Rooftop MortgagesPublic Complaints & Decisions Archive

Practical

Example letters

Grouped by the stage of the Borrower Playbook they belong to. These are examples to adapt, not legal advice, and not a substitute for advice on your own circumstances.

Please read before using these

These are examples only. They are not legal advice, they are not tailored to any individual case, and using them does not create any professional relationship. Pre-action disclosure in particular is a court step with costs consequences. Take advice from a solicitor or a regulated adviser before taking formal steps, and check any applicable time limits.

Getting documents

Request for named mortgage and security documents

An ordinary document request. Use it for the deed, the conditions, a transfer or an appointment — not a subject access request.

Use this when

You want specific documents rather than information about yourself, and you can name them.

What usually happens next

There is no statutory deadline for this kind of request. Some documents arrive quickly; others are refused. Either way you create a dated record of what was asked and what was refused.

Before you send it

Check the Land Registry register first. If it says a copy of the charge is filed, you can order it yourself rather than waiting.

Dear Sir or Madam

Account reference: [reference]
Property: [property]

This is a request for specific documents. It is not a subject access request, and I would be grateful if it is not treated as one.

Please provide copies of:

1. the mortgage deed and the mortgage conditions applying to this account, in the version in force at completion;
2. any subsequent variation of those conditions, and the date of each;
3. any transfer or assignment of the mortgage or of the debt, and any notice of it sent to me;
4. any deed or instrument appointing a receiver in respect of the property;
5. the tariff of charges in force on [date] and on [date].

If any document will not be provided, please identify the document and state the reason.

Yours faithfully

Ownership, authority and redemption

Request for confirmation of entitlement to receive redemption and give good discharge

Used before a redemption or refinance, to establish who should be paid, who can release the charge, and who can procure its removal from the title.

Use this when

You are redeeming or refinancing and want written confirmation of who is entitled to be paid and who can release the charge.

What usually happens next

Lenders normally answer this alongside a redemption statement. The practical point is who can receive the money so that your liability is fully discharged; answers about beneficial ownership are often less complete than answers about the registered charge.

Before you send it

This is a practical question about payment, not a basis for withholding payment. Do not stop paying while waiting for a reply.

Dear Sir or Madam

Account reference: [reference]
Property: [property]

In connection with the intended redemption of this mortgage, please confirm in writing:

1. the identity of the current registered proprietor of the charge over the property, with company number;
2. which entity asserts the present legal entitlement to enforce the mortgage and to receive repayment;
3. any beneficial owner, where that is relevant to explaining who can receive repayment or give discharge;
4. which entity is entitled to issue the redemption statement;
5. which entity is entitled to receive the redemption monies and to give a good and valid discharge of the mortgage debt;
6. which entity will procure discharge of the registered charge at HM Land Registry, and the period within which that will be done after redemption;
7. the date and legal mechanism of any transfer or assignment affecting the above, and whether notice of it was given to me and when.

I ask for this so that redemption monies are paid to the correct party and the charge is removed. Please provide a redemption statement alongside your reply.

Yours faithfully

Request for clarification of servicer authority

Used where correspondence comes from a servicer or administrator rather than the entity named on the mortgage.

Use this when

Letters are coming from a servicer or administrator whose name does not appear on your mortgage deed.

What usually happens next

You should get confirmation of the capacity in which the servicer acts and who it acts for. Answers about the limits of that authority are often thinner.

Before you send it

A servicer acting for the lender is normal and lawful. Asking who someone acts for is reasonable; treating the answer as proof that no one can enforce is not.

Dear Sir or Madam

Account reference: [reference]

Correspondence about this account has been sent by [name of correspondent], which is not the entity named as lender in my mortgage documents. Please confirm:

1. the capacity in which [name] acts, and whether it acts as agent, as servicer under a contract, or in some other capacity;
2. the identity of the party on whose behalf it acts, with company number;
3. the date from which it has acted, and whether notice of the arrangement was sent to me and when;
4. whether it has authority to make decisions about forbearance, charges, legal costs and enforcement, or only to administer the account;
5. whether it has authority to issue a redemption figure that binds the owner of the debt;
6. whether it is authorised to receive full redemption monies on that party's behalf;
7. whether payment made to [name] binds the owner of the debt and discharges my liability in full;
8. whether it can instruct solicitors or appoint a receiver in its own discretion, or only on the instruction of the owner of the debt;
9. the document under which that authority is conferred, and whether a copy or extract can be provided.

