in breach of our lease.

During the past fortnight I have been advised by the HBOS data subject access team,

• Their mortgage department is not responding to their requests for the information missing from my mortgage file
• Their in house solicitors are proving impossible to contact
• Their in house surveyors have ignored all their requests to communicate

And,

During the past week I have repeatedly advised my twelve year old dyslexic son,

• Being repeatedly punched, scratched and sworn at by two of his classmates while on their five day French trip is a serious offence.
• The cuts and bruises he has suffered will soon heal and neither show or hurt
• Reporting bullies is always the right thing to do despite the discomfort from the fallout.

Ancient Greek philosopher and teacher Epicurus once said, “You don’t develop courage by being happy in your relationships every day. You develop it by surviving difficult and challenging adversity” and it is at times like these I can only hope he is right!

Disproportionate benefits

"Voltaire once said, “The art of the government is to make two thirds of a nation pay all it possibly can for the benefit of the other third” and it is clear from Simon Duke’s Mail On line piece  that Eric Daniels has benefited immensely from an initiative of this kind.

While the government led and tax payer fed bale out for LLoyds Banking Group remains 9.3bn in the red, largely due to the gross misconduct of HBOS's risk mismanagement strategy, ousted Daniels former HBOS CEO has succeeded in adding to last year’s total remuneration package of 2.57 million pounds by securing a further £561,000 over the last nine months for doing absolutely nothing. With a pension fund of 5.03million pounds to look forward and an income of £210,000 per anum set aside for Daniels' retirement, it is clearly very "nice work if you can get it".

In contrast, I , along with many other HBOS victims, have repeatedly been told by Eric Daniels’ Executive office to face up to financial responsibilities and repay shortfalls created as a direct result HBOS's flawed business strategy because legal and contractual rights are all that counts and a duty of care to a customer is irrelevant. Beyond legally enforcable morally obligations, HBOS are at liberty to pursue not only me but many other trusting individuals who have fallen foul of a unique and detrimental interpretation of their fair business practises while HBOS's 
bureaucracy and red tape continue to be this errant banker's customers whipping boy. Discharged HBOS Chief Executive, Eric Daniels on the other hand has not only remained cushioned from the economic recession by the obscene bonuses of the past but until recently he has continued to be financially rewarded for his part in bringing both HBOS and Lloyds bank to near destruction.

Incensed by the unaccountability of the untouchable HBOS Executives who wish to inflict the consequences of their actions on their customers, I have,

·        Fine tuned my Ombudsman’s reply of eight pages in the hope they may support my arguments and bare its teeth on my behalf.

·        Submitted another complaint to the Solicitor’s Regulatory Authority informing them of further misdemeanours on the part of HBOS agents, Merrils Ede Solicitors.

Ever hopeful there is someone of consequence left at HBOS who believes,“True leadership must be for the benefit of the followers and not the enrichment of the leaders” I, along with unprecedented numbers of other FOS complainants now wait for an outcome which favours us for a change and not just the banking fat cats. In reality I can't help thinking.....fat chance.