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 think the most urgent thing you should do is divorce.

There are companies you can pay to protect your credit, from use by third parties.
I had to use one years ago, why I found out SIL had used my details fraudulently to obtain goods, I would have been liable for a £7000 debt otherwise.
The company will contact you to confirm any credit check or payment (over a certain sum) is yours.
Which in my case, in addition to the already accumulated debts, involved her trying to buy a car, in my name.
Luckily, she made a mistake, picked up by myself and confirmed by the credit protection firm.
I engaged the firm, for an annual payment (well worth the cost) for five years, because other fraudulent purchases unknown about, came to light due to collection agents, I simply passed the correspondence forward to the agency.
These agencies exist, because this kind of thing isn’t uncommon.
Do protect yourself, it’s a small annual fee, for your own peace of mind.

How do you know the original mortgage last year didn’t go ahead? That would be my concern.

You can do something with Experian that legally/financially separates you from an individual . Sorry I don't know what it's called but my Dad did it when my sister was running up debts.

When we applied for a mortgage we had to give 6m bank statements. Do he have access to you bank account?

@metrobonk change all your passwords, my ex had been accessing my emails for 5 years before I found out 😬 and no, I'm not as stupid as that sounds (well perhaps a little) as he didn't know how to use a computer when we were together so i had no reason to consider it.

Mortgage broker here. Unless he’s done something. Dodgy then no he can’t at a minute the mortgage company would require your most recent payslip

You can roll an existing mortgage over without many checks. When did the last product expire? How did he take out a mortgage in your joint names if the property only belongs to him? You need to own the property to take a mortgage out on it.

My exH did this kind of thing when we were newly separated. I was signed up to a couple of credit reference agencies so I saw it all. Also, he'd got my birthday wrong on all the applications. I had a marker put on my credit file that we were separated as until we sold the jointly mortgaged house, I couldn't sever the financial link.

Have a look at Shelter’s website regarding registering a beneficial interest on the property given you are married.

Just going through a mortgage app now - no, you need to send pay slips and bank statements, passport ID [we had to upload it through an ID checking portal], and you have to sign it.

That said, I would check your credit profile to see if there have been any hard searches on your credit profile and, if so, I’d report them.

This: Clear Score or something like this can show recent searches (soft and hard) under your name.

Possibly, although he have to falsify your signature and most banks will need up to date payslips. It would be fraud. Keep checking your credit file regularly and take action if you see anything unexpected.

I agree, and I'd add that things that aren't supposed to be possible very often happen because someone in the office made a mistake, or failed to check an important point. Never rely on things always being done as they should be! You need to cover yourself, check everything you can check, snd make sure the bank/building society knows you are not involved in this mortgage application.

Why aren’t you divorced?

Also a good point, worth checking.

You are right on wanting up to date payslips etc.
But, actual signatures are rarely required these days, just a digital signature.

Remember there are 3 credit reference agencies to check - different lenders use different agencies (of those 3). So you need to check/set up alerts with all of them

I would run your credit report through Experian or Equifax and see if any applications for any credit have been made in your name and then report fraud if so. I would also hurry up and get on with the divorce and then make a declaration of financial disassociation so he can’t try it ever again.

Pp are right. If he’s tried to use your details to get a mortgage then he could try to get a loan or credit card using your details too so you need to check all of the credit agencies. I hope he’s not done anything but it’s important that you’re alerted if he does.

Are both of your names on your current property that you live in? I’d be concerned about him using it as collateral too.

Only if he’s forging your name, bank statements and payslips.

Maybe banks should be tad more secured in 2026🙈

A mortgage application would need up to date payslips for you

You'd better check your credit, lock it down, and get divorced.

I used to be a solicitor and came across a situation where an EXH applied for and had a secured loan against the former marital home. He forged her signature, had the money paid to his account then buggered off back to Thailand. It can be done.

Do you know which lender he was going to use last year? Might be worth a quick call…