0:00:02 > 0:00:04We asked you to tell us what's left you feeling ripped off,
0:00:04 > 0:00:07and you contacted us in your thousands.
0:00:07 > 0:00:09You've told us about the companies you think get it wrong
0:00:09 > 0:00:13and the customer service that is simply not up to scratch.
0:00:13 > 0:00:17It's my money, and it's not right for anyone to rip you off.
0:00:17 > 0:00:21I don't understand how they get hold of my information.
0:00:21 > 0:00:24You've asked us to track down the scammers who stole your money
0:00:24 > 0:00:27and investigate the extra charges you say are unfair.
0:00:27 > 0:00:31You don't get compensated, it takes a long time to get things done
0:00:31 > 0:00:32and nobody cares.
0:00:32 > 0:00:36In the end, I told them no, because I knew it was a scam.
0:00:36 > 0:00:39And when you've lost out but no-one else is to blame,
0:00:39 > 0:00:43you've come to us, to stop others falling into the same trap.
0:00:46 > 0:00:49So, whether it's a blatant rip off or a genuine mistake...
0:00:49 > 0:00:52We're here to find out why you're out of pocket
0:00:52 > 0:00:53and what you can do about it.
0:00:53 > 0:00:58Your stories, your money, this is Rip-Off Britain.
0:01:00 > 0:01:03Hello, and welcome to Rip-Off Britain, where today,
0:01:03 > 0:01:06once again, we'll be getting right to the bottom of some of the stories
0:01:06 > 0:01:08and problems you've sent to us,
0:01:08 > 0:01:12and, in particular, challenging that old expression "safe as houses".
0:01:12 > 0:01:15Because it certainly seems that there's nothing safe
0:01:15 > 0:01:18about the value of the houses in the cases we'll be hearing about.
0:01:18 > 0:01:21Indeed, the owners of all of them feel that they've lost out,
0:01:21 > 0:01:25thanks to situations that were not necessarily caused by them.
0:01:25 > 0:01:29Now, your home is often a lot more than just bricks and mortar.
0:01:29 > 0:01:33Indeed, for many of us, it's a place that's full of memories,
0:01:33 > 0:01:36and perhaps it's also the key to our future financial security.
0:01:36 > 0:01:40So a bolt out of the blue that puts a huge question mark over whether
0:01:40 > 0:01:43or not you'll be able to sell the house for what you think it's worth,
0:01:43 > 0:01:46or indeed whether it'll be worth anything at all,
0:01:46 > 0:01:48is going to be absolutely devastating.
0:01:48 > 0:01:51But that is exactly what happened to some of the people
0:01:51 > 0:01:52that we're about to meet.
0:01:52 > 0:01:56Yes, they all suddenly discovered that the certainty and security
0:01:56 > 0:01:59that their homes had once signified had changed -
0:01:59 > 0:02:01they'd say through no fault of their own.
0:02:01 > 0:02:04That's news none of us ever wants to hear.
0:02:04 > 0:02:05But, by the end of the programme,
0:02:05 > 0:02:07we hope that if it ever happens to you,
0:02:07 > 0:02:10you'll know exactly what to do about it.
0:02:11 > 0:02:15Coming up - the locals who say the threat of fracking has
0:02:15 > 0:02:17caused their homes to plummet in value...
0:02:17 > 0:02:19if they can even be sold at all.
0:02:19 > 0:02:23They all said, "Sorry, it's everything we want,
0:02:23 > 0:02:26"but we can't take the risk because of fracking."
0:02:26 > 0:02:30The fast-growing menace that could scupper your house sale...
0:02:30 > 0:02:32even when it's not on your property.
0:02:32 > 0:02:35I love my plants, I love my garden,
0:02:35 > 0:02:39but as for knotweed, I definitely don't like that.
0:02:39 > 0:02:44And more of your problems solved at the Rip-Off Britain Pop Up Shop.
0:02:47 > 0:02:49Now, if you own a property,
0:02:49 > 0:02:52you'll know it's not just about having a valuable asset,
0:02:52 > 0:02:54it's somewhere that's a home,
0:02:54 > 0:02:57with all the memories you've made there over time.
0:02:57 > 0:03:00And when you decide to leave, you'll want that to be your own choice
0:03:00 > 0:03:02and at the time that's right for you.
0:03:02 > 0:03:05But that isn't how it's worked out for the mother and son
0:03:05 > 0:03:08that we're about to meet, or indeed for others like them.
0:03:08 > 0:03:11And what's particularly upsetting about that is that they've
0:03:11 > 0:03:13been let down by a scheme that was supposed to HELP them,
0:03:13 > 0:03:17and indeed was specifically sold as the answer to their troubles.
0:03:17 > 0:03:20Thousands of people signed up to something similar.
0:03:20 > 0:03:23So could they too face losing their home?
0:03:25 > 0:03:30Today is a sad day for single mother Janet and her son, Peter.
0:03:30 > 0:03:32Peter, come and look at these.
0:03:32 > 0:03:37They are getting ready to move out of their home of 23 years.
0:03:37 > 0:03:39Peter was only two and a half.
0:03:39 > 0:03:42And it was... My husband and I bought the house.
0:03:45 > 0:03:48And that's...this is where we came to.
0:03:48 > 0:03:50Peter is moving in with friends,
0:03:50 > 0:03:55and Janet, at the age of 58, is moving to her mother's spare room.
0:03:55 > 0:03:58It means saying goodbye to almost all of her belongings.
0:03:58 > 0:04:01I always say that
0:04:01 > 0:04:04what you choose to have in your house defines you,
0:04:04 > 0:04:07and I'm quite sentimental, so...
0:04:07 > 0:04:09- It's a new beginning, isn't it? - Yes, it is, yeah.
0:04:09 > 0:04:13When Janet and her husband split in 1996, they agreed
0:04:13 > 0:04:15she could keep the house.
0:04:15 > 0:04:18But without her husband's income to help share the mortgage
0:04:18 > 0:04:21payments, she started to struggle financially.
0:04:21 > 0:04:25I'd run up some debts just being a single mum,
0:04:25 > 0:04:27just living on day-to-day.
0:04:27 > 0:04:30So when Janet discovered a company that promised a way for her
0:04:30 > 0:04:34to stay put, save money AND get a lump sum to pay off her debts,
0:04:34 > 0:04:38she immediately thought it could be the answer to her prayers.
0:04:38 > 0:04:42The company - Shield4Life - operated what's called "sale and rent back",
0:04:42 > 0:04:46which, like similar schemes offered by a number of companies,
0:04:46 > 0:04:49sounded like a lifeline for people like Janet.
0:04:49 > 0:04:52You sell the company your house, then pay them rent,
0:04:52 > 0:04:53so you don't have to move.
0:04:53 > 0:04:56It was very well presented
0:04:56 > 0:05:00and possibly what I was looking for.
0:05:00 > 0:05:06Shield4Life offered to buy Janet's house at the market rate - £190,000.
0:05:06 > 0:05:11The company would hold on to 40% of that - £76,000 -
0:05:11 > 0:05:15and only pay that to Janet when they sold the house on again.
0:05:15 > 0:05:18In the meantime, she'd get a lump sum to pay off debts,
0:05:18 > 0:05:21cover their fees, and press the reset button on her finances.
