Town tops repossession claim rise

The number of repossession claims has risen across Wales

The Pembrokeshire town of Haverfordwest has seen the biggest proportional rise in repossession claims in the whole of Wales and England, new figures show.

Figures from the last three months of 2007 show a 127% rise in claims at Haverfordwest County Court, compared with the same period in 2006.

The town's Citizens Advice said there had been a big increase in people falling behind with mortgage payments.

Across Wales, the rise during those three months was 36%.

The rise in claims corresponds with an increase in the interest rate during the same period.

The actual number of possession claims issued in Haverfordwest was 68, which was not the highest individual number for a Welsh county, but represented the biggest proportional rise.

It's essential that people obtain advice as early as possible Christine Davies, Shelter Cymru

One of the biggest factors behind the rise, according to Citizens Advice, was tenants who initially bought their homes under right to buy legislation re-mortgaging, with sub-prime mortgages or loans from non high-street lenders.

The charity said people entered into agreements without taking proper advice and ended by borrowing more than they could afford to pay back.

Shelter Cymru's head of external affairs, Michelle Wales, said she expected the situation to get worse as more people came to the end of fixed-term deals in 2008.

Shelter's Pembrokeshire housing case law worker, Christine Davies, told BBC Wales: "The majority of clients seem to be people who purchased council properties at very low prices. They have constantly remortgaged with sub-prime lenders.

"It's essential that people obtain advice as early as possible."

For the whole of 2007, repossession claims across Wales rose by 12% compared to 2006, with north Wales seeing the biggest rise of 18%, and 43% during the last quarter.

Over the whole year, Mold County Court actually recorded the highest percentage increase, at 93%.

Mortgage possession claims do not always end with the owner losing their home, as the lender can come to an arrangement with the borrower to pay off arrears.