Deserted house with money owing.

[Shockedidiot]

(name changed as I'm a regular with RL pals on here)

I split with my exH in 2009. I left the house because he wouldn't, so as I was the main wage earner I continued to pay the mortgage for 5 months then the Ouse went up for sale and he was supposed to pay the mortgage. As far as I was aware the house was sold and we owed 3 thousand after all the debts etc had been paid so I gave him £1500.

Jump forward till November last year when I wanted to buy a house for me and the kids. Can't get a mortgage.

Seems ex didn't sell the house. He abandoned it and it was repossessed and sold. There is an outstanding amount of £28000 on it!

Can anyone tell me where I even start to sort out this mess? I can only afford £50 a month towards this debt, is that enough? Who do I contact to offer this? I'm mortified! All advice welcome.

If you only have £50 after paying rent or a mortgage you are hardly likely to pass the mortgage 'stress test' now are you?

grumpy you've jogged my memory there.

My colleagues ex offered the debt collectors a lump sum & they stopped persuing him but she had no lump sum so she voluntarily went bankrupt.

The mortgage company WILL have copies of everything your ex signed but it will be archived so they will have to explain to you how this happened without your consent. For all they know you might not have known about the intention to sell.

Your ex could be in a whole heap of trouble if he's been forging signatures.

Fluffycloudland the house wasn't sold normally, the ex abandoned it and it was sold as a repossession. I doubt the ex had to sign anything to "allow" it to be sold by the mortgage company.

I think unexpected is correct, I used to work as an advisor for a mortgage company and try to help people hang on to their houses in tough times, I seem to recall the mortgage company would get a court order and then then be given permission to go ahead and sell, I don't think this has changed. The mortgage company then would have sold the remaining debt to a collection agency for a couple of hundred pounds, If you pay them £50 per month that will be forever, it will never get paid off, If you can scrape maybe £3000, even on a 0% credit card and offer that it could close this chapter.

Yes, they can sell over your head in a repo situation.
I'm assuming the OP probably never heard anything because she never changed her details with the mortgage lender.
I'm astounded anyone so financially clueless is considering a mortgage, tbh. Your credit file will be shot, OP. you have no chance.

Grumpy, unless the OP already has it, she would not be able to get a credit card with a recent repossession on her file. Let alone one with a decent credit limit.

I was hoping she already had a credit card. Actually, that is a point, they split in 2009, 5 years ago, I wonder if the OP has obtained any credit in that time. Also OP you have kids together, do you speak to him at all? have you spoken about this, If your kids see him, do you have any contact with him? I guess he is renting his own accommodation?
In your shoes I would probably give National debt line a call as a first point.