0:05:21 > 0:05:26Shield4Life became the official owners of the house,
0:05:26 > 0:05:29and Janet just had to pay a small rent to live there.
0:05:30 > 0:05:34It was a fantastic answer to every problem, really.
0:05:34 > 0:05:37And the relief was absolutely huge.
0:05:37 > 0:05:40For the next three years, the scheme seemed to be working well.
0:05:40 > 0:05:43But in 2010, their lives were shaken
0:05:43 > 0:05:46when Janet suffered a brain aneurism.
0:05:46 > 0:05:49I needed to rest more, I couldn't manage the stairs,
0:05:49 > 0:05:51the garden was very difficult to manage.
0:05:51 > 0:05:54So, after much thought, Janet reluctantly contacted Shield4Life
0:05:54 > 0:05:57and told them she wanted to sell the house.
0:05:57 > 0:06:00There had been some changes to the initial deal,
0:06:00 > 0:06:02but she still reckoned that her share of the proceeds
0:06:02 > 0:06:05would be a lump sum of around £50,000.
0:06:05 > 0:06:08Janet found a buyer within just a few months,
0:06:08 > 0:06:11but when she asked the managing director of Shield4Life
0:06:11 > 0:06:15to let the sale go through, she was in for a nasty surprise.
0:06:17 > 0:06:22He said, "I am very sorry, Janet, but there is no money to give you.
0:06:22 > 0:06:26"And even if I sold the property, there's no money to give you
0:06:26 > 0:06:28"because I've re-mortgaged it."
0:06:30 > 0:06:32Re-mortgaging the house is something Shield4Life
0:06:32 > 0:06:35would have been perfectly entitled to do -
0:06:35 > 0:06:38after all, they were the rightful owners.
0:06:38 > 0:06:41But, thanks in part to the downturn in the property market,
0:06:41 > 0:06:44the house was now worth less than they paid for it.
0:06:44 > 0:06:48And selling it wouldn't make enough for Shield4Life to give Janet
0:06:48 > 0:06:49the money she was owed.
0:06:51 > 0:06:53I cried.
0:06:53 > 0:06:56He said to me, "I am so sorry.
0:06:56 > 0:06:58"I don't know how I can make amends,
0:06:58 > 0:07:01"but I will think of something."
0:07:01 > 0:07:02I was completely in limbo,
0:07:02 > 0:07:06because, obviously, I then didn't know which way to turn.
0:07:06 > 0:07:09Shield4Life's managing director told Janet
0:07:09 > 0:07:12he was trying to find the money. But when weeks passed and there was
0:07:12 > 0:07:15no sign of that happening, she assumed there was little chance
0:07:15 > 0:07:19of ever getting the money she was entitled to if the house was sold.
0:07:19 > 0:07:23So, hoping it would encourage the company to keep its end
0:07:23 > 0:07:26of the bargain, she stopped paying rent to Shield4Life.
0:07:26 > 0:07:30But the situation from then on just got worse.
0:07:30 > 0:07:33One morning, just over a year later, in November, 2013,
0:07:33 > 0:07:36Janet received an eviction notice.
0:07:36 > 0:07:39It seemed Shield4Life could no longer afford to keep up
0:07:39 > 0:07:42its mortgage payments on the property.
0:07:42 > 0:07:45So the mortgage company decided to repossess the house,
0:07:45 > 0:07:48which meant evicting Janet.
0:07:48 > 0:07:50She was devastated at how the deal she'd made
0:07:50 > 0:07:52with Shield4Life had unravelled.
0:07:52 > 0:07:56Far from ending up with the £50,000 she'd always expected
0:07:56 > 0:07:58to make from selling the property,
0:07:58 > 0:08:01she was now being forced to leave...with nothing.
0:08:02 > 0:08:05I was absolutely panic-struck,
0:08:05 > 0:08:08because that clearly meant we were definitely homeless,
0:08:08 > 0:08:10and with no money.
0:08:10 > 0:08:13So I went into a bit of a meltdown, really.
0:08:13 > 0:08:16But I am always at great pains to point out that I haven't lost
0:08:16 > 0:08:19the house through not paying a mortgage.
0:08:20 > 0:08:24Janet isn't the only Shield4Life customer who has ended up
0:08:24 > 0:08:25losing their home.
0:08:25 > 0:08:28But when we contacted the company's managing director,
0:08:28 > 0:08:31he told us the business is "no longer operating",
0:08:31 > 0:08:36as "the regulations were so stringent", it couldn't continue.
0:08:36 > 0:08:40He said, "The sale-and-rent-back business was a melting pot
0:08:40 > 0:08:44"of unscrupulous buyers," but that Shield4Life
0:08:44 > 0:08:46"strived to be the best of the breed,"
0:08:46 > 0:08:50and that it helped "families remain in their much-loved homes,"
0:08:50 > 0:08:54avoid eviction, and "put their lives back on track."
0:08:55 > 0:08:57Ultimately, though,
0:08:57 > 0:09:01"the company was never able to build up a sufficient contingency fund."
0:09:02 > 0:09:05He stressed that Janet's rent was "considerably below the average
0:09:05 > 0:09:07"monthly mortgage payment,"
0:09:07 > 0:09:10and also below "the fair market rate."
0:09:11 > 0:09:14He says he tried to contact Janet after she stopped paying rent -
0:09:14 > 0:09:16something she disputes -
0:09:16 > 0:09:20and while he's upset to hear how things have turned out, he claims
0:09:20 > 0:09:24he did everything he could to help her, including allowing her to stay
0:09:24 > 0:09:29in the house for "15 months rent free" before it was repossessed.
0:09:31 > 0:09:33But Shield4Life wasn't the only business of this type
0:09:33 > 0:09:36that ran into trouble.
0:09:36 > 0:09:39The whole sale-and-rent-back concept was relatively new
0:09:39 > 0:09:42when Janet signed up in 2007.
0:09:42 > 0:09:44But the economic downturn that followed meant
0:09:44 > 0:09:47many of the houses that companies like this had bought were
0:09:47 > 0:09:50suddenly worth less than they paid for them.
0:09:50 > 0:09:53And following an official investigation in 2008,
0:09:53 > 0:09:55there was a crackdown on the industry.
0:09:55 > 0:09:58It was found that most sale-and-rent-back schemes
0:09:58 > 0:10:01were unaffordable and should never have been sold in the first place.
0:10:01 > 0:10:05The industry was regulated, and all but disappeared.
0:10:05 > 0:10:07We went out into the marketplace
0:10:07 > 0:10:11to find out what was actually happening in practice,
0:10:11 > 0:10:14and what we saw was widespread
0:10:14 > 0:10:16poor practice. Our activities
0:10:16 > 0:10:22have meant that this marketplace has effectively shut down,
0:10:22 > 0:10:26and there are very, very few firms that offer these schemes today.
0:10:27 > 0:10:29Although that's good news,
0:10:29 > 0:10:33it's no comfort to the estimated 50,000 people like Janet who
0:10:33 > 0:10:37are already signed up to contracts that could leave them with nothing.
0:10:37 > 0:10:40And with interest rates forecast to rise in the next few years,
0:10:40 > 0:10:43there are fears that more people could be tempted
0:10:43 > 0:10:46to turn to the handful of schemes still out there as they struggle to
0:10:46 > 0:10:49pay their mortgage. But you don't have to resort
0:10:49 > 0:10:52to sale-and-rent-back schemes to keep your house.
