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Halifax bailiffs repossess the wrong house in postcode error
ROBIN Naylor came home to find his belongings in the street after a high-street bank repossessed his house – by mistake.
The 57-year-old lorry driver was horrified to discover his personal possessions had been thrown in bin bags and his locks had been changed when he arrived home from work.
He immediately rang his boss and landlord David Booth, thinking he had been evicted, but actually bailiffs had been given the wrong address by the Halifax. They had the wrong postcode by one digit.
The Halifax sent the men round to his address in High Street, Greetland with the postcode beginning HX4 8. The correct address was two miles away in Stainland with the postcode HX4 9.
Mr Naylor, who has lived at the property for about four years, said: "I'm still quite shellshocked by the whole thing – to say I am rather cross is putting it mildly.
"Initially I thought that someone had dumped a load of rubbish outside the house but then I tried the key, saw a hole had been cut in the door and realised the locks had been changed.
"I rang my boss up and said 'is there something you have forgotten to tell me?' But from his reaction I knew it definitely wasn't him.
"Unfortunately, there's a history of misdeliveries in the street and I have regularly received mail for a similar address in Stainland.
"Everything I own had been thrown in bags willy-nilly. I've found a full ash tray in with my clothes. My passion in life is photography and I've found a couple of pictures with glass frames that have been shattered.
"The worst thing about it all is the feeling of violation – no one wants a stranger going through their private belongings."
He had to call in an emergency locksmith at a cost of more than 100 and professional cleaners. No valuables had been taken but electrical items had been unplugged and the water switched off.
Ironically Mr Booth's wife Tracey used to work for the Halifax in its repossession and customer relations departments.
"The Booths have had an apology along with a derisory offer of 550 but there's more than 500 damage done to the house and there's the damage to his reputation," Mr Naylor
said.
Mr Booth, 47, of Holywell Green, near Halifax, said: "We have commercial and residential properties as well as a haulage and agricultural business and I've started getting letters from people in Dublin asking if I am in financial difficulties.
"Fortunately my wife Tracey worked for the
Halifax for 22 years so she knew exactly the right people to ring and all the correct procedures."
Mr Naylor added: "If I had been a pensioner I think the shock would have killed me.
"I can't believe how they can get it wrong with something so important."
A spokeswoman from the Halifax said: "It was a human error.
"We have been in contact with Mrs Booth both to apologise and offer every assistance to put this right."
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Saturday 26 May 2012
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