PRESTON COUPLE DEFY EVICTION, SAY BANKS ARE "RIPPING US OFF"

27 Oct 10 by Suzanne Robson from Preston Leader

Chris Field, pictured with his daughter Sophia, is refusing to make repayments on his home loan as a protest against banks' beahviour. Picture: Adam Elwood

A PRESTON couple has rejected an eviction order and barricaded themselves in their home in protest at the practices of Australian banks.

Chris and Susan Field said they stopped making repayments on their Belmont St home a year ago after asking their financial institution to prove it hadn’t sold their mortgage to another provider.

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Unsatisfied with the response from the Macquarie Bank, they put a “moratorium on payments”.

When the couple recently received a warrant of possession on their house, they waited 72 hours and moved back in.

“(It) expires in 72 hours, so we changed the locks, got back in and here we are,” he said.

Mr Field, a community television preacher and grandfather of 13, said the couple would continue to protest until they received some answers about how his bank was dealing with his loan.

“We won’t save Australia for our kids with our head in the sand,” he said. “Aussie banks are among the most profitable in the world by ripping us off.”

Mr Field said that despite attracting police attention, the couple would continue to return each time they were evicted.

“While Susan was getting locks changed someone called the police,” he said.

“(The) police officers arrived ... but she locked herself in the home and held her ground until her son arrived over an hour later and pointed out the warrant had expired.”

Senior-Sgt Trevor Lockwood said police were often called by the sheriff’s office when a warrant of possession was being issued and there was a safety issue.

Macquarie Bank spokeswoman Laura Bramwell said she was unable to comment “for privacy and confidential reasons”.