0:10:53 > 0:10:57The things you should do are talk to your mortgage lender
0:10:57 > 0:11:00and see if you can renegotiate your payments
0:11:00 > 0:11:04so that you can remain in your home. There are lots of options,
0:11:04 > 0:11:07and we would not recommend this one as your first.
0:11:07 > 0:11:10As for Janet, she bitterly regrets ever signing up to the arrangement
0:11:10 > 0:11:12in the first place.
0:11:12 > 0:11:16If anyone was even considering doing the sale and lease back,
0:11:16 > 0:11:20I would think very, very carefully about it,
0:11:20 > 0:11:24because there are many pitfalls that I hadn't realised.
0:11:24 > 0:11:26There are other options.
0:11:32 > 0:11:35Buying a house these days quite often involves trying to predict
0:11:35 > 0:11:38the future, and of course it isn't an exact science
0:11:38 > 0:11:42estimating what might happen to a particular area's property
0:11:42 > 0:11:45prices in five, ten or even 20 years' time.
0:11:45 > 0:11:48You might hope that you're going to be moving to an up-and-coming
0:11:48 > 0:11:51neck of the woods, or close to a new transport route
0:11:51 > 0:11:52that's not yet open -
0:11:52 > 0:11:56all in the expectation that prices will have gone up
0:11:56 > 0:11:58by the time you want to sell.
0:11:58 > 0:12:01But equally, of course, it might be that something
0:12:01 > 0:12:02totally out of your control
0:12:02 > 0:12:04could make the value of your house go DOWN.
0:12:04 > 0:12:07And there doesn't have to be anything definite
0:12:07 > 0:12:09on the cards for that to happen.
0:12:09 > 0:12:11Well, that's the situation that some residents
0:12:11 > 0:12:14of one tiny Lancashire village say that they're now facing,
0:12:14 > 0:12:17not because of hard facts,
0:12:17 > 0:12:20but thanks to a lot of uncertainty and speculation
0:12:20 > 0:12:23surrounding a big story that's in the news.
0:12:26 > 0:12:28Roseacre in Lancashire.
0:12:28 > 0:12:30Nine miles outside Blackpool,
0:12:30 > 0:12:34this sleepy spot consists of little more than 20 houses and two farms -
0:12:34 > 0:12:38all with uninterrupted views over the rolling countryside beyond.
0:12:39 > 0:12:43A beautifully-set, four-bedroom, semi-detached house here
0:12:43 > 0:12:46would typically be expected to sell for something in the region
0:12:46 > 0:12:48of £300,000.
0:12:48 > 0:12:51Or at least that WAS the case.
0:12:51 > 0:12:55But now, some fear that Roseacre's sleepy solitude
0:12:55 > 0:12:57could be about to change.
0:12:58 > 0:13:00Shale is important for our country.
0:13:00 > 0:13:04It could bring 74,000 jobs, over £3 billion of investment,
0:13:04 > 0:13:06give us cheaper energy for the future
0:13:06 > 0:13:09and increase our energy security.
0:13:09 > 0:13:13Yes, the controversial process of hydraulic fracturing -
0:13:13 > 0:13:17better known as fracking - could be on its way to Roseacre.
0:13:17 > 0:13:20If the energy exploration company Cuadrilla gets its way,
0:13:20 > 0:13:24this will be one of the first sites in the country where the practice
0:13:24 > 0:13:26is able to happen on this scale.
0:13:26 > 0:13:30And while fracking has been safely carried out in other parts
0:13:30 > 0:13:33of the country, in 2011, it was temporarily banned,
0:13:33 > 0:13:36after something very unexpected happened.
0:13:38 > 0:13:44'The 1.5 magnitude quake is the second in the area in two months.'
0:13:44 > 0:13:47An industrial process that causes earthquakes
0:13:47 > 0:13:51clearly isn't great, even if it is only small local tremors.
0:13:52 > 0:13:56After two minor earthquakes in 2011 close to an earlier fracking site
0:13:56 > 0:14:00also near Blackpool, the government called a halt to any more drilling,
0:14:00 > 0:14:02while Cuadrilla investigated.
0:14:02 > 0:14:05And although it was found that the Blackpool earthquakes were
0:14:05 > 0:14:07likely to have been caused by the drilling,
0:14:07 > 0:14:10that's unusual, and there's no evidence that fracking
0:14:10 > 0:14:12could always have such side effects.
0:14:12 > 0:14:15Indeed, in the USA, where it's becoming increasingly common,
0:14:15 > 0:14:18tremors linked to fracking are rare.
0:14:18 > 0:14:22So now - with its promise of cheap and plentiful energy -
0:14:22 > 0:14:23fracking is back.
0:14:23 > 0:14:25And in February of 2014,
0:14:25 > 0:14:29Cuadrilla announced that Roseacre would be one of just two sites
0:14:29 > 0:14:32where it would apply for permission to test for shale gas.
0:14:32 > 0:14:35But some local residents weren't happy with that,
0:14:35 > 0:14:39fearing that the news might have an impact on the value of their homes.
0:14:39 > 0:14:42It's going to put people off wanting to move here -
0:14:42 > 0:14:45you're not going to choose a home near a fracking site.
0:14:45 > 0:14:48If the fracking goes ahead, we would want to move,
0:14:48 > 0:14:53due to the potential health risks and the noise and the traffic.
0:14:53 > 0:14:56But my fear is that we won't be able to, that we'll be financially
0:14:56 > 0:15:01trapped with a huge mortgage and unable to sell the property.
0:15:01 > 0:15:04One man who has managed to sell his house,
0:15:04 > 0:15:06which was half a mile from the proposed site,
0:15:06 > 0:15:08says he was only able to sell it
0:15:08 > 0:15:11by accepting a hugely knocked down price.
0:15:11 > 0:15:14We were very disappointed in the offer.
0:15:14 > 0:15:17Under normal circumstances, I think we would have rejected it.
0:15:17 > 0:15:19But after going on the Internet
0:15:19 > 0:15:21and doing some research,
0:15:21 > 0:15:24we found that, on quite a few websites,
0:15:24 > 0:15:28it said house prices in fracking areas would drop 20-30%.
0:15:28 > 0:15:30So we took the offer and took the loss.
0:15:30 > 0:15:34However, other locals who've had difficulties selling their home
0:15:34 > 0:15:37put it down to simply a tough local market,
0:15:37 > 0:15:40and say that it's too easy for the blame to be put on an issue
0:15:40 > 0:15:43on which the community is already split.
0:15:43 > 0:15:46I think there is a fear of fracking.
0:15:46 > 0:15:48Personally,
0:15:48 > 0:15:49I'm not really against it.
0:15:49 > 0:15:52Cuadrilla stresses that evidence from elsewhere suggests that
0:15:52 > 0:15:55fracking shouldn't have any effect on house prices.
0:15:55 > 0:15:57But while the arguments rumble on,
0:15:57 > 0:16:00some residents say that, whatever the long-term reality,
0:16:00 > 0:16:02the short-term uncertainty
0:16:02 > 0:16:05has already led to potential buyers pulling out.
0:16:05 > 0:16:08Rowland and Marie Taylor had decided to sell their home
0:16:08 > 0:16:11for health reasons, before the fracking proposals
0:16:11 > 0:16:13had even been announced.