Yours faithfully

Request for confirmation that the demanding party can receive payment and discharge the debt

Used where a party is demanding payment or threatening enforcement, rather than where a routine redemption is being arranged.

Use this when

You are being pressed for payment, or enforcement is threatened, by a party whose entitlement to receive the money and to release you from the debt is not clear from your paperwork.

What usually happens next

A clear response should identify the relevant entities and capacities. A vague response creates a dated record of what remains unanswered.

Before you send it

This is not a reason to stop paying. Keep making the payments you can afford and keep the receipts; asking who is entitled to be paid does not suspend the mortgage.

Dear Sir or Madam

Account reference: [reference]
Property: [property]

You have demanded payment of [amount] in respect of this account and have referred to [enforcement step]. Before I make payment, please confirm in writing:

1. which entity asserts the present legal entitlement to enforce this mortgage and to receive repayment, and in what capacity you write (as that entity, or as its agent, giving its name and company number);
2. whether you are entitled to receive payment of the full outstanding balance;
3. whether payment made to you would discharge my liability in full, so that no further claim could be made for the same sum;
3a. the identity of any beneficial owner, where that is relevant to explaining who can receive repayment or give discharge;
4. which entity would confirm in writing that the debt has been discharged;
5. which entity would procure removal of the registered charge at HM Land Registry, and within what period;
6. the date and mechanism of any transfer or assignment of this mortgage, and whether notice of it was given to me and when.

Please also send a current settlement figure with a stated expiry date, and an itemised breakdown of every fee, legal cost and interest charge included in it.

Yours faithfully

Personal data rights

Full subject access request (mortgage account)

A subject access request under Article 15 of the UK GDPR, framed for a mortgage account.

Use this when

You want to know what has been recorded about you: account notes, calls, internal notes, and who your data has been shared with.

What usually happens next

The organisation normally has one month to respond, extendable where the request is complex. You should receive your personal data, which may be provided as extracts or edited documents.

Before you send it

A SAR is not a route to the mortgage deed, the assignment or an invoice. The ICO says an organisation can provide extracts or edited documents containing your personal information rather than whole original documents. Ask for documents separately.

Dear Sir or Madam

Subject access request
Account reference: [reference]
Full name: [name]
Address: [address]
Property: [property]
Period requested: [from date] to [date]

I make this request under Article 15 of the UK GDPR. Please provide a copy of the personal data you hold about me, including:

1. account notes, system notes and diary entries relating to me and to the account;
2. call recordings and any transcripts or call summaries involving me;
3. correspondence about me, including internal correspondence and emails, not limited to letters sent to me;
4. internal notes, assessments and decision records concerning arrears, forbearance, charges and enforcement in relation to me;
5. field agent, asset manager or property inspection reports concerning me or visits to the property;
6. information held about occupation of the property;
7. complaint investigation records, including any internal analysis of why the issue occurred where it contains my personal data;
8. records of my personal data shared with third parties, including credit reference agencies, solicitors, receivers and agents;
9. the recipients or categories of recipients to whom my personal data has been or will be disclosed;
10. the retention periods applied to the above categories, or the criteria used to set them.

If you reasonably require further information to verify my identity, please tell me promptly what is required.

Please provide the response in electronic form.

Yours faithfully

Targeted subject access request (arrears and enforcement records)

A narrower request focused on the decisions that led to arrears management, charges or enforcement.

Use this when

You already have basic account information and need the internal record behind particular decisions or dates.

What usually happens next

Narrow requests are generally answered faster and are harder to answer with a bundle of letters you already have.

Before you send it

Naming dates and calls precisely is what makes this work. A vague request produces a vague response.

Dear Sir or Madam

Subject access request – targeted
Account reference: [reference]
Period: [from date] to [date]

I make this request under Article 15 of the UK GDPR, limited to the following personal data:

1. all account and system notes for the period above;
2. the recording and any transcript of my calls on [date], [date] and [date];
3. internal notes and decision records concerning the decision to [apply the charge of £X on date / instruct solicitors / appoint a receiver / refuse the proposal made on date];
4. any field agent or inspection report concerning the property dated between [date] and [date], including any statement about occupation;
5. records of my personal data disclosed to third parties during the period, and the recipients or categories of recipients.

