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A mum has been forced to sell a house after a bank threatened to repossess it - despite her never having missed a single mortgage payment in SEVEN YEARS.

The Co-op Bank, which markets itself as an 'ethical bank', has faced criticism over the decision to attempt to repossess the house in Manchester.

The bank eventually took legal action after the original borrower, Victoria McDonald's partner Jeffrey Sharpe, died without leaving a will.

Victoria's solicitor told the Manchester Evening News the case highlights why it's vital for unmarried couples to both make a will - and to put each other's names on their mortgages.

The terraced property in the Openshaw area of the city was owned by Jeffrey who died, aged 31, in 2010.

(Image: Manchester Evening News)

After his death Victoria McDonald, who is the mother of his four children, continued to pay the mortgage.

She didn't miss any payments, but the Co-op eventually began legal proceedings to repossess the property in April 2016.

Victoria, 37, had hoped the home would be a nest egg for her children.

The bank was due to return to Manchester County Court on Monday for the third time, but is now requesting an adjournment.

The Co-op insists it has taken legal action ‘as a last resort’.

Mr Sharpe had two properties, one in Oldham, that the family live in, and the one in Manchester.

The amount of the loan for the Manchester property was £64,775. The amount outstanding is around £54,000.

Victoria, 37, said: “I have continued to pay the mortgage for seven years with help from my family.

"I have never missed a payment.

“At the end of the day it is for the children, and I didn’t want to sell it.

"I wanted to leave it for the kids when they were older, but the bank is making me sell it.

(Image: Manchester Evening News)

“I have asked if they would let me put my name of on the mortgage, but they refused.

“Last year I put it up for sale. I have dropped the price four times and eventually got an offer of £110,000 and took that.

"The offer is going through but the deal will not be done by Monday.

“I think it is disgusting the way I have been treated.

"The money from the house was to go into a trust for the children, which they can access when they are 18.”

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Victoria’s solicitor David Huxley, of Stockport-based Harvey Roberts Solicitors, said: “This sad case illustrates that unmarried couples should always try to make a will and place each other on the mortgage.

“I find it astonishing that a bank which claims to be ethical would pursue a widow who has consistently paid the mortgage for many years after the death of her partner. She has no arrears.

“If the bank successfully get a possession order and sell the property she will inevitably suffer a great financial loss. Meaning there is less money for her and four children.

(Image: PA Wire)

“Just because a bank is entitled legally to take a course of action does not mean that it should. This sorry case sounds like something out of a Charles Dickens novel.

“The only ethical solution here is for the bank to accept it has made a terrible mistake, abandon its court action and not claim for legal costs against the estate.”

The Co-operative Bank said: “When a customer dies, we follow the standard probate procedure, which usually involves the settlement of any outstanding debts from an estate and/or the transfer of assets to the beneficiaries of an estate.

“In this case, the timescales in settling the estate are significantly longer than is normally expected which is why legal proceedings began to resolve this matter.

“We only take legal action when all other options have been fully explored. The court gave the executors six months to sell the property, which is why the case was due to be heard in court on Monday, June 19.

“In light of the impending sale of this property, we have requested an indefinite adjournment of the case to allow time for the sale to go through and the mortgage to be settled as part of the proceeds from the sale.”