0:16:13 > 0:16:16We need to be on one level,
0:16:16 > 0:16:21because I've just gone through quite a trauma, with a major op,
0:16:21 > 0:16:25and we think, if we leave it any longer,
0:16:25 > 0:16:29it'll be too late to move, because we'll be too old to do it.
0:16:29 > 0:16:32The couple originally put their house on the market in the middle
0:16:32 > 0:16:38of 2013, and by the New Year they'd found a buyer and agreed a sale.
0:16:39 > 0:16:42But when they found out that Cuadrilla had identified
0:16:42 > 0:16:45Roseacre as a potential fracking site, the buyers pulled out.
0:16:45 > 0:16:50Disappointed, Rowland and Marie put the house back on the market,
0:16:50 > 0:16:53and, sure enough, another couple became interested.
0:16:54 > 0:16:57And we could tell that they liked it.
0:16:59 > 0:17:02And I did bring the subject of fracking up, because I thought
0:17:02 > 0:17:05there's no point in them viewing and then going away
0:17:05 > 0:17:07and then finding out.
0:17:07 > 0:17:11So they obviously went home, read about fracking...
0:17:13 > 0:17:15..rang the estate agent and said,
0:17:15 > 0:17:19"Sorry - it's everything we want, but we can't take the risk
0:17:19 > 0:17:23"because of fracking," so we lost the sale yet again.
0:17:23 > 0:17:26So, despite the fact there's no concrete proof that fracking
0:17:26 > 0:17:29might regularly cause ground tremors, health issues
0:17:29 > 0:17:33or indeed any of the concerns some locals and campaigners have voiced,
0:17:33 > 0:17:38it seems just the fear that it might has already put some buyers off.
0:17:38 > 0:17:42Rowland and Marie have now decided to put their house up for rent
0:17:42 > 0:17:44rather than risk any further delay.
0:17:44 > 0:17:47We have to move while we're fit to move.
0:17:47 > 0:17:49We can't just sit here forever and say,
0:17:49 > 0:17:51"Well, we'll see what happens,"
0:17:51 > 0:17:54and in another 20 years, the worst comes to the worst
0:17:54 > 0:17:58and we'll have to move then, it will be too late.
0:17:58 > 0:18:00It may seem absurd that
0:18:00 > 0:18:03before the final decision on fracking is even made,
0:18:03 > 0:18:06just the simple possibility that it might happen
0:18:06 > 0:18:07could have any sort of impact.
0:18:07 > 0:18:11But, as property expert Henry Pryor explains,
0:18:11 > 0:18:14uncertainty can be a killer for the house market.
0:18:14 > 0:18:17The threat of fracking is one of those things that can have a
0:18:17 > 0:18:20detonating effect on house prices. For many people, it not just knocks
0:18:20 > 0:18:22off a percentage from the value of the house,
0:18:22 > 0:18:25it can, in some circumstances, make it utterly unsalable.
0:18:25 > 0:18:29The big problem at the moment is that the threat is unquantifiable.
0:18:29 > 0:18:32We haven't yet got case studies to be able to talk to people
0:18:32 > 0:18:35and say that we can quantify the problem that might exist
0:18:35 > 0:18:37with even the threat of fracking.
0:18:38 > 0:18:42Henry says that any buyer, wherever they're looking, has to look years,
0:18:42 > 0:18:44often decades, into the future
0:18:44 > 0:18:48before spending hundreds of thousands of pounds on a house.
0:18:48 > 0:18:51When you're looking that far ahead, even the slightest possibility
0:18:51 > 0:18:54of something going wrong can mean the end of a deal.
0:18:56 > 0:19:00We asked Cuadrilla about the effect locals say the proposed drilling
0:19:00 > 0:19:02has had on house prices in Roseacre.
0:19:02 > 0:19:04As well as reiterating that
0:19:04 > 0:19:06"there are no proven scientific health risks"
0:19:06 > 0:19:09associated with fracking, they are confident that
0:19:09 > 0:19:14"nor is there any evidence, since the process began in the 1970s,
0:19:14 > 0:19:17"that house prices have been impacted negatively".
0:19:17 > 0:19:20They point out that there's already been some fracking just one
0:19:20 > 0:19:22and a half miles from Roseacre,
0:19:22 > 0:19:25and it has had "no impact on house prices"
0:19:25 > 0:19:27in the 20 years since it began.
0:19:27 > 0:19:30And they also to wanted to allay other concerns about
0:19:30 > 0:19:34the possible effects of fracking - such as heavier traffic -
0:19:34 > 0:19:37stressing there's been "extensive consultation with residents,"
0:19:37 > 0:19:43and that they will pay a "community benefit" of £100,000 per wellhead,
0:19:43 > 0:19:47plus 1% of the revenue in areas where it does take place.
0:19:47 > 0:19:50We also spoke to the Government, who said fracking presents
0:19:50 > 0:19:53"a huge economic benefit to communities,"
0:19:53 > 0:19:57and that there is "no reason to expect any adverse effects
0:19:57 > 0:19:58"on property values".
0:19:58 > 0:20:01Instead, the impact is likely to be broadly similar to
0:20:01 > 0:20:04the effects of traditional mining, with "the same robust safety
0:20:04 > 0:20:06"and environmental regime".
0:20:06 > 0:20:08Shortly after that, however,
0:20:08 > 0:20:12the issue hit the news again, when an official report into the impact
0:20:12 > 0:20:13of fracking was published
0:20:13 > 0:20:17with information about this very point apparently censored,
0:20:17 > 0:20:21doing little to alleviate the fears of those locals who remain convinced
0:20:21 > 0:20:23that the uncertainty is having
0:20:23 > 0:20:26an effect on the area's property prices.
0:20:26 > 0:20:30Nobody knows what is going to happen, nobody can answer
0:20:30 > 0:20:33the questions truthfully...
0:20:34 > 0:20:36..and people are quite afraid.
0:20:43 > 0:20:45Still to come on Rip-Off Britain -
0:20:45 > 0:20:49why a throw back from the reign of Henry VIII has homeowners worried
0:20:49 > 0:20:53that they could be hit with a bill for thousands of pounds.
0:20:53 > 0:20:58It is quite bizarre that the law can ask us to pay for a church
0:20:58 > 0:20:59that we don't even attend.
0:21:06 > 0:21:09We've come to the heart of the West Midlands
0:21:09 > 0:21:11with our Rip-Off Britain Pop Up Shop.
0:21:11 > 0:21:14This year, we're going to be offering even more help
0:21:14 > 0:21:16and advice on consumer issues than ever before!
0:21:16 > 0:21:19Yes, not only do we have our top team of experts here to give
0:21:19 > 0:21:23face-to-face advice one-to-one, but we've got special workshops
0:21:23 > 0:21:26so people can come along and get all sorts of tips on everything,
0:21:26 > 0:21:30from staying safe online to how to avoid getting ripped off on holiday.
0:21:30 > 0:21:33Actually, we are covering an enormous range of topics.
0:21:33 > 0:21:35And as you can see, all our experts are already in place.
0:21:35 > 0:21:38We also have a whole queue of people waiting outside
0:21:38 > 0:21:41the Pop Up Shop to get in, so will we get down to business?
0:21:41 > 0:21:42- Let's go.- Let's go!
