22 February 2024 , 08:55
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Buying a home is one of the most daunting yet exciting milestones in your life. And when you feel as though you've got all your ducks in a row to proceed with a mortgage, it's devastating to find out that you've actually been denied the home of your dreams.
That's exactly what happened to Ruth Sabini-Roberts and her wife G when they were refused a mortgage on a £335,000 home - because lender Halifax said their system didn't recognise the non-binary title 'Mx' as an alternative to Miss, or Mrs. But the pair refused to give up and forced their bank into a U-turn.
G uses the full name Mx G C Sabini-Roberts on their bank account and driving licences. But the couple - who have four kids and run a company promoting LGBTQ+ awareness for businesses - were told 'Mx' could not be included on their mortgage application two years ago. Instead, they were told the only options were 'Mrs' or 'Miss' for G.
Ruth and G feared their dream move to the £335,000, five-bed, converted warehouse property on the outskirts of Oswestry, Shrops would fall through. However, they were told that their mortgage offer had been amended to allow G's 'Mx' title after they made a formal complaint in 2022.
The couple were concerned their house sale would go through (Triangle News)G said at the time: "It is a flag in the sand for acceptance for trans and non-binary people. We found our dream home and applied for a mortgage. It wasn't easy, as we are self-employed. We found a great broker and he got us one with Halifax. It was agreed in principle, and we got the formal offer", and they claim there was no issue with their finances - it was just the 'Mx' title.
'I don't want children staying up late at weekends - I really need adult time'
G continued: "We found our dream home and applied for a mortgage. It wasn't easy, as we are self-employed. We found a great broker and he got us one with Halifax. It was agreed in principle, and we got the formal offer. But he emailed my wife to say that Halifax would only accept 'Mrs' or 'Miss' as my title on the mortgage.
"My legal name is Mx G C Sabini-Roberts. I am non-binary, and I changed my name by deed poll a couple of years ago. My bank accounts are all Mx, as is my driver's licence. It is my legal name. I was scared that this might mean we lose the house, which we've already invested so much in. We've pulled ourselves up from the poverty line over the last four years, fully self-employed, to get here."
G hopes that what they have done will make a difference for others who use 'Mx' (Triangle News)After lodging a formal complaint, Lloyds Banking Group - the parent company of Halifax - finally told the couple on February 2, 2022, that they had found a way to make it happen, after initially applying on January 20, 2022. Ruth and G now hope it is a landmark moment for non-binary customers or anyone who uses 'Mx' in the future.
G, who runs a company called The Queer Box, added: "No one was unpleasant to us. We did not feel discriminated against. We did not have to fight to get them to take attention. But we did have to stand our ground and refuse to accept anything other than my legal name. Halifax recognised they had a problem, but they didn't know how to fix it. We were lucky that we were not in a big chain. If we were, we could have lost our house because of the delays this has caused."
A Halifax spokesperson said at the time: "We're pleased that we have been able to help Mx Sabini-Roberts. All correspondence relating to Mx Sabini-Roberts's mortgage will use preferred pronouns."