If you reasonably require further information to verify my identity, please tell me promptly what is required.

Yours faithfully

Request to correct inaccurate account information

A rectification request under Article 16 of the UK GDPR, with a request to restrict processing while accuracy is checked.

Use this when

A factual record about you is wrong — occupancy, engagement, contact details, income figures — and it may have influenced a decision.

What usually happens next

The organisation must consider your evidence. Where the information is used for important decisions, the ICO expects greater effort in checking accuracy. It may correct the entry, or add a supplementary statement.

Before you send it

This does not stop mortgage enforcement. It addresses the use of disputed personal data, not the debt itself. Keep paying what you can while it is dealt with.

Dear Sir or Madam

Request for rectification of inaccurate personal data
Account reference: [reference]

I have reviewed the personal data provided in response to my subject access request. The following entries are inaccurate:

1. Entry dated [date]: recorded as "[quote the entry]". This is inaccurate because [explain]. Evidence: [document reference].
2. Entry dated [date]: recorded as "[quote the entry]". This is inaccurate because [explain]. Evidence: [document reference].

Under Article 16 of the UK GDPR I ask you to:

a. rectify the inaccurate data, or where the record is incomplete rather than wrong, complete it by adding a supplementary statement in the terms enclosed;
b. restrict processing of the disputed data while you verify its accuracy;
c. notify the correction to each recipient to whom the data has been disclosed, and tell me who those recipients are;
d. confirm whether any decision about my account relied on the inaccurate entries, and if so whether that decision will be reconsidered.

Please respond within one month.

Yours faithfully

Complaint to the ICO after a deficient subject access response

Used after the organisation has been given a chance to put a late or incomplete response right.

Use this when

The response was late, plainly incomplete, or ignored categories you specifically asked for, and you have already raised it with the organisation.

What usually happens next

The ICO usually expects you to have complained to the organisation first. It may take the matter up, or record it as intelligence.

Before you send it

The ICO deals with data handling. It does not decide whether you were treated fairly on your mortgage — that is the Financial Ombudsman.

Dear Sir or Madam

Complaint about handling of a subject access request
Organisation: [name]
Date of my request: [date]
Date of response, if any: [date]
Date I raised the shortfall with the organisation: [date]

I complain about the handling of my request for the following reasons:

1. [no response within one month / no valid extension notified];
2. the response omitted the following categories, which were expressly requested: [list];
3. redactions were applied without explanation;
4. no information was given about the recipients or categories of recipients of my personal data.

I raised these points with the organisation on [date]. Its response was [summary / none].

The correspondence is enclosed.

Yours faithfully

Enforcement and sale

Request for the basis, powers and costs of a receiver appointment

Used where a receiver has been appointed or threatened, to establish the power relied on and the cost consequences.

Use this when

Receivers have been threatened or appointed and you do not know the power relied on, the identity of the receiver, or the cost.

What usually happens next

You should get the power and usually the identity. Detailed cost information is frequently the weakest part of the answer.

Before you send it

Asking these questions does not suspend an appointment. If your mortgage is a regulated residential mortgage on your home, seek advice urgently — the possession pre-action protocol may apply.

Dear Sir or Madam

Account reference: [reference]
Property: [property]

In relation to the [proposed / actual] appointment of a receiver, please confirm:

1. whether this mortgage is treated by you as a regulated residential mortgage contract or as buy-to-let;
2. the power relied on for the appointment, identifying the clause of the mortgage deed or the statutory provision;
3. the identity of the receiver, the firm and its regulatory status;
4. the date of appointment and a copy of the deed or instrument of appointment;
5. the purpose of the appointment and the steps intended, including whether a sale or letting is intended;
6. the receiver's fees and expenses, the basis of charge, and whether they will be added to my account;
7. the costs already added to the account in connection with the appointment;
8. your understanding of the current occupation of the property.

I ask you to hold any further step while the proposal set out in my letter of [date] is considered, and to give written reasons if you decline.

Yours faithfully

Request for an enforcement standstill while a proposal is considered

Used where a specific, evidenced proposal exists and enforcement steps are threatened or under way.

Use this when

You have a specific, evidenced plan — a sale, a refinance, or a payment arrangement — and enforcement is threatened or under way.