0:21:44 > 0:21:48You came to sound off in our gripe corner in your droves.
0:21:50 > 0:21:53I find it frustrating how you have to pay for the privilege
0:21:53 > 0:21:55of printing off e-tickets.
0:21:55 > 0:21:59It makes me very angry to think that the petrol prices and taxes
0:21:59 > 0:22:03on the petrol rise so much. What's the reason for it?
0:22:03 > 0:22:05It just seems like everything's really going up.
0:22:05 > 0:22:09And one of the first people through the door to see our experts
0:22:09 > 0:22:10was Roisin Kelly.
0:22:10 > 0:22:12- Hello.- Hello. - How can we help you today?
0:22:12 > 0:22:16Roisin wanted advice from our legal expert, Gary Rycroft,
0:22:16 > 0:22:18after her builder discovered a structural problem
0:22:18 > 0:22:20with her recently purchased house.
0:22:20 > 0:22:24The roof is sitting on top of the wall and pushing the wall out.
0:22:24 > 0:22:26- Whoa! Pushing the wall out?- Yeah.
0:22:26 > 0:22:30And what did the builder say exactly about it in terms of danger?
0:22:30 > 0:22:32It's not going to collapse straight away, but in time
0:22:32 > 0:22:35if something isn't done about it, then it will eventually collapse.
0:22:35 > 0:22:38- So you obviously went back to your surveyor.- Uh-huh.- And what happened?
0:22:38 > 0:22:41They sent someone out to do a post survey.
0:22:41 > 0:22:44And then I got a letter saying they weren't going to be liable for it.
0:22:44 > 0:22:45On what grounds?
0:22:45 > 0:22:48Because of the survey that was carried out -
0:22:48 > 0:22:50it was for mortgage purposes only.
0:22:50 > 0:22:54Now, there are three different types of survey you can get on a house,
0:22:54 > 0:22:57and Roisin had gone for the cheapest -
0:22:57 > 0:22:58the basic valuation survey -
0:22:58 > 0:23:02which isn't as thorough as other surveys available,
0:23:02 > 0:23:04such as the more detailed HomeBuyers Report.
0:23:06 > 0:23:09The loophole that you've fallen into here is that the valuation
0:23:09 > 0:23:12was carried out for the bank and not for you.
0:23:12 > 0:23:15If you had a HomeBuyers Report carried out,
0:23:15 > 0:23:18if you had entered into a contract with a surveyor,
0:23:18 > 0:23:22you could now definitely rely on that HomeBuyers Report.
0:23:22 > 0:23:26Because I actually paid for that survey, I thought that was enough.
0:23:26 > 0:23:30A valuation survey won't typically highlight structural problems,
0:23:30 > 0:23:34but the form Roisin's surveyor completed had contained a box
0:23:34 > 0:23:37asking for evidence of any structural movement.
0:23:37 > 0:23:39And the fact that he had ticked "no",
0:23:39 > 0:23:41suggesting there wasn't a problem,
0:23:41 > 0:23:44was one of the factors that gave her the confidence
0:23:44 > 0:23:46to go ahead with the purchase.
0:23:46 > 0:23:49He did put on the survey report, "Is there any structural defects?"
0:23:49 > 0:23:51And he put "no". He crossed "no".
0:23:51 > 0:23:54One option you've got is to go to the bank and say,
0:23:54 > 0:23:59- "Well, I would never have borrowed that money from you..."- Exactly.
0:23:59 > 0:24:01"..if your valuer had had a duty of care to you
0:24:01 > 0:24:05"to carry out the valuation properly." So that's one route in,
0:24:05 > 0:24:10- is to get in touch with the bank. - Which I've done.- What did they say?
0:24:10 > 0:24:11They offered me £100 compensation.
0:24:11 > 0:24:16£100? And what did you pay for the survey, do you know?
0:24:16 > 0:24:18I think the survey was 167.
0:24:18 > 0:24:21It seems to me that there's no doubt, in this case,
0:24:21 > 0:24:22that the surveyor has been negligent.
0:24:22 > 0:24:25- Mm.- The question is - where does the buck stop...- Yeah.
0:24:25 > 0:24:28..as far as the surveyor is concerned?
0:24:28 > 0:24:31So, the bank can't just wash their hands and offer you 100 quid.
0:24:31 > 0:24:33- Oh, I'll be in contact with the bank.- Excellent.
0:24:33 > 0:24:37Thanks very much indeed, Roisin. Very nice to see you.
0:24:37 > 0:24:40With Gary so confident that Roisin has a case,
0:24:40 > 0:24:42she's determined to keep on fighting,
0:24:42 > 0:24:44so fingers crossed all round
0:24:44 > 0:24:47Roisin will get resolution on this very soon.
0:24:50 > 0:24:54Next, a problem that's becoming increasingly common,
0:24:54 > 0:24:57and one that, if it ends up affecting you and your home,
0:24:57 > 0:24:59really can have disastrous consequences.
0:24:59 > 0:25:02I'm talking about Japanese knotweed -
0:25:02 > 0:25:06words that send shivers through lenders, home buyers
0:25:06 > 0:25:10and sellers alike. This particular type of fast-growing plant
0:25:10 > 0:25:14can make it impossible to sell your home or borrow money against it.
0:25:14 > 0:25:17Jean Hale from Dudley is just one of the people whose plans have
0:25:17 > 0:25:21been ruined because of it. And what makes it worse
0:25:21 > 0:25:24is that there isn't even any of it growing on HER property.
0:25:25 > 0:25:27Tough, destructive
0:25:27 > 0:25:30and extraordinarily hard to get rid of,
0:25:30 > 0:25:33this plant is spreading relentlessly
0:25:33 > 0:25:35in a way that's being likened to an invasion.
0:25:35 > 0:25:40And if it's growing in your garden, or even just spotted nearby,
0:25:40 > 0:25:43the value of your property could plummet overnight.
0:25:43 > 0:25:46This is the dreaded Japanese knotweed.
0:25:47 > 0:25:51It's officially considered a pest species thanks to its ability
0:25:51 > 0:25:53to shoot up to more than seven feet tall,
0:25:53 > 0:25:57and suppress every other plant around.
0:25:57 > 0:26:01So it's no surprise that Jean Hale is worried by what's growing
0:26:01 > 0:26:03just a few metres away from her garden,
0:26:03 > 0:26:05on land owned by the local council.
0:26:05 > 0:26:08That's some of the knotweed there.
0:26:08 > 0:26:11And also it's also growing up the bank up there.
0:26:13 > 0:26:16Jean's lived here in Dudley, in the West Midlands, for 40 years.
0:26:16 > 0:26:20But for the last ten of those, she's been nervously watching
0:26:20 > 0:26:23what's growing on the other side of her fence.
0:26:23 > 0:26:25The council has treated the knotweed regularly ever
0:26:25 > 0:26:29since it was first spotted. But it's still there.
0:26:29 > 0:26:33I'm worried because, you know, it could damage my property.
0:26:34 > 0:26:36And it's quite concerning, really.
0:26:36 > 0:26:40The knotweed hasn't spread onto Jean's land.
0:26:40 > 0:26:44Even so, it's already had a direct impact on her home.
0:26:45 > 0:26:49Jean suffers from osteoarthritis, and two years ago she attempted
0:26:49 > 0:26:51to borrow £4,000 against her house
0:26:51 > 0:26:55so that she could adapt her bathroom to make it easier for her to use.
