Established in 1992

Received|Bank|Personal|Guarantee|Debt|Claim|Demand?

IBAS offers an economical, professional, confidential guidance and direct assistance organisation available for UK Business banking problems and disputes, up to and including litigation. IBAS experience has proved to be the deciding factor in effective and sometimes almost miraculous settlements for business banking customers.

After 26 years of business banking 'case work' and investigations we know what can be achieved from the IBAS strategies developed and finely tuned over 26 years which mean that IBAS can 'shorten the odds' for you with your case.

2018 - emailed testimonials to IBAS recently stated: ‘IBAS assistance was extremely helpful, knowledgeable, decisive and effective, I achieved maximum benefit from your unique information service at much lower cost than from any solicitor I’ve used previously.’ - CS

& JE (IBAS member since 2011) recently emailed and said: You are like our security team and we will always want to have you guys around..just in case - the trauma of our experience is always there and without you who knows where we would be today?

This article is a warning to those who have now received a bank demand letter to pay and because of that letter are contemplating telephoning the bank

- what you should not do - see 1 - 5 below

A personal guarantee is an agreement made between an individual or individuals which means that if they act as a business director they then take a level of responsibility for their company's debts in the event that they cannot be paid back by the business or company itself. If a claim is made under the personal guarantee, the director will be liable to pay the company's or businesses debt and the partner, proprietor or company directors' personal assets may be at risk as they become liable for the relevant business debt that is covered by the guarantee.

It’s not unusual to see Company borrowings being used to threaten business ownersʼ homes. Many IBAS members have provided banks with their Director's Personal Guarantee to ʻsecureʼ or cover the borrowings for their individual companies. However, they found that after demand and company liquidation/dissolution the Bankʼs debt recovery officers threatened them verbally (over the telephone) with: “if you do not provide proposals we will repossess your homeʼ.

Over many years IBAS has received numerous enquiries from sole proprietors, partners, business owners and company directors who received bank demands for payment. Many of those enquirers reacted to the bank's demand letters by telephonng the bank's debt recovery officers first thinking it was a wise thing to do - but because of that phone call ended up much worse off from their experience.

In many cases that one phone call immediately created a much larger debt problem as the bank then issued a legal claim with costs and also gained judgments for the debt and then created charges over properties.

Banks continue to ʻthreatenʼ customers verbally - because itʼs very effective. They know that any proposal made by the customer in haste or in fear will effectively eliminate all defences for them and provide the bank with a direct route for a legal claim - even though defences were available before those proposals.

If your business has been or was forced into Lloyds Bank Business Support Unit, Royal Bank of Scotland/NatWest bank/RBS Global Restructuring Group (GRG) unit or HSBC Specialized Lending Unit - we know how they operate and how false defaults are engineered - lawyers do not have that specific experience or IBAS knowledge from such cases. It is also now documented that Mandatory referrals and transfers to such units were required by those banks and that any 'breakdown' of the customer relationship (whether engineered by the bank or not) was used to refer businesses to such units and that even the questioning of bank charging by the business was enough to 'trigger' the bank moving that business to what are effectively 'debt recovery units' and building up penalty fees and charging rates to drive up the debt then being claimed - so contact IBAS with your case details and let us know whether your company is still trading - or been forced into insolvency by the bank.

Business Support Units, Specialized Lending or Specialist Relationship Managers are all terms used by the banks for those brought in to 'rip off' businesses by forcing or 'triggering defaults' - which forced businesses into insolvency situations where the bank could then plunder the cash flow and assets.

contact IBAS

Or telephone (during office hours only) on 01487 843444 to arrange a confidential conversation

IBAS Testimonials

A bank debt recovery officer’s first priority is to make you believe you should make a proposal to pay - which then means you have accepted the debt is owed, that it is accurate and also totally correct - otherwise, why would you offer to pay anything?

Having got to that position very quickly (because of the customer's telephone call) the bank can then enforce legally on your assets very quickly.

Banks know that customers ʻringing inʼ are ʻfair gameʼ for intimidation as they are usually unprepared for the bank's slick questioning strategy. This opportunity provides the bank with the perfect position in which to make the customer provide hasty proposals to pay - regardless of any possibility of defences against the bankʼs claim or a defence against the excessive amount being claimed. - So:

Number 1 on what not to do when faced with a bankʼs business debt claim or Personal Guarantee debt Demand - is do not make a phone call to the bank – nothing good can come from it for you in our experience!

If you had seen (as we have at IBAS) just how many bank customers telephoned the bank first and then gave away all their defences and also made hasty proposals to pay - without seeking proper assistance - you would know that not accepting the debt or making any proposal to pay is plain ʻcommon senseʼ when you have only just received a claim on your PG.

However, if you are one of those people who is content to lose your property quickly and also pay premium rates to the bank in doing so - then pick up the phone. The bank will be extremely happy to take your money – they always are.

