Tag Archives: Equity Release

April 9th, 2012
Story by NIEVES CASTRO | Diario Sur

Julia Hilling tiene ahora 89 años, sin embargo eso no impidió que un banco británico le colocase un préstamo hace apenas seis años sobre su apartamento de Fuengirola, por importe de 262.000 euros, con devolución prevista para 2016. La operación formaba parte de un acuerdo aparentemente ventajoso. Le prometían una renta vitalicia y que sus herederos iban a quedar exentos del impuesto de sucesiones cuando falleciera. Pero nadie regala duros a cuatro pesetas. A cambio, la anciana tenía que suscribir una hipoteca sobre su vivienda libre de cargas, y autorizar al banco a que invirtiera los fondos obtenidos en productos financieros supuestamente libres de riesgo.

Como ella, otros tantos jubilados asentados en la Costa del Sol han sido víctimas de una presunta estafa orquestada por una docena de entidades extranjeras. Los ancianos, constituidos en la Asociación de Afectados de la Hipoteca Inversa, se harán hoy visibles con una concentración de protesta a las puertas de la Delegación de Hacienda de Málaga. Está previsto que alrededor de una treintena de jubilados británicos tomen parte en esta movilización, tras la que presentarán una denuncia formal en la institución contra las entidades bancarias.

Escándalo

«Con esta medida se pretende llamar la atención de las autoridades sobre un asunto que en muchos países europeos ya se considera un escándalo de grandes proporciones, lo que contrasta con la absoluta apatía judicial y desidia de los tribunales españoles, que hace unos meses rechazaron investigar el asunto», denuncian desde el despacho de abogados Lawbird, con sede en Marbella, que representa los intereses de una mayoría de afectados. El bufete pone de ejemplo lo sucedido en Dinamarca, donde, según concretan, se ha creado una gran alarma social tras la cobertura informativa realizada por el rotativo Jyllands Posten -conocido entre otras cosas por haber publicado las caricaturas del profeta Mahoma-. «El diario publicó que un elevado número de bancos daneses habrían participado en una trama de fraude fiscal en España, relacionado con el impuesto de sucesiones, y a la vez denunció la dramática situación económica a la que habían llevado a cientos de jubilados», subrayan desde Lawbird. De hecho, añaden que la situación a la que se han visto abocados estos ancianos es dramática, hasta el punto de que muchos están a punto de ser desahuciados de sus casas, después de que los bancos hayan perdido más de la mitad del capital en inversiones y hayan empezado a exigir el pago de las cuotas.

February 1st, 2012
The Olive Press

THE AUDIENCIA NACIONAL WILL NOT BE INVESTIGATING THE SCAM THAT LEFT SCORES OF EXPATS AT RISK OF LOSING THEIR HOMES

The Audiencia Nacional insists there is not enough evidence to merit launching a criminal investigation despite the group of 20 foreign residents filing over 200 pages of documents against several Scandinavian banks.

“This is a clear case of judicial apathy by the Court which, after probably not reading the claim, considered it nevertheless irrelevant in what is a steadily worsening record of protecting rights of consumers,” said Antonio Flores from Marbella law firm Lawbird who is representing the Malaga victims.

But offering a ray of hope to the hundreds of expats affected, the Danish government on the other hand has now decided to open an investigation into the scam.

“It does not sound very good if a Danish bank is involved in such a concept. It will be included in our priorities” insisted Johnny Hansen Schaadt, director of The Danish Tax Office Special Department of Economic Crime.

September 13th, 2011
Story by Sean O'Hare | The Telegraph

The directors of action group Equity Release Victims Association stand to lose their homes Photo: Larry Lilac / Alamy

Tempted by the offer of a salary for life and an inheritance tax reduction, organisers of Equity Release Victims Association, Ian Sherdley, 69, and Euan Armstrong, 73, used their Spanish holiday homes as collateral to buy into the equity release schemes.

The schemes were sold by independent financial advisors working the expat communities along the Costa del Sol on behalf of Denmark’s biggest bank Danske Bank and Nordea Bank SA.

They were told that if they took out full mortgages against the value of their Andalucian homes, which were fully paid for, and then gave the money to the bank to invest, their inheritance tax liability would be reduced and they’d receive a small lump sum, as well as a monthly return on the bank’s investment which would cover the cost of the remortgage and provide a small salary.

Mr Sherdley, from Lancashire, and Mr Armstrong, from Scotland, followed the advice only to be later told by their Nordic Banks that the investments had gone badly, the remortgaged money had been lost and their homes, with a combined value of €4.5 million, suddenly belonged to the banks.

It is thought that there could be hundred of expats in similar positions across Spain and France.

A Spanish court has so far suspended the banks’ foreclosure and repossession orders on the properties, while a decision as to how the cases will proceed is expected in the near future.

According to Mr Armstrong’s lawyer, Antonio Flores from Lawbird Legal Services, the schemes were mis-sold, bearing in mind it is illegal to knowingly indebt yourself in order to reduce your inheritance tax liability.

He said: “We want to find out exactly how many of the schemes were sold, to who, and on what basis.

“As far as I can gather, retired expats were targeted because they had paid off their mortgages, so could use them as collateral and would be tempted by talk of reduced inheritance tax liability.”

Mr Armstrong added: “We encourage everyone who, like us has been sold one of these schemes to get in touch.

“Do not lie down and take this. These banks are making billions every year with your money.”

A spokesman for Nordea bank said: “We can’t comment, but we can say is that Nordea runs its business in compliance with local laws.”

A spokesman for Danske Bank said: “According to the law we cannot comment on individual customer cases nor questions related to individual customer cases. We have no comment.”

If you have a story to tell about equity release, please contact sean.o’hare@telegraph.co.uk.

September 13th, 2011
Story by Wendy Williams | The Olive Press

UNITED: Euan Armstrong and Ian Sherdley have joined forces against the banks

Euan Armstrong, who the Olive Press reported is taking Danske Bank to court after it convinced him to use his two million euro Malaga home as collateral, has now teamed up with fellow expat Ian Sherdley, 69, to form the Equity Release Victims Association.
“We are forming an association to prevent these banks from robbing expats of their property by offering a pile of cash as part of an investment plan,” explained Armstrong, 73, who lives in Marbella.
“Equity release is not safe and a loan against the property with the idea of hiding the money in an offshore account or removing the money from the value of the property is certainly illegal in Spain.”
Sherdley, 69, from Lancashire, who has lost a staggering 2.5 million euros through a similar scheme with Nordea Bank SA, added: “These banks are just trying to fill their coffers. So now we are working on getting a legal voice to pursue them through the criminal courts.”
The pair are being backed in their venture by lawyer Antonio Flores from the Marbella based firm Lawbird.
“The purpose of the association is to support people through their predicament,” Flores explained.
“Equity release is actually killing people, through such degrees of stress. Their livelihoods are being reduced and in some cases their lifespan.

“We have decided to do something.”

Now Armstrong and Sherdley are calling on other victims – believed to run into the hundreds – to stand up and fight these huge financial institutions.
“We ask everybody to join us who has or is suffering a similar rape and pillage from a Scandinavian Bank,” said Armstrong.
“Do not lie down but stand up and fight them.
“These banks are making billions of euros every year and stealing your money.”
When questioned both banks said they were unable to comment on individual cases.

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