0:26:56 > 0:27:01I have difficulty getting my legs over to get into the bath.
0:27:01 > 0:27:03That's the only assistance I've got to get in the bath,
0:27:03 > 0:27:05but when you need...
0:27:05 > 0:27:07you can't bend your knees properly because it's painful.
0:27:07 > 0:27:11Jean applied for the loan and a surveyor came round to make
0:27:11 > 0:27:15sure the house was enough security for the debt.
0:27:15 > 0:27:17He just checked the house to see if that was fine.
0:27:17 > 0:27:21And then he went down out of the gates and down the bank
0:27:21 > 0:27:25to the side of the house, and that's when he saw the knotweed.
0:27:26 > 0:27:29The surveyor told Jean that even though the nearest plant
0:27:29 > 0:27:32is a few metres away from the house and on council land
0:27:32 > 0:27:36rather than her own, the knotweed could still be a problem.
0:27:36 > 0:27:37And so it proved.
0:27:37 > 0:27:40A few days later, she received news that the lender,
0:27:40 > 0:27:42a company called Just Retirement,
0:27:42 > 0:27:44wouldn't lend her the money she needed.
0:27:44 > 0:27:48They said the roots of the knotweed could pose a threat to the house
0:27:48 > 0:27:50and be an insurance risk.
0:27:52 > 0:27:55It was a shock, because I didn't know that knotweed was such a problem,
0:27:55 > 0:27:57and apparently there's quite a lot of it about.
0:27:57 > 0:28:01Jean wrote to Dudley Council to ask if there was anything they
0:28:01 > 0:28:05could do to help - after all, the knotweed was their responsibility.
0:28:05 > 0:28:09The council wrote back saying they had been treating the knotweed
0:28:09 > 0:28:13since 2004, and the surveyor should have seen that it was dying.
0:28:13 > 0:28:17But Jean wonders if the council were fighting a losing battle.
0:28:18 > 0:28:22They've been treating it now ten years and it's still there.
0:28:22 > 0:28:27It makes you feel powerless and you just don't know where to go next.
0:28:27 > 0:28:31So, as things stand, Jean's been unable to borrow money against
0:28:31 > 0:28:35her house because of something that's nothing to do with her.
0:28:35 > 0:28:37And she's worried that she'll end up with a bigger
0:28:37 > 0:28:40problem by the time she starts thinking of selling up.
0:28:40 > 0:28:44I wouldn't want to move from this house yet because of the view
0:28:44 > 0:28:47and everything, and all the work we've put into it,
0:28:47 > 0:28:50but eventually, I'm going to have to consider it...
0:28:52 > 0:28:56..because I shall have difficulty getting up the stairs and up
0:28:56 > 0:28:59the steps outside, eventually.
0:28:59 > 0:29:03As Jean's discovered, some lenders, including big-name banks
0:29:03 > 0:29:05and building societies, can take a hard line on this,
0:29:05 > 0:29:10refusing mortgages on properties where knotweed may be an issue.
0:29:11 > 0:29:15Mike Clough is a leading expert in this most invasive of plants
0:29:15 > 0:29:19and knows better than most how quickly it can threaten homes.
0:29:20 > 0:29:23So this is a typical example of Japanese knotweed
0:29:23 > 0:29:25growing in a hedgerow.
0:29:25 > 0:29:27Err, three, four weeks ago,
0:29:27 > 0:29:30- there would've been nothing there at all.- Really?- Yeah.
0:29:30 > 0:29:34It grows at a rate of about a foot a week at this time of year.
0:29:34 > 0:29:36Very rapidly it gets to this height.
0:29:36 > 0:29:42Typical red-flecked stems, broad, bamboo-like arching growth.
0:29:42 > 0:29:45Thick, waxy leaves - very, very thick.
0:29:45 > 0:29:47It's one of the ways you can identify Japanese knotweed.
0:29:47 > 0:29:50The quick growth above ground is mirrored beneath the soil,
0:29:50 > 0:29:53where the knotweed can spread for up to seven metres before
0:29:53 > 0:29:57shooting up above the surface. And wherever knotweed wants to go,
0:29:57 > 0:29:59next to nothing can stand in its way,
0:29:59 > 0:30:03even hard surfaces like tarmac and concrete.
0:30:03 > 0:30:05So, if you are a householder
0:30:05 > 0:30:09and you're under attack by Japanese knotweed, what can you do about it?
0:30:09 > 0:30:12What I would always try and do is find out where
0:30:12 > 0:30:13the knotweed has originated from,
0:30:13 > 0:30:17and then contact the land owner that the knotweed is on.
0:30:17 > 0:30:21Don't do it in an aggressive manner - don't threaten to sue them,
0:30:21 > 0:30:24just say, "Are you aware that you have Japanese knotweed on your land?
0:30:24 > 0:30:27"Let's try and come up with a strategy whereby we get rid
0:30:27 > 0:30:28"of the plants."
0:30:28 > 0:30:32If that fails, there are legal precedents in place for you
0:30:32 > 0:30:34to take action against the adjacent landowner,
0:30:34 > 0:30:36even if that's the council.
0:30:37 > 0:30:42The fundamental issue here is that mortgage lenders simply don't have
0:30:42 > 0:30:46a blanket approach to how Japanese knotweed should be dealt with.
0:30:46 > 0:30:49Each will have its own policy, which can vary from what
0:30:49 > 0:30:52seems like panic at the mere mention of the name
0:30:52 > 0:30:56to a more flexible approach tailored to individual cases.
0:30:56 > 0:30:58But there ARE signs that the industry wants to end
0:30:58 > 0:31:02the confusion and the inconsistency.
0:31:02 > 0:31:05The Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors worked with mortgage
0:31:05 > 0:31:09lenders to grade knotweed risk from one - low risk -
0:31:09 > 0:31:11to four - very high.
0:31:11 > 0:31:14Since then, some mortgage lenders have agreed to lend to homes
0:31:14 > 0:31:16with a risk level of one or two,
0:31:16 > 0:31:19providing there was a weed management plan in place.
0:31:19 > 0:31:23Under those criteria, Jean's house would be considered low risk,
0:31:23 > 0:31:25meaning a loan could be possible.
0:31:25 > 0:31:27But when we spoke to Just Retirement,
0:31:27 > 0:31:31who had refused Jean the loan, they weren't budging.
0:31:32 > 0:31:33They told us that they
0:31:33 > 0:31:36"have a low-risk approach to property underwriting"
0:31:36 > 0:31:39and they "do not accept properties where saleability
0:31:39 > 0:31:41"is negatively impacted".
0:31:42 > 0:31:46They say that's definitely the case with houses affected by knotweed,
0:31:46 > 0:31:50and they're confident most other lenders would agree with them.
0:31:50 > 0:31:54They also point out that homes like Jean's, where knotweed is
0:31:54 > 0:31:58"within influencing distance" but not on her land can be worse,
0:31:58 > 0:32:03as the homeowner is "not in control of the eradication process".
0:32:05 > 0:32:08So, next, we contacted Dudley Council, who in this case
0:32:08 > 0:32:11IS in control of that process.
0:32:11 > 0:32:14They stressed that the treatment they have been applying to the
0:32:14 > 0:32:18knotweed since 2004 has had "significant success"
0:32:18 > 0:32:21in both killing it and "controlling any re-growth".