Number 2 on what not to do when faced with a bankʼs business debt claim or Personal Guarantee debt Demand - is ‘bury your head in the sand’ - seek immediate professional help to ʻproperlyʼ deal with the bankʼs demand. You will then worry less and sleep better at night by knowing you have done the right thing and handed matters onto someone who deals with these matters daily and has many years of PG Debt Claims experience.

Obtaining a copy of the personal guarantee alone is not enough. If your advisors say that it is all you require - then you should immediately find another advisor who is properly experienced in these matters - before it's too late.

If your advisor suggests making a token payment to keep the bank quiet - then you should immediately find another advisor who is properly experienced in these matters - before it's too late - because making a payment will just accept the debt claimed by the bank and also provide the bank with an easy route to your assets.

Number 4 on what not to do when faced with a bankʼs business debt claim or on your Director's Personal Guarantee debt Demand - is do not use forums if you are attempting to seriously protect your home from attack by the bank after you’ve received a personal guarantee demand claim. - Forum ʻdefenceʼ material is notoriously dated, usually innacurate and may be very dangerous. Much of the forum information is out of date or superceded and is often just one person’s ‘untested opinion’ whereas courts now expect defence material to be complete, professional and full when filed into court - that means supported by current case law not 'theories' without factual foundation.

A poorly presented defence will immediately ʻinviteʼ a ʻstrike outʼ from the bank's solicitors with an application for all costs and a charge over property (if Land Registry showns you own property – whether solely or in joint names) without you getting near a courtroom. In some cases the bank will apply for an order for sale - which also means the bank will control the sale of your home – all of that can happen in a matter of weeks if an amateur DIY defence is filed.

Number 5 - In our experience it is unwise to use any solicitor in the early stages of a bank demand - as doing so will not only prove very expensive but also counter productive on costs as solicitors being instructed in the early stages of a business bank debt claim or demand inevitably mean the bank will instruct their legal advisors immediately - which can then provoke an early escalation to a legal debt claim plus costly legal fees.

There are considerable cost benefits in using IBAS in any business banking dispute - IBAS know how to obtain all information necessary from banks for defence or claim purposes and IBAS will examine case papers with a specialist and experienced 'eye' which prevents very costly solicitor's charges or the requirement for a barrister in 95% of cases we have seen.

IBAS specialist knowledge and experience is unique and gathered from IBAS investigations into business banking account disputes and bank mistakes since 1992. We use all our knowledge and experience in every 'case'. A fully prepared defence or claim can be drafted with the correct arguments.

When IBAS investigates business banking ʻcasesʼ our investigation/s focus not only on the debt being claimed by the bank but also whether the Bankʼs actions in all matters has been correct. There are a number of different ways IBAS can/will question the bankʼs actions and obtain information. IBAS investigations and investigatory experience with audits and interest overcharging since 1992 has led to many bank claims being considerably reduced or completely dropped.

If IBAS is ʻon your caseʼ quickly enough (preferably, immediately a demand has been received) we will then be able to gather all the information which we know is necessary to properly investigate all matters, which will then establish the ʻtrue factsʼ before the bank ʻclears their decksʼ (which will occur after company liquidation if not before). Once company insolvency or liquidation is in progress the banks will then attempt to prevent discovery of what is often essential documents.

Please Note that: Banks will only provide those ʻfactsʼ which enable the Bank to make a maximum claim and obtain total recovery and all their costs from your assets. - That is why they make substantial profits from debt recovery. When bank customers ʻmake it easyʼ for them the bank will take all they can take - whether it is fair, moral or legal.

Banks and Bankers will ʻbend the rulesʼ for the bank. Bank debt Recovery staff are not employed to advise Bank customers - bank business customers need truly independent professional and specialist advice before any proposals can or should be made.

IBAS acts for IBAS members by protecting them from the bankʼs often ʻhostileʼ intentions.

We also protect our member’s assets from being ʻraidedʼ by the bank or in some cases by completely nullifying a bankʼs claim, whilst reducing bank claims or expectations in others.

We do not accept any member without full knowledge of their position and what has occurred with their bank. Membership is only offered to those who will benefit from IBAS guidance or direct involvement which is determined by IBAS after email 'conversations' have passed between us to establish the facts and position.

IBAS has featured on BBC TV, BBC TV News, ITV, Meridian and Sky News and contributed to many editorials and articles including those in the Sunday Times, Times, Daily Mail, Daily Express, Telegraph and Daily Mirror.

Independent Banking Advisory Service (IBAS) - IBAS launched in 1992 as a specialist unincorporated business banking membership organization assisting bank customers with UK business banking account loan disputes and business banking debt disputes with their bank. Our analysis and investigation of business bank loans, business bank accounts, business banking contracts, business banking account facilities and business banking debt recovery information has been instrumental in our member's success.

Last modified: 13th December 2018