Today I received copies of documents from Hammond Suddards Edge after I SARNed them. I have received: A copy of the mortgage application form 2 'best price certificates' from estate agents, stating that an offer received to purchase the property is the best price likely to be achieved, and that 'the property has been fully and freely exposed to the marketplace' 3 A copy of 'valation of property in possession' 4 A copy of posessions register submission form 5 A copy of the signatures page of the mortgage deed 6 A copy of a completion statement

Everything on these documents seems to be in order. Is there anything else I should have received? To be honest, I expected to receive copies of letters and stuff like that. Could this be all that they have on file?

Thanks for your help

Jo

-- Jo (jo@sunflowerdesign.co.uk), April 28, 2001

Answers

When you SARN a lender's agent, such as Hammond Suddards Edge, that agent is required to send you copies of everything that is held on you in electronic form (eg held on a database system). The material you have been have sent sounds unusual in that one would expect it to be held in either paper or microfilm form, thus (at present) falling outside the scope of the Act [though this will change in October this year].

I SARNed Eversheds, Abbey National's agent in my 'case', and was sent material which appears to be much more of the expected type: screen dumps, database printouts, electronic log entries, etc. I didn't get anything such as you describe above from Eversheds.

In my humble opinion the response to your SARN seems somewhat idiosyncratic, although it may be that Eversheds and Hammond Suddards Edge operate very differently - although I don't know why this should be. I'd ask the Information Commissioner for an assessment. In the meantime write back to H.S.E. and ask them for a full explanation of their processing and processing logic. Also ask them if there are any coded or abbreviated references to your MIG or anything else they haven't explained. This will give you some insights into their thinking.

-- Eleanor Scott (eleanor.scott@btinternet.com), April 28, 2001.

Just regarding the different approaches. Both HSE and Eversheds operate different computer systems and this is in part likely to be why they have approached the SARN differently. Common in both instances will be that it will have been fobbed off onto IT rather than handled direct by a solicitor. You've probably ended up with somebody who's not familiar even with the SARN law supplying the data.

-- Andy (andy.turner@ramesys.com), April 30, 2001.