I know this has been discussed before but….“Prevailing” is defined in Oxford Dictionary as: “Existing at a particular time; current” or “Having most appeal or influence; prevalent”
Sample of Part 1 extract received from AIB Customer on margin of 1.1% over ECB:
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Applicable Interest Rate - 3.35% varying - includes margin of 1.10% over Tracker Rate.
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What does “at the Bank’s then prevailing rates appropriate to the Mortgage Loan” in Clause 3.2 mean in the context of tracker interest rate.
The prevailing element of the variable interest rate is the “tracker rate”. The 1.1% is “appropriate to the mortgage loan” based on the LTV defined in the contract and margin band available at drawdown.
There are a few scenarios for a prevailing tracker margin, based on the standardised contracts with enduring entitlement to tracker, but none which allow AIB to increase after drawdown.
1 – The margin is prevailing until the mortgage is draw down. The contract states this in standardised contracts. It describes in detail the only way for Bank to increase margin (prior to drawdown) and that customer cannot avail of lower prevailing margin in the future. The question is lower than what prevailing margin if not currently on a tracker rate or AIB stopped offering for a period of time. For the same group of customers who drew down on their mortgages with the exact same terms and conditions it should be the margin prevailing at drawdown. This is what people went into contract with AIB assuming would be available.
2 – The margin is prevailing after drawdown for new customers. This is consistent with what is described in the contract, as “prevailing tracker margin” is described, and customer cannot avail of lower margin in future as above.
3 – The margin is prevailing after drawdown for existing customers with options for tracker, who have not yet chosen. The contract does not describe this mechanism or provide any warnings in contract or in advertised rates that margins can increase after drawdown. If this is what AIB had intended to do, it was not clear and is contrary to Consumer Protection Code.
I think it can be reasonable argued and is as described in the contract that the tracker margin available at drawdown, for the same population of customers, is the tracker margin which is “Existing at a particular time; current” or “Having most appeal or influence; prevalent”.
An altered tracker margin to suit AIB and disentitle existing customers to what was promised is:
- neither a tracker, or
- what people signed up for when entering contract