Call for action on repossessions

Opposition parties joined forces to call for action

Scottish opposition parties have joined forces to call for new rules on preventing home repossessions.

Labour, the Lib Dems, the Greens and independent MSP Margo MacDonald called on ministers to impose a duty on courts to take homes only as a last resort.

Labour MSP Cathy Jamieson accused Scots Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon of complacency over the issue.

Ministers said a recent court protocol to protect homeowners in England and Wales would not disadvantage Scotland.

Ms Jamieson has brought forward a plan to tackle the plight of homeowners being repossessed, but suggested ministers were not intending to look favourably on the use of pre-court protocols.

Urgent action needs to be taken rather than simply suggesting that everything is okay

Cathy Jamieson
Labour MSP

The move, introduced in courts in England, places an onus on mortgage lenders to prove they have exhausted every avenue before taking customers in arrears to court, or face the prospects of paying legal costs.

The opposition parties also urged ministers to ensure businesses which offer to buy houses and rent them back to residents must hold a licence.

Following a meeting with Ms Sturgeon, Ms Jamieson said: "I do think that she still is being complacent that the existing legislation, the existing procedures and the existing resources are enough to deal with this particular crisis.

"We believe that people are at risk now and that urgent action needs to be taken rather than simply suggesting that everything is okay."

The call came as Mike Dailly, from the Govan Law Centre, said information from the Scottish Court Service showed there were more than 1,000 repossessions in September, compared with the normal annual average of 5,000-6,000.

The Scottish Government said the changes elsewhere in the UK would have little legal effect.

"We do not agree that Scottish homeowners are disadvantaged, they are simply subject to a different legal system," said a spokesman.