What usually happens next

Some lenders hold action while a credible plan is documented; others decline. Either way you get the reasons in writing, which matters later.

Before you send it

Send this only with the evidence attached. A proposal with no dates and no documents behind it is usually refused, and the refusal then works against you.

Dear Sir or Madam

Account reference: [reference]

I am writing to ask you to hold any further enforcement step, including the appointment of a receiver, while the following proposal is considered.

Proposal: [set out the proposal — sale, refinance, payment arrangement — with dates]
Evidence enclosed: [marketing particulars / offer / agreement in principle / income and expenditure]
Date by which the proposal would complete: [date]

Enforcement at this point would add costs to the account which the proposal is intended to avoid. If you are not willing to hold action, please tell me in writing:

1. your reasons;
2. what further information would change that decision;
3. the costs you expect would be added to the account if you proceed.

Please treat this letter as a complaint if you decline.

Yours faithfully

Covering letter for a residential sale evidence pack

Used to put a documented sale in front of the lender, with authority for your agent and conveyancer to deal with it directly.

Use this when

The property is genuinely on the market, or an offer exists, and you want that treated as a real proposal rather than an intention.

What usually happens next

Lenders vary. A pack with particulars, an EPC, an offer and named professionals is materially harder to ignore than a phone call.

Before you send it

For a regulated residential mortgage the pre-action protocol contemplates the borrower demonstrating reasonable steps to sell. Buy-to-let is expressly outside that protocol, so if your mortgage is buy-to-let, rely on the commercial merits rather than the protocol.

Dear Sir or Madam

Account reference: [reference]
Property: [property]

I am marketing the property and enclose the evidence of that.

Enclosed:
1. sale particulars, listed on [date] at [price];
2. Energy Performance Certificate;
3. [offer of £[amount] from [buyer] dated [date], with confirmation of the buyer's funding position];
4. schedule of viewings and offers to date.

Estate agent: [name, firm, telephone, email]
Conveyancer: [name, firm, telephone, email]

I authorise you to communicate directly with the agent and conveyancer named above about the sale and about the redemption figure.

Expected exchange: [date]. Expected completion: [date].
[Where a shortfall is expected: the anticipated shortfall is £[amount] and I propose [proposal], with supporting income and expenditure enclosed.]

Please confirm by [date]:
a. that you will hold further enforcement steps while the sale proceeds, with a review date;
b. the current redemption figure and its expiry date;
c. any costs that would be added if enforcement continued in parallel.

If you are not prepared to allow the sale to proceed, please give written reasons and say what further information would change that decision.

Yours faithfully

Complaints and the Ombudsman

Referral of a complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service

Used after a final response, or after eight weeks without one. Check the six-month time limit.

Use this when

You have a final response you disagree with, or eight weeks have passed since you complained with no final response.

What usually happens next

An investigator reviews the file first and gives a view. If either side disagrees, an Ombudsman makes a final decision, which is binding on the business if you accept it.

Before you send it

There is normally a six-month deadline from the date of the final response. The Ombudsman cannot look at buy-to-let complaints that fall outside its jurisdiction, so check whether your mortgage is covered.

Dear Sir or Madam

Complaint about: [business]
Account reference: [reference]
Final response dated: [date] / No final response received; complaint made on [date]

I would like the Financial Ombudsman Service to consider this complaint.

What happened, in date order:
[dated chronology]

What I say went wrong, as numbered issues:
1. [issue]
2. [issue]
3. [issue]

What I have lost:
[financial loss, with figures, and any non-financial impact]

What I am asking for:
[the outcome sought, quantified]

Documents enclosed, numbered:
[evidence index]

Yours faithfully

Response to an investigator's view

Used to identify what the view did not address, rather than to restate the complaint at greater length.

Use this when

The investigator's view omits issues, relies on evidence you have not seen, or treats contractual entitlement as answering fairness.

What usually happens next

The investigator may revise the view, or maintain it. Either way the unanswered issues are now on the file for the Ombudsman.

Before you send it

Deadlines for responding to a view are short and are usually stated in the letter. Ask for an extension in writing if you need one.

Dear [investigator]

Complaint reference: [reference]

Thank you for your view of [date]. I accept the findings on [issues accepted]. I disagree on the following points.

