There are moments when the human cost of financial exploitation becomes painfully visible — moments when the system designed to protect us instead threatens to destroy us.
This is the story of an elderly couple we’ll call D & A, who came within days of losing not only their home, but possibly their lives.
A Twelve-Year Battle Against an Unseen Enemy
For more than a decade, D & A had lived under the shadow of a repossession order.
Their mortgage — sold, resold, and securitised between multiple financial entities — had long ceased to belong to the bank now pursuing them. Yet every few years, the case re-emerged like a ghost, each time with a new label, a new “creditor,” and the same relentless threat: eviction.
What began as a technical dispute over a mortgage had become a human tragedy.
- D, aged 77, suffers from severe asthma. Her doctors warned that the stress of an eviction could trigger a fatal attack.
- A, her husband, has endured six breakdowns due to years of intimidation and confusion.
Despite medical letters clearly stating that both were unfit for court attendance, a district judge recently refused to adjourn their hearing — siding instead with the lender’s solicitors, who argued that delay was “prejudice to enforcement.”
The result?
An eviction warrant was authorised — just weeks before Christmas.
The Nightmare They Feared
The couple had every reason to be afraid.
They had seen what happens when enforcement goes wrong.
They’d heard stories of so-called “bailiffs” turning violent — of elderly homeowners being dragged from their properties, of sentimental possessions stolen or destroyed, of families left traumatised.
They feared their Christmas would end not with peace, but with flashing lights, broken locks, and the loss of everything that made their home theirs.
Their GP warned that a forced eviction could land both in hospital — or worse.
And yet, at this critical moment, no one was listening.
The Pitfalls in the Prosecutor’s Case
The lender’s case — presented as routine enforcement — was anything but straightforward.
- The original possession order dated back to 2011 and should have expired after six years.
- The order reinstated in 2025 bore no court stamp or judge’s signature, raising questions about its legal validity.
- The claimant bank was no longer the true owner of the mortgage, having sold the beneficial interest through Deva Financing plc and later Bridgegate Funding plc — both part of complex securitisation chains that stripped ownership from the bank but left it pretending to be the “mortgagee.”
Despite all this, the judge pressed on — denying D & A’s request for adjournment, ignoring their medical letters, and accepting the lender’s narrative as fact.
When a court refuses to see vulnerability, it does more than misapply law.
It erases humanity.
Enter Get SAFE
That’s when Get SAFE (Support After Financial Exploitation) became involved.
We stepped in not as lawyers, but as advocates for truth and protection.
We helped D & A structure their evidence, draft their N244 emergency stay application, and articulate — in clear, factual terms — why enforcement would be unjust, unsafe, and unlawful.
We supported them to:
- Gather and submit medical evidence under the Equality Act 2010;
- Reference their outstanding DSAR (data request) showing evidence of securitisation;
- Highlight the procedural irregularities in the lender’s documentation; and
- Frame their argument within Article 6 of the European Convention on Human Rights — the right to a fair hearing.
We also connected them with Shelter England, ensuring that, if the court delayed, a housing duty solicitor could step in to protect them immediately.
Behind the scenes, we worked with Get SAFE trustees and volunteers to monitor court communications and prepare follow-up submissions.
Within 48 hours, the couple’s application was before a judge.
Enforcement was paused.
The Difference We Made
For the first time in fourteen years, D & A could exhale.
They were no longer powerless.
Instead of spending December packing boxes and fearing a knock at the door, they will now spend Christmas at home — together, safe, and breathing freely.
In the New Year, their case will be properly heard at a full court hearing where evidence, not exhaustion, decides the outcome.
Justice has not yet been won, but the process has been reset — this time, fairly.
When Judges Ignore Medical Evidence
This case exposes a systemic danger.
When courts disregard medical evidence — especially where health conditions make participation unsafe — justice itself becomes discriminatory.
The Equality Act 2010 obliges courts to make reasonable adjustments for disabled and vulnerable parties. To proceed without them is not only unjust; it is potentially unlawful.
Each time a judge ignores a doctor’s warning, they gamble not only with procedural fairness but with human life.
Get SAFE exists to ensure that never happens unseen again.
A Christmas of Peace, and a New Year of Accountability
Thanks to timely intervention, this couple now faces peace this Christmas, not violence.
They will have a proper day in court early in the new year — one where evidence of ownership, securitisation, and misrepresentation will finally be examined in full.
Their courage reminds us what Get SAFE stands for:
That no one should lose their home, health, or dignity because of opaque financial systems or ignored vulnerabilities.
About Get SAFE
Get SAFE (Support After Financial Exploitation) is a forthcoming UK charity founded to protect victims of financial wrongdoing.
We provide:
- Free advocacy and procedural support for victims navigating complex financial or legal cases.
- Training and empowerment tools to help individuals become citizen investigators.
- Peer and professional networks for survivors of financial abuse, mis-selling, and exploitation.
Our mission is simple:
To restore safety, dignity, and truth — especially where institutions have failed.
🌿 A Message from the Get SAFE Team
“Every day, we meet people who’ve been stripped of their homes, hope, or health by systems designed without compassion. We’re building something different — a community where justice and humanity walk hand in hand.”
If you or someone you know is facing repossession, exploitation, or intimidation by financial institutions, reach out to us.
Together, we can make sure that this Christmas — and every Christmas that follows — brings peace, not fear.
Every year, thousands across the UK lose their savings, pensions, homes, and peace of mind to corporate financial exploitation — and are left to face the aftermath alone.
Get SAFE (Support After Financial Exploitation) exists to change that.
We’re creating a national lifeline for victims — offering free emotional recovery, life-planning, and justice support through our Fellowship, Witnessing Service, and Citizen Investigator training.
We’re now raising £20,000 to:
Register Get SAFE as a Charity (CIO)
Build our website, CRM, and outreach platform
Fund our first year of free support and recovery programmes
Every £50 donation provides a bursary for one survivor — giving access to the tools, training, and community needed to rebuild life and pursue justice with confidence.
Your contribution doesn’t just fund a project — it fuels a movement.
Support the Crowdfunder today and help us rebuild lives and restore justice.
Join us at: http://www.aolp.info/getsafe
steve.conley@aolp.co.uk | +44 (0)7850 102070
Academy of Life Planning 