Regional banks prepare for royal commission spotlight
The Queensland regional banks with specialist lending sections will be tested today in the Hayne banking royal commission starting with a case study from Suzanne Riches, an Adelaide school teacher. Her husband decided to buy a franchise, which expanded into buying two Wendy's fast food franchises in an Adelaide shopping centre - both had very short leases and no promise they would be renewed.Her usual bank, CBA, was not interested, but the Riches heard Bank of Queensland was keen to expand. Ultimately they were lent the A$280,000 at 8.4 per cent interest for seven years, with monthly repayments of $4420.When the loan documents arrived, the cooling off period had passed (as had a potentially lucrative two-week school holiday period and therefore the chance to earn up to $40,000 in revenue) and the Riches found themselves presented with a three-year period, and monthly repayments that were now set at $8696 a month. "Unfortunately, yes. I felt I was between a rock and a hard place," Riches said, admitting she felt pressured to go on with the loan and buy the businesses, but ultimately making the much higher loan repayments proved too difficult. Riches had to sell a block of land, come to an arrangement with creditors via an administrator, mortgage their family home and refinance with ANZ, to get out of the franchise deal.Bank of Queensland's general manager business banking and agribusiness, Douglas Snell, will be questioned about the issues raised in this case study when he takes the witness stand today.Suncorp is also listed to give evidence on small business lending today.