Issues raised but not addressed:

| Issue I raised | What the view says | What is missing |
| [issue 1] | [summary] | [gap] |
| [issue 2] | [summary] | [gap] |

Evidence:
1. The view refers to [document]. I have not seen this and ask for a copy.
2. I enclose the following evidence, which I do not believe was before you: [list, numbered].

Rules and guidance:
The view does not address [rule or guidance, for example MCOB 13.3, MCOB 12.4, or the pre-action protocol]. I ask that it be considered.

Fairness as distinct from strict entitlement:
The view concludes that the charge was permitted under the contract. My complaint is that the treatment was not fair and reasonable in all the circumstances, which is the test under DISP 3.6.1. I ask for that question to be addressed separately.

If the view is maintained, please refer the complaint to an Ombudsman for a final decision.

Yours sincerely

Request for a final decision by an Ombudsman

A short, structured request for the case to move from investigator to Ombudsman.

Use this when

You have responded to the view, the investigator has maintained it, and you want a final decision.

What usually happens next

An Ombudsman reviews the case afresh and issues a final decision with reasons. If you accept it, it is binding on the business.

Before you send it

Accepting a final decision normally brings the complaint to an end and prevents pursuing the same complaint in court. Take advice if the sums are significant.

Dear Sir or Madam

Complaint reference: [reference]

I ask for this complaint to be determined by an Ombudsman.

The issues I ask to be determined:
1. [issue] — my position: [one line]
2. [issue] — my position: [one line]
3. [issue] — my position: [one line]

Points on which I do not seek a determination: [list, if any].

The redress I ask the Ombudsman to direct:
[quantified redress, and any non-financial direction such as correction of the account]

Enclosed: my response to the investigator's view dated [date], and evidence items [numbers].

Yours faithfully

Court and disclosure

Request to preserve documents and data

Used where enforcement or proceedings are anticipated, to ask that relevant material is not deleted under routine retention policies.

Use this when

A dispute is live and call recordings or account notes may be deleted under normal retention periods.

What usually happens next

Organisations often confirm preservation, because refusing is difficult to justify once a dispute is known.

Before you send it

Preservation is not disclosure. It stops material disappearing; it does not entitle you to see it. Ask for the material separately.

Dear Sir or Madam

Account reference: [reference]

A dispute has arisen between us concerning [subject]. Proceedings are in contemplation.

I ask you to preserve, and not to delete or overwrite under any routine retention policy, the following material relating to this account:

1. all account notes, system notes and diary entries;
2. all call recordings and transcripts;
3. all internal and external correspondence concerning the account, including with any servicer, solicitor, receiver or agent;
4. all field agent and inspection reports;
5. all documents concerning the charges applied to the account and the instruction of any third party;
6. all documents concerning any transfer, assignment or appointment.

Please confirm in writing that this material has been preserved.

Yours faithfully

Narrow notice of an intended application for pre-action disclosure

A formal court step under Civil Procedure Rule 31.16. Take legal advice before sending or applying.

Use this when

Documents you have specifically asked for have not been provided and you are contemplating court proceedings.

What usually happens next

Sometimes the documents arrive at this stage. If not, an application has to be issued and a judge decides it.

Before you send it

This is a court step with real costs consequences, including the risk of paying the other side's costs. Take advice from a solicitor before sending it, and only send it if you are prepared to follow through.

Dear Sir or Madam

Account reference: [reference]

I have asked for the following documents and they have not been provided:

1. [document] — requested on [date]; [refused on [date] / no reply]
2. [document] — requested on [date]; [refused on [date] / no reply]
3. [document] — requested on [date]; [refused on [date] / no reply]

Each is a document that would fall within standard disclosure in proceedings between us, and disclosure now is desirable to dispose fairly of the anticipated proceedings, to assist the dispute being resolved without proceedings, or to save costs.

If the documents are not provided within [14] days, I intend to apply to the court for pre-action disclosure under Civil Procedure Rule 31.16 and to rely on this letter on the question of costs.

Yours faithfully

See the anonymised correspondence pack from My Case

Fourteen anonymised letters from one real dispute, in the order they were sent, covering data requests, fees, authority, complaints, enforcement and disclosure. They overlap with the letters above; use these if you want to see how the sequence worked in practice.

Read the correspondence pack

For which letter fits which situation, see the Borrower Playbook.