In the Mail on Sunday dated 8.10.00 we saw Abbey supposedly making concessions - writing off half of shortfall debt, not pursuing shortfall under valuation, providing evidence and proof of the claim etc etc. Well I received a letter today from manager Ian Hart at Abbey's Secretariat, dated and posted 10th October. In it he yet again demands money. There is no mention of the writing off of shortfall or the selling of the flat below valuation. He encloses some photocopies from my file, but many of these are illegible. He says that I can't see other documents I've asked for because (a) he doesn't see the relevance, (b) it would involve me in further costs (!), and (c) because I can't. The journalist who wrote the story is Clare Hall and I am sure she will be most interested to hear views from other people who haven't seen any benefit from Abbey's PR stunt. You can email her on: Clare.Hall@mailonsunday.co.uk all best, Eleanor

-- Eleanor Scott (eleanor.scott@btinternet.com), October 11, 2000

Answers

What does he mean by (a) he doesn't see the relevance (b) it would involve me in further costs (c) BECAUSE YOU CAN'T. Have you filed a Data Subject Access Rights Noice, if you have and you feel that they are witholding information write to the Data Protection Commissioner. Maybe we were all having the same dream when we saw the article about the Abbey on Sunday

-- christine singleton (singletons51@hotmail.com), October 11, 2000.

Yep ! Sure enough - there goes another pig flying past the window !!

-- Vic Harper (victorcharper@aol.com), October 11, 2000.

Why can't we organise a mass e-mail to the journalist of existing abbey "shortfall clients" each stating that they are still receiving threating letters and demands for money.

If enough people get involved, then the least that will happen is that she will question abbey about their statement, and possibly run another story.

-- (stephen.pooley@ntlworld.com), October 12, 2000.

I know that the Mail on Sunday do intend to run more articles on this issue, as part of their campaign against mortgage shortfall misery, so yes, will all those of you who are still receiving the same old demands for money, lack of proof, threatening letters etc PLEASE email or write to Clare Hall, her editor Sally Hamilton, and the Man From The Abbey who made the 'concession': Ambrose McGinn, Retail Manager, Abbey National plc, PO Box 911, Milton Keynes MK9 1AD. Thanks, and good luck. Eleanor.

-- Eleanor Scott (eleanor.scott@btinternet.com), October 13, 2000.