DRN-5655816 – General comparator: notice to quit and legal fees added by a lender's solicitors (Barclays)
What happened: A complaint against Barclays Bank UK PLC about an interest-only mortgage and a linked mortgage current account whose term ended in 2017. The borrowers were unhappy that the bank's solicitors sent them a notice to quit and that legal fees were added to the mortgage balance after they believed the mortgage had been repaid. The complaint was not upheld.
What the Ombudsman decided: Complaint not upheld.
A published Ombudsman decision that does not concern Rooftop Mortgages Limited. Included only as general comparator material.
What mattered to the Ombudsman
- That the mortgage term had ended in 2017 and the borrowing had not in fact been repaid in full
- That the solicitors' notice to quit followed from the position on the account rather than being a separate wrong
- That legal fees added to the balance were treated as costs arising from the unrepaid borrowing
These are the factors this particular decision treated as important. Ombudsman decisions are not precedent and another case can turn out differently.
What this does not prove
This is comparator material about another lender. It is not evidence about Rooftop and decides nothing about any Rooftop account.
Source details
- Source type
- Financial Ombudsman Service decision
- Source
- Financial Ombudsman Service, final decision DRN-5655816 (Ombudsman: Simon Pugh)
- Date
- 14 August 2025
- Reference
- DRN-5655816
- Mortgage type
- Residential
- Jurisdiction
- United Kingdom
- Organisations
- Barclays Bank UK PLC
- Source quality
- Official source
- Last checked
- 2 September 2026
- Added
- 2 September 2026
What happened
A complaint against Barclays Bank UK PLC about an interest-only mortgage and a linked mortgage current account whose term ended in 2017. The borrowers were unhappy that the bank's solicitors sent them a notice to quit and that legal fees were added to the mortgage balance after they believed the mortgage had been repaid. The complaint was not upheld.
What the Ombudsman decided
The Ombudsman did not uphold the complaint.
Outcome
- Complaint not upheld.
Why this record may be relevant
Included only as general comparator material on how the Ombudsman approaches legal fees added by a lender's solicitors. This decision does not concern Rooftop Mortgages Limited.
Source
Financial Ombudsman Service, final decision DRN-5655816 (Ombudsman: Simon Pugh)
View original sourceThe date shown is the date stated in the published decision by which the consumer was required to accept or reject it. This decision does not concern Rooftop Mortgages Limited and is not evidence about Rooftop.
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