Joint Mortgage

[jus1234]

Hi all. Im new here but was just wondering if anyone could offer me some advice please. My original mortgage taken out to buy the house was in my name only. I provided the large deposit needed to buy from sale of my previous home. My husband ran up a lot of debt and only way we could afford to pay money back was to remortgage. Stupidly i agreed but as i was not working at the time as i had had a baby i had to add him to the mortgage. Our mortgage increased from 60000 to 96000 and within a month of the remortgage completing he embarked on his 1st affair and left us.... I managed to maintain payments by borrowing off family and he returned 7 mths later and i stupidly took him back... After a further 2 affairs he has left yet again... He is not contributing to mortgage and i am now in arrears... My question is should he be contributinga he is jointly liable and i understand he has to maintain a roof over our daughters head? Can he remove himself from mortgage? And if so where does that leave us as i am still not working. I am full time carer for my parents? I have approached homeless officer only to be told i haveto struggle on until my lender threatens repossession then they will rehome us in a hostel!!! Just dont know what to do. Sick of being a victim and more to point why should i lose my hard earned money due to no fault of my own

You need to contact a solicitor for 1/2 hours fee advice & then get cracking with your divorce as this is the only way you can sort the finances out. Is your ex paying 15% of his net wage for his daughter? If not, get in touch with the CSA today. He isn't obliged to maintain a roof over your heads but he is obliged to pay maintenance for your daughter & possibly for yourself if you can't work & he's a high earner.

BUT, if you aren't working & he isn't on a high wage the likelihood is that you will lose the house if your benefits plus child maintenance doesn't cover the mortgage. Any possibility of getting a lodger?

Thanks for your reply. Yeah already have a solicitor he has just applied for my decree nici. He says he cant do anything about finances til this has been granted and due to new legislations if i want him to sort finances too I will have to pay as no longer covered on legal aid from April. My mum and dad have been helping me out with mortgage so far cos we are in negative equity so selling house is not going to solve things. Plus been told by homeless officer if i sell i am making myself homeless and therefore would not be eligible for rehoming. Just dont know what to do for the best.... Have been informed by lenders that i could be eligible for mortgage rescue scheme but no guarantees and plus he has to agree!!!

Also he is on low income and his partner has two kids and he has two kids of his own with his ex wife (who he doesnt see) and a daughter with me. Im in a no win situation really arent I. Just cant bear the thought of being homeless

You won't be homeless but you are right that it looks unlikely that he will be required to pay towards the mortgage. You do have time though, keep talking to the bank. Any chance of taking lodgers? Or moving back to your parents?

Mum and dad dont have the room for us all unfortunately and dont know if taking a lodger in would affect my income support. Plus really need to disassociate from him and obviously whilst hes on mortgage he could demand entry anytime from what I understand which is why hes always returned with his tail between his legs filling me and mine with false hope til someone else comes along. Like i said this is his third affair!

Getting nowhere with lender looks to me like all they are concerned about is getting their money. Asked if they would look at transfer of equity today ie remove ex and add my brother or dad and they just laughed !!!!! And suggested only way they would entertain that is if i make an overpayment of 82,000!!!! Mortgage is 96,000!!!! Wtf is that all about?

Surely whilst you are on income support you will get help with the interest part of your mortgage?

Monthly mortgage payment is £500. DWP pay £167 towards that. I have to find balance, pay all bills minus council tax, provide food, clothes, trip money, snack money, petrol too and from school, petrol to and from mum and dads. Outgoings for bills alone exceeds income. All explained to homeless officer and yet I am still not classed as priority for housing despite having 2 dependants and visible proof i am NOT intentionally wanting to make myself homeless and wouldnt even be in this position if my husband had kept it in his pants!!!

Have you explained the situation to your mortgage lender? If you are receiving SMI to pay your mortgage interest, write to your lender and ask them to put you onto interest only so you won't be paying anything on it from your benefits. Explain that if they don't then you can't pay the mortgage.

Realistically you may have to look at selling if they refuse or if you are unlikely to be returning to paid employment within the next couple of years. If you are in negative equity and sell, the remaining balance would be converted to an unsecured personal loan.

Could your parents move in with you?

I have explained everything to my lender and I am on interest only mortgage... Interest payment is still £500 per month and like I said DWP pay £167 per month towards that and I pay balance out of my benefits. No room for mum and dad here. what i cant get my head round is the fact that lenders took my benefits into account when calculating affordability and yet now they wont. All they seem bothered about is using bullying tactics to get me to sell so the mortgage is repaid shortfall or not despite me meeting payments and despite my dad and brother volunteering to go onto mortgage ie transfer of equity or act as guarantor. All i want to do is remove ex from mortgage but maintain mortgage. I feel like handing keys back and going bankrupt and homeless.... At my wits end!!!