0:32:21 > 0:32:24They say further treatment is planned,
0:32:24 > 0:32:28but an assessment "shows that the knotweed is under control",
0:32:28 > 0:32:32and they're not aware of it causing any damage to her house.
0:32:32 > 0:32:35They made clear that they sympathise with Jean's predicament,
0:32:35 > 0:32:37adding that, in their opinion,
0:32:37 > 0:32:40surveyors and mortgage lenders can "show a lack of understanding"
0:32:40 > 0:32:44and indeed "over-react" when it comes to knotweed.
0:32:44 > 0:32:46But there is now hope for Jean,
0:32:46 > 0:32:49and indeed for anyone else in the same situation.
0:32:49 > 0:32:53The Royal Institute Of Chartered Surveyors has told us about a group
0:32:53 > 0:32:56called the Property Care Association, who understand
0:32:56 > 0:33:01exactly what information lenders are looking for in cases like this.
0:33:01 > 0:33:04They can do an independent assessment on the knotweed -
0:33:04 > 0:33:08usually free of charge - and then advise on the best way to manage it.
0:33:08 > 0:33:11All being well, the plan they come up with will reassure
0:33:11 > 0:33:16mortgage companies that houses like Jean's aren't high risk.
0:33:18 > 0:33:21It's a positive new avenue for Jean to pursue.
0:33:21 > 0:33:24But in the meantime, she's frustrated that something
0:33:24 > 0:33:28so completely outside her control has affected her this way.
0:33:28 > 0:33:33It's a very depressing thing. You know, it gets to you some days.
0:33:33 > 0:33:36I love my plants, I love my garden,
0:33:36 > 0:33:40but as for knotweed, I definitely don't like that.
0:33:44 > 0:33:48Well, here we have a wonderful piece of history on the green,
0:33:48 > 0:33:49with good old Churchill.
0:33:49 > 0:33:52But if I asked you to come up with three things you might
0:33:52 > 0:33:56associate with another great person from history, King Henry VIII,
0:33:56 > 0:33:58you might say "eating, beheading
0:33:58 > 0:34:01"and, of course, all those wives and marrying".
0:34:01 > 0:34:03Now, you probably wouldn't have suggested that there could be
0:34:03 > 0:34:07any connection whatsoever to the price of your house.
0:34:07 > 0:34:11And yet, thanks to a 500-year-old law that back in Henry's day
0:34:11 > 0:34:13made private landowners responsible
0:34:13 > 0:34:16for the upkeep of parts of their parish church,
0:34:16 > 0:34:20some 21st-century homeowners have been horrified to discover
0:34:20 > 0:34:24that they could be made to pay thousands of pounds for repairs
0:34:24 > 0:34:27to the local church, regardless of whether they go there or not.
0:34:27 > 0:34:31But the chance that this ancient charge might need to be paid
0:34:31 > 0:34:34has spread uncertainty throughout some communities,
0:34:34 > 0:34:37with some of those affected worrying that it could even stop them
0:34:37 > 0:34:38selling their homes.
0:34:40 > 0:34:44Edingale is a tiny village in the Mease Valley, in Staffordshire.
0:34:44 > 0:34:47It's a very picturesque part of England that Helen Bailey
0:34:47 > 0:34:49and her late husband, Chris,
0:34:49 > 0:34:52thought would be perfect for their retirement.
0:34:52 > 0:34:56They moved here in 1999 and embarked on a year-long project
0:34:56 > 0:35:00to renovate this old barn to create the home of their dreams.
0:35:00 > 0:35:04It was quite a challenge, but it was fun, looking back on it.
0:35:04 > 0:35:07The view from here is lovely.
0:35:07 > 0:35:10It's very open, it's very peaceful.
0:35:12 > 0:35:15The family spent over five years living happily in the village
0:35:15 > 0:35:19until, unfortunately, Chris was diagnosed with cancer.
0:35:19 > 0:35:22Helen nursed him at home for two years before he died.
0:35:22 > 0:35:27But in October 2013, Helen received an unexpected letter.
0:35:27 > 0:35:30In it was bombshell news that, right out of the blue, seemed to
0:35:30 > 0:35:32jeopardise her future security.
0:35:32 > 0:35:36At first, she couldn't actually believe what she was reading.
0:35:36 > 0:35:39The letter told Helen that she could be forced to foot the bill
0:35:39 > 0:35:42for repairs to her local parish church,
0:35:42 > 0:35:44a church she had never even visited.
0:35:44 > 0:35:49The very first thing I knew of it was when the land registry documents
0:35:49 > 0:35:51arrived on my doorstep.
0:35:51 > 0:35:55I was more shocked, stunned.
0:35:55 > 0:35:59Not only that, but the deeds to her house were being changed so that
0:35:59 > 0:36:01any future buyer of the house
0:36:01 > 0:36:04would have to foot any possible bill as well.
0:36:05 > 0:36:09It is quite bizarre that the law can ask us to pay
0:36:09 > 0:36:14for a church that we don't even attend, and have no connection with.
0:36:15 > 0:36:17It beggars belief.
0:36:17 > 0:36:20Bizarre it may be, but it's true,
0:36:20 > 0:36:23and it's down to what's called Chancel Repair Liability -
0:36:23 > 0:36:27a centuries-old law that made the property owners in a community
0:36:27 > 0:36:30responsible for repairs to the local church.
0:36:30 > 0:36:33Most of the land in England and Wales is owned by the church
0:36:33 > 0:36:35and divided into parishes.
0:36:35 > 0:36:38Henry VIII came along and had his spat with Rome.
0:36:38 > 0:36:43He decided to break up the monasteries, take away the lands
0:36:43 > 0:36:48of the church and give it to his nobles
0:36:48 > 0:36:51and also to private individuals. But when they bought the land,
0:36:51 > 0:36:56they also took on the responsibility to repair the chancel.
0:36:56 > 0:36:58Now, fast forward a few hundred years,
0:36:58 > 0:37:01and whilst many of the laws from Henry VIII's time
0:37:01 > 0:37:05have been done away with, this one remains,
0:37:05 > 0:37:08and it means that, right across the country, the owners of land
0:37:08 > 0:37:12that used to be linked to the church could still be legally bound to pay
0:37:12 > 0:37:14for any repairs to the chancel -
0:37:14 > 0:37:17the area of the church, by the way, around the altar.
0:37:18 > 0:37:21Chancel repair liability is thought to affect
0:37:21 > 0:37:24around 5,200 parishes in the country.
0:37:24 > 0:37:28The problem is, for 99% of people,
0:37:28 > 0:37:30it's just not mentioned in their deeds.
0:37:30 > 0:37:34The first thing they know about it is a letter from the Land Registry
0:37:34 > 0:37:35landing on their mat.
0:37:35 > 0:37:38Which is exactly what happened to Helen.
0:37:39 > 0:37:42Although I had heard of chancel repair,
0:37:42 > 0:37:47I never for one moment thought it affected me and my property.
0:37:48 > 0:37:51The letter had been prompted by a change in the law,
0:37:51 > 0:37:54which required parish councils nationwide to register
0:37:54 > 0:37:59who might be liable for chancel repairs by October 2013.
