Can ex-H apply for a mortgage in our joint name without me knowing?

[metrobonk]

Sorry if this is a completely stupid question but I am confused and trying to figure this out. Ex-H and I have been separated for just under a year after an abusive marriage (he was the abuser.) He is unemployed and I am the main breadwinner and always have been. The DC live permanently with me although nothing has been formalized yet, legally.

In the recent past (just over a year ago) while he was unemployed and with my permission, he applied for a new mortgage in our joint names on a house he owns, given to him by his parents, using my payslips and information. We got accepted but because of the separation, we did not continue with the new mortgage.

He is now in a lot of financial trouble (because I am not paying for him anymore) and I have a feeling that he has applied for a new mortgage again with my information that he had under a year ago. I have not received any emails or notification of this, but I strongly suspect it.

Here is the stupid question - would he be able to proceed with this without me knowing?

I doubt it because they’d now need up to date payslips and bank information

You can check searches on your credit report.
But as pp said, he will not have any current documents so no. He shouldn't beable to.

He might apply but you would need to sigb the agreement.

Highly unlikely that it’s possible for him to get a mortgage in joint names because the lender would need to see up to date evidence of income, does he have access to your payslips?
You could always check Experian for any credit that is in your name, mortgages would show on your report.

I agree, he could apply using the old info but they’d want much more up to date payslips to approve it.

Sign up for Clear Score, it’s free and shows any credit searches against you, so this would get flagged if he was trying anything.

Well he could forge your signature. As others have said you could check in about five minutes. Use this as a wake up call to get the divorce and finances sorted.

Additionally, if you think he’s stupid enough to apply to the same lender or via same broker again, you could contact them for a SAR. This would show if any new applications have been submitted in your name, and if there has been you should have enough evidence to report your ex to the police for fraud.

i would be getting divorced asap if I was you.

Something you can do is to register with the Land Registry alert system for the property in question, you can do this for any property and don’t have to be the owner. If a new mortgage application is made for the property you will be notified by email and can then take further steps to try and head off any fraudulent activity.

Get on Experian and do a credit lock just in case he forges any documents/ your signatures

As someone who works in Financial Crime (bank), this is more than possible and way more frequent than you would think 🙈

He could put the application through but it would need to be signed and bank would want up to date info (as PP have said) so unlikely it would actually be granted. Its not 100% guaranteed to not go through but extremely unlikely.

(From someone who works in Mortgage fraud investigation)

You would need to sign and it be witnessed so no, unless fraudulently

Op id speak to the mortgage broker you spoke to or the company the mortgage application was taken out with. Also your credit report will highlight any searches or new products. Sign up to one like clear score (others are available) and you can keep an eye on it from there.

For future, just to let you know that you can put a credit lock on your Experian report. With this on, the financial institution is obligated to ask you to remove it prior to them granting credit in your name. You can temporarily remove it for them to re-run and obtain an unlocked credit report. You will set up a secure password with Experian to let you do this and it can be locked / unlocked easily online. Hope this helps!

My cousin's husband took out credit in her name, and she was left to pay it off for years. They were still together at the time, but I'm sure a recent ex could do similar.
I'd definitely check your credit references.
Also see a solicitor to advise on how you can get your names 'separated'. Legal advice can be free often with your household insurance.

I ditto the Experian credit lock.. I think it’s £20 a month but well worth it till you are fully separated. You need to protect yourself and your future not be tricked into another finance account to deal with. Personally I would be locking my credit/calling the company the initial application was with to advise we are separated and close my application.

Dh ex did this when they were together, it was only because the bank wanted to see him that it didn’t work she had the AIP.

God knows how she was going to get around him thinking they’d be mortgage free at 50 she was going to double their mortgage.

If it’s a property you don’t own but on which you have a mortgage liability you would need to confirm in writing you have had independent legal advice about your liability - so unless there is a huge amount of forgery going on this would not happen.

Even with year old pay slips and statements? My bank was very zealous about up to date pay slips and financial when I took my mortgage out years ago with my ex.

Just looked it up, 3 months of recent pay slips according to some banks, do not accept old ones. They need evidence of your current earnings not what you were doing a year ago.

You would need to sign the mortgage deed. And if he signs it's for you that's fraud. Check with the land registry. They will know if a new mortgage has gone on the property.

Check your credit file?

If your payslips are accessed online I would change the password.

.. although I have to give letters from my memorable word as well to log in.