‘Freemen on the land’: YouTube videos tell homeowners they aren’t bound by mortgages
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“Freemen on the land” sound like outlaws in a fairytale. But rather than stealing from the rich to give to the poor like Robin Hood, this group tries to convince hard-up borrowers they are not legally bound by their mortgage contract.
It may sound far-fetched but the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has sounded the alarm over this conspiracy theory as a small but growing number of homeowners are using this argument to try to block repossession proceedings.
“We’re aware of mortgage holders in financial difficulty who are being misled by this online misinformation, often with serious financial consequences,” the FCA says.
The “freemen on the land” movement – sometimes written as “FOTL” or just “freemen” – claims individuals are only bound only by the contracts and laws they consent to, often using arguments dating back to Magna Carta. It is not a new phenomenon but is gaining currency in the UK thanks to social media.
People involved in the movement post information and eviction videos online, including on YouTube. The accounts can have thousands of followers and some videos have been viewed close to half a million times.
Mortgage lenders are reporting a rise in borrowers using these arguments.
The FCA says that some borrowers have paid individuals a fee to take their claims to court to avert their home being repossessed. However it says: “None of these claims have succeeded as they’re not legally valid.
“Other people have ended up losing not just their homes but also a large chunk of their equity.”
On its website the housing charity Shelter has a round up of what it calls a “growing trend of conspiracy theory litigants”. In one case, a judge dismissed 13 separate claims against various mortgage lenders and expressed concern about an “unseen hand” behind the court documents.
The misinformation is being spread by word of mouth or in help groups on social media sites. “People are using informal channels like Facebook groups to find help and these individuals are in those groups saying: ‘Yes, I can,’” says one expert who did not want to be named.
Greg Sachrajda, the head of department in the FCA’s retail banking directorate, suggests that some people who are at risk of losing their home are “susceptible to arguments that make things sound better”.
But he says: “If you borrow money, you’re required to repay it, and you only make the situation worse by trying to rely on false arguments which the courts are rejecting.
Content retrieved from: https://www.theguardian.com/money/2025/jun/08/freemen-on-the-land-fotl-mortgages-fca.