0:37:59 > 0:38:01Since then, thousands of letters
0:38:01 > 0:38:03have been sent out by the Land Registry,
0:38:03 > 0:38:08informing startled homeowners that this liability rests with them.
0:38:08 > 0:38:10Once Helen had got over the shock,
0:38:10 > 0:38:13she started looking into what this would actually mean for her.
0:38:15 > 0:38:18I realised that it wasn't going to go away,
0:38:18 > 0:38:22that it was being left to individuals to try and sort it out,
0:38:22 > 0:38:25and that therefore we had to do something for ourselves.
0:38:25 > 0:38:29In Edingale, three other homes had received the same letter.
0:38:29 > 0:38:32And what worried Helen and her neighbours the most
0:38:32 > 0:38:35was the effect this could have on the value of their homes,
0:38:35 > 0:38:38because selling a house with such a potential liability
0:38:38 > 0:38:41would most likely make any property less attractive.
0:38:41 > 0:38:46It could make it very difficult for me to sell my property,
0:38:46 > 0:38:50or at least certainly involve me having to sell it at a discount,
0:38:50 > 0:38:52which actually for me is quite significant,
0:38:52 > 0:38:55because this is my main asset.
0:38:55 > 0:38:57The church was able to give them some reassurance.
0:38:57 > 0:39:01The warden came round and told Helen that the building was in good
0:39:01 > 0:39:04repair, so they were very unlikely to make a claim.
0:39:04 > 0:39:06It was good news for the short term,
0:39:06 > 0:39:09but it didn't remove the concern over future buyers.
0:39:09 > 0:39:13And it certainly didn't mean a claim at some stage could be
0:39:13 > 0:39:14completely ruled out.
0:39:14 > 0:39:17That's something that homeowners Andrew and Gail Wallbank,
0:39:17 > 0:39:20from a completely different parish in Warwickshire,
0:39:20 > 0:39:23found out, after learning that they, too, had a liability
0:39:23 > 0:39:25for chancel repair.
0:39:25 > 0:39:29Well, in 1990, we received a letter asking for help repairing
0:39:29 > 0:39:32the chancel. Originally, they were sort of looking at the window
0:39:32 > 0:39:36repairs, and I think they were looking at about £2,000 a window.
0:39:36 > 0:39:39When they queried it, they were told that they were in fact legally
0:39:39 > 0:39:42obliged to help pay, so they decided to fight the case.
0:39:42 > 0:39:45An 18-year-long legal battle ensued,
0:39:45 > 0:39:48and, ultimately, the couple lost their case.
0:39:48 > 0:39:50They were forced to pay to fix the chancel,
0:39:50 > 0:39:53and they had to pay the legal costs as well.
0:39:53 > 0:39:57Something like 250,000 for repairs to the chancel.
0:39:57 > 0:40:02And, I mean, our legal bills were almost as much again.
0:40:02 > 0:40:04Although that was devastating news for the Wallbanks,
0:40:04 > 0:40:07it did at least mean that such potential liabilities
0:40:07 > 0:40:10started to be looked into more carefully.
0:40:10 > 0:40:13Since the judgement came down,
0:40:13 > 0:40:16most conveyancing solicitors do,
0:40:16 > 0:40:21as a matter of course, search to see whether there may well be
0:40:21 > 0:40:25a potential liability to chancel repair on your property.
0:40:25 > 0:40:27And if there is,
0:40:27 > 0:40:31buyers can take out insurance against any claims that the church
0:40:31 > 0:40:33might make in the future,
0:40:33 > 0:40:37all of which is encouraging for people buying houses now,
0:40:37 > 0:40:38but not for those like Helen,
0:40:38 > 0:40:42who bought their home before the Wallbanks lost their court case,
0:40:42 > 0:40:46and have been left wondering what the future impact could be.
0:40:46 > 0:40:49The property could be unmortgageable,
0:40:49 > 0:40:52or I could have to sell it at a significant discount.
0:40:52 > 0:40:56I think it is the fact that the legislation isn't fit
0:40:56 > 0:41:01for purpose that makes the impact of chancel repair liability
0:41:01 > 0:41:04far worse than it needs to be.
0:41:04 > 0:41:08But for Helen, after months of worry, there is now good news.
0:41:08 > 0:41:10Since we filmed in Edingale,
0:41:10 > 0:41:13she and the other villagers have been able to reach an agreement
0:41:13 > 0:41:17with the Parochial Church Council that resolves the situation.
0:41:17 > 0:41:20It will see the homeowners each pay a small one-off fee to the
0:41:20 > 0:41:23local Diocese of Lichfield, which, as well as going towards
0:41:23 > 0:41:25any repairs in the future,
0:41:25 > 0:41:29completely wipes out the liability from all the houses affected,
0:41:29 > 0:41:32meaning therefore that no home will be devalued,
0:41:32 > 0:41:35and they can now live free of the fear of an unexpected repair bill.
0:41:35 > 0:41:38The Diocese told us it's "delighted"
0:41:38 > 0:41:42that "a workable co-operative solution has now been found".
0:41:43 > 0:41:46It's not necessarily a solution that would work in other parishes
0:41:46 > 0:41:50elsewhere. But here, too, there is some positive news.
0:41:50 > 0:41:53A bill has been introduced to the House of Lords that,
0:41:53 > 0:41:58if passed, would abolish chancel repair liability forever.
0:41:59 > 0:42:02So the ghost of Henry VIII's long-lived law could soon
0:42:02 > 0:42:04finally be laid to rest.
0:42:11 > 0:42:14Here at Rip-Off Britain, we're always ready to investigate
0:42:14 > 0:42:17more of your stories. You can write to us at...
0:42:25 > 0:42:27Or send us an e-mail to...
0:42:30 > 0:42:34The Rip-Off team is ready and waiting to investigate your stories.
0:42:37 > 0:42:40Well, as we've seen, if the security of your home is
0:42:40 > 0:42:43thrown into doubt, it can be absolutely devastating,
0:42:43 > 0:42:45especially when the threat is down to something
0:42:45 > 0:42:47that's completely outside your control,
0:42:47 > 0:42:49or to do with an event that hasn't even happened yet.
0:42:49 > 0:42:52But it certainly does seem that in at least some of the cases
0:42:52 > 0:42:56that we've been hearing about, there is a lot more that could be done
0:42:56 > 0:42:58either to help or to stop
0:42:58 > 0:43:01the situation from spiralling out of control in the first place.
0:43:01 > 0:43:03For instance, in the case of the Japanese knotweed,
0:43:03 > 0:43:06there's absolutely no reason why a plant like that,
0:43:06 > 0:43:10however fast-growing, should make a house effectively unsellable.
0:43:10 > 0:43:12- That's awful, isn't it? - It's just terrible.
0:43:12 > 0:43:15But, you know, in cases like that, it's not always easy to know where
0:43:15 > 0:43:17or who to turn to.
0:43:17 > 0:43:20So hopefully we've at least given you confidence that there can
0:43:20 > 0:43:23be a solution, and even the most unexpected news to do
0:43:23 > 0:43:26with your property doesn't have to be a disaster.
0:43:26 > 0:43:28Now, at this point, may I say thank you very much indeed
0:43:28 > 0:43:31for joining us for Rip-Off Britain? We'll see you again very soon.
0:43:31 > 0:43:33So, until then, from all of the team...
0:43:33 > 0:43:35ALL: Bye-bye.