The Ombudsman received a complaint from a couple who opted to switch from an endowment mortgage to an annuity but discovered four years later the transfer had never been executed by the building society. The mortgage was taken out in 1990. They requested it to be changed to an annuity in 1993, undertaking to make the necessary alterations to the repayments. In 1997 the complainants discovered the new repayments, which should have been increased by £170 a month since 1993, had never been amended due to a mistake by the building society. When the error came to light, the society told the couple they would have to make up the difference through greatly increased repayments which they claimed they could not afford. The society admitted the mistake but pointed out that the mortgage holders had the benefit of much lower than expected monthly repayments for four years. The Ombudsman decided that the complainants were in no way responsible for what had happened and directed that the building society credit their mortgage account with the full correct payments due over the four years. He further directed the society pay £1,000 in compensation to the complainants for the inconvenience.