Thousands of individuals in the UK will have been receiving calls or recorded delivery letters at their homes from a company in Cyprus called Baker Tilly in relation to a Swiss Franc housing loan previously taken out with Alpha Bank in Cyprus. Most of these individuals will never have heard of Baker Tilly, and as a result have been understandably wary of engaging with Baker Tilly directly.
Who is Baker Tilly?
Baker Tilly is a full-service accounting and advisory firm with offices in Cyprus, UK and the Balkans.
Why are Baker Tilly contacting you from Cyprus?
They (Baker Tilly) have been instructed by Alpha Bank – and other Banks in Cyprus – to initially locate the Banks’ clients (like yourself) in the UK and then negotiate solutions on behalf of Alpha Bank to the historical problems between the parties.
There is more information on the historical Swiss Franc Mortgage Problems here - Mortgage Problems in Cyprus - Judicare (judicaregroup.com)
Should you ignore the letters from Baker Tilly?
Receiving a letter from Baker Tilly regarding a historical mortgage debt in Cyprus, may provide a new opportunity for individuals to deal with the issues in Cyprus. Issues which the vast majority of property owners have mistakenly believed had simply “gone away” having stopped paying their housing loans many years ago and received no contact from their Bank in Cyprus. The fact that Baker Tilly directly has contacted you, is live proof that the loans did not “go away”
What are the potential solutions?
Where an owner does not wish to retain their property in Cyprus, it is possible with specialist advice to negotiate for the property to be given back to the Bank, this sees owners released from their obligations and able to continue their life free from any stress or fear for their future.
Where an owner wishes to retain their property in Cyprus, it is possible, again with specialist advice, to restructure the Loan with significant discounts; and in these cases, the owners carry on with their ownership, free from stress and in enjoyment of their properties in Cyprus.
What if I ignore the contact from Baker Tilly?
The purpose of Baker Tilly’s involvement is to seek on behalf of the Bank(s) in Cyprus, settlements with individuals regarding their unpaid debts. If individuals, who are in long default of their Swiss Franc mortgage in Cyprus, ignore the fact that Baker Tilly located them and fail to explore either directly or through advice from specialists, then Baker Tilly will report the non-cooperation back to the Bank in Cyprus. It is likely, the Bank will then initiate a legal action against the individual for the full amount owed, plus interest plus costs. That legal action will then be “served” to them in the UK via the Cyprus Court.
There is more information on this legal process here - If you are served in the UK with a Writ of Summons from a Cyprus Court, what immediate action should you take? (judicaregroup.com)
How can Judicare help?
We have been helping individuals to find the correct solution with regards to their problematic mortgage in Cyprus since 2010. Over the years our team of experts both in the UK and in Cyprus have acquired the knowledge, skills and experience in finding the optimum solutions for our clients. So, if you are facing problems with your mortgage in Cyprus, our specialist legal team can help you explore your options, including negotiating full and final settlements or variations to the mortgage with Baker Tilly, taking steps to sell or rent out the property, and considering whether taking legal action (such as a mis selling or professional negligence claim) is viable.
Below are just some of the reasons why our clients instruct us:
- Our legal teams have decades of combined experience of handling Swiss Franc Mortgage problems in Cyprus.
- We are regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) and as such we carry professional Indemnity Insurance giving you vital protections and redress in the unlikely scenario something goes wrong. The Cypriot legal team is also regulated by the Cyprus Bar Association and they also carry a professional Indemnity Insurance.
- We have successfully negotiated over £45million of foreign Bank debt being written off for our clients.
- We’re members of the Association of International Property Professionals and devote ourselves to promoting principles of good practice within the international property industry.
- Using a Claims Management Company (CMC) or a so called “advisory firm” providing foreign property debt solutions across the EU can be risky, as there are no safeguards or any regulatory redress for clients if something goes wrong
If you have received a letter from Baker Tilly in Cyprus, or have fears you may soon receive a letter, or would simply like more information on our fixed fee approach a member of our team will be happy to take your call on a confidential basis at 01438 840258 or via email to admin@judicaregroup.com
We can also arrange a free no obligation teleconference via Zoom/Skype.
Getting in touch will allow us to understand your individual circumstances and discuss with you your concerns and objectives. Working with you we can then decide upon the correct strategy to approach and find the solution which is right for you.