Yes, others have highlighted this and I accept that argument. Although I do not underestimate the seriousness in failing to protect a persons data, I also accept that it is not a pivotal term of the contract. Bear in mind that there is also misrepresentation by not informing the borrower that his signed agreement, containing all of his data is going to vanish off the face of the earth.Hercule Parrot wrote:Yes, but that's really not the point. What's important is the seriousness and effect of the breach.Tuco wrote:If a party include a term in a contract and then do not adhere to it, it can only be a breach, nothing else.
For example - My mortgage agreement might say that the bank will send me notice of interest rate changes by first class post. If some HQ bean-counter decides to send them out second class instead, what will be the likely effect if I challenge this as a breach :
A : The bank will have to delay the increase of interest rate on my account by 48hrs to allow for late notice?
B : The bank will have to re-serve the notice correctly before they can implement the increased rate?
C: The bank will be permanently unable to implement this interest rate increase on my mortgage?
D: The bank will be unable to implement any future interest rate increase on my mortgage?
E: The mortgage agreement is void, I can keep the house without paying back the loan?
I could imagine a court favouring the first couple of options, maybe even C with exceptional advocacy. But non-performance of a particular term does not automatically lead to fundamental or repudiatory breach. And nor should it, because if I'm a day late with my payment one time I don't want the bailiffs coming round.
The problem really arises further on down the line when the new owner of the debt inherits this problem. The original lender can have no real input by this stage, making any claim very flimsy.