Bank of Scotland unfairly double billed customers says judge

Bank of Scotland has been unfairly double billing customers who fell behind on their mortgages, a High Court judge in Belfast has ruled.

In a scathing verdict, Master Ellison said the bank's behaviour had been "unconscionable", the BBC reports. He said it had caused borrowers to be "plunged into depression". The findings could have implications for thousands of Bank of Scotland mortgage holders across the UK. The Housing Rights Service which took the case said if the bank's practice had gone unchallenged, many borrowers would have lost their homes. The bank is a major mortgage lender in Northern Ireland under the Halifax brand, and is ultimately owned by the Lloyds Banking group. The case focused on the way it...