'We've got to move because of our health - it's not fair to charge us for early repayment'

Mortgages

Rhys and Delyth complain about the early repayment charge they incurred after they repaid their lifetime mortgage.

What happened

Rhys and Delyth wanted to move house to be closer to their family. The lender said that because they were repaying their lifetime mortgage early, they would have an early repayment charge of £30,000.

Rhys and Delyth felt the charge was unfair and far too high. They said they needed to move because of Rhys’s poor health, as Delyth felt she couldn’t manage without extra support.

We looked at the mortgage agreement. It said the charge would be waived if the both customers – as they had a joint mortgage – need to move because they need full-time care.

That wasn’t the case here. Medical evidence showed that Delyth was able to care for herself, and Rhys was able to carry out a number of daily living activities without assistance. We were satisfied that the early repayment charge was drawn to their attention before they took the mortgage out. 

What we said

We sympathised with Rhys and Delyth’s situation, but we didn’t think the lender was wrong to apply the charge.