A man avoided eviction after bailiffs arrived to find a human wall formed outside his Bristol home. George Francis, who moved into his late uncle's property in Easton 10 years ago to care for him, found out two weeks ago that he is facing eviction.
He says this is due to an inherited loan that was taken out on the property and not repaid. Mr Francis said he moved into the property when he became a carer for his uncle, and jointly inherited the property with his brothers after their uncle passed away.
Mr Francis, who is a volunteer for several community projects in St Pauls, said that he has attempted to set up a repayment plan to mortgage company Together Money but the company has refused this. He says he was informed that he would face eviction yesterday (March 21) if the loan was not repaid in full.
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Bristol Live has been told that the debt owed on the property is £27,000 and the current market value of the Victorian terrace is approximately £270,000. He is trying to repay the debt but the mortgage company does not recognise him as their customer as they say he was not the named court-appointed administrator of their previous customer’s estate.
They say he has "never owned or demonstrated any legal rights to the property" and it is for that reason they have refused to take his payments. However, Mr Francis says the house belongs to the family and he and his brothers want to pay.
Members of the community union ACORN formed a human wall outside the house in Easton yesterday morning before the bailiffs arrived. A bailiff was believed to have shown up but did not attempt an eviction after finding his home surrounded by the housing activists, who are supporting Mr Francis, who fears he is now at risk of homelessness.
Mr Francis said: “It’s my uncle’s debt and he’s passed away but they refused a payment plan and said that they wanted all the money. How do I get to pay that debt if they won't accept payments from me? But they’re quite happy to take a lump sum, which doesn’t make any sense.
“This problem is everywhere. The legal aid and advice centres across Bristol are shut down and aren’t taking anybody, because the problem is just so massive – the homelessness, the people getting evicted.
“The fight continues - we are not just going to lay down and let the rich keep getting richer and the poor definitely getting poorer. It's got to stop here.”
Mr Francis is known for his role as a community volunteer in St Pauls with Bridging Histories and St Pauls Community Forum has also received support from people who he has worked with in the community, as part of a wider social media campaign led by ACORN. Tappis the Poet, who is now an ambassador with Bridging Histories, said: “I just don’t know where I would be at the moment if it weren’t for Bridging Histories, it has been the backbone of every kind of progress I have made.
“It gave me purpose in my life at a time when I didn’t have any direction. It has given me a chance to enter university. It has brought real meaning to my life.”
Sam Kidel, Member Defence Organiser at ACORN Bristol, added: "Mortgage company Together have refused to offer a payment plan, despite the fact that a credible repayment plan has been proposed, and eviction would leave Mr Francis homeless."
In response to the attempted eviction, Mr Kidel added: “A bunch of us came to say, 'we're not putting up with this.’ George is a really valued member of our community and no one deserves to be kicked out of their home.
"The bailiffs came, took one look at us, got on the phone to their manager and slunk off.” Alongside the eviction resistance outside Mr Francis’ home in Easton, ACORN has launched a social media campaign to demand that Together negotiate a payment.
The latest government data shows that repossession orders have gone up by 50 per cent in the last year and warrants rose by 88 per cent in the final quarter of 2022 compared to the previous year. With the Bank of England raising interest rates yet again, they are currently at a rate not seen since the financial crisis of 2008 and financial experts are now warning there could be a further increase in mortgage repossession as more homeowners struggle to keep up with repayments.
Together's response
A spokesperson for Together said: “Whilst we have every sympathy with Mr George Francis’s situation, it is important to recognise that he is not a customer of ours and has never owned or demonstrated any legal rights to the property. We have to act in the best interests of our customer, who is the court-appointed administrator of our previous customer’s estate after his passing in 2017.
"We are therefore unable to engage with Mr George Francis about the loan accounts relating to the property. Any right to occupy the property or payments relating to it would be for Mr George Francis to agree directly with our customer and we are not aware of any agreement being in place during the last six years.
“As a responsible lender, we will take every step possible to help customers who are struggling to pay their mortgage, and focus on providing the best outcomes for them. It will always be a last resort for us to apply to the courts for a possession order when all other options have been exhausted."
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