Completely messed up secondary application for DS & house move

[outsidenowinside]

I currently live with my parents, wife & 2 children, in a house I own jointly with parents. I know, its an odd living situation.

Our plan was to live together, as a family unit, but the house is now too small for all of us. We want to move to an area close to a good local school, as our son will be in year 6 & applying for secondary schools, when he returns in September.

Its looking unlikely we will complete below 31 Oct but I understand from the council, I can submit a late address change, as stated on the council website.

The main issue is that my parents have made it clear they don't wish to move, however they are unable to buy my share of the property, as they don't have enough savings nor can they qualify for a mortgage as they're retired.

The admission's policy of our target school has a condition that they may disregard your current address if you own & have lived in another property elsewhere in the borough in the year prior to the application.

This is to stop parents temporarily moving to addresses close to the school but this will be our new home. Also, my parents are planning on refurbishing the house, to make it more accessible for my mother, who has a range of mobility issues.

We cannot sell the property and I cannot afford to remove my name from it as it would result in a large financial loss for me.

Any suggestions?

OP, when did you buy the house and did you use any money from your parents for the purchase? Did your parents sell their home to move in with you or vice versa?

How is it a lie?

I’ve done many school applications (4 x DC and we are in Infant and junior school area so 3 x applications for each child) and only one parent has to put their details on the application. In my case it was my details but it could easily have been my husband-it would have made no difference. OP calls the child “our” child as opposed to “my” child so I assume the wife in question is a legal parent. Therefore I fail to see how it’s lying. The OP has already stated it’s their family home, they’re not trying to circumvent catchment areas to their gain. They are just trying to get their kid a place at a local school to their family home.

It's not a lie, but it also isn't a magic solution. Presumably the op's wife is on the electoral roll at the current address, so the local authority will have visibility of the address history whichever parent completes the application. Even if she isn't on the electoral roll, the LA can check the address history via the child's current primary school.

A lot will depend on the popularity of the school. Local authorities with very popular schools inevitably take a harder line than those without, because they have seen every trick in the book.

No they’re not. They’re trying to get a place in a school where they’re currently not living.

Is the school you want an overscribed school?

If you do not have a property in the catchment area of rhe school.you want when you have complete the school place form, you could really struggle to get into the school (if it is oversubscribed).

The LA will base it on their criteria (see their website for details) and those who gave not got house in the area but intending to moving into area - is not likely to be on it.

You can go on the waiting list and there is usually abit of movement and you might be lucky.

@outsidenowinside Will you end up owning 2 houses? Look at the rules on CGT. Thats not what you want either.

Don’t go near equity release. That is, in efffct, a mortgage. Very expensive to repay - usually on death. I do think your parents are being somewhat unreasonable.

It's progressing, there isn't any chain so I am hoping it can be sorted out within 3 - 4 months

I looked into it briefly and the broker said it would be very difficult for them to get the amount needed to buy me out.

It was purchased jointly, they gave the bulk of the deposit and i made the mortgage payments.

Yes, we are moving so the purpose of the school but this will be our home. Our existing house is too small for us, so we would have needed to move

Given your update, I would suggest submitting an on-time application from wherever you are living just before the deadline, which sounds like it will be your current address. Are you planning to move in as soon as you have completed on the new property, I.e. will you be committing to a longer commute to primary or will you remain living with your parents while you decorate etc.?

Given you don’t have a property to sell, could you incentivise the vendors by offering them a financial bonus for completion in advance of the application deadline? They could then use this to move to temporary accommodation and pay for storage.

Your parents are being unreasonable.

You’ve got bigger issues than just schools, like CGT. Your parents are being really unreasonable here. They need to find somewhere they can live with the deposit amount they put in, without needing your name on it. It’s worked for now and they’ll have saved a lot but it’s too small now and you need to make decisions that work for your family, not just your parents.

I don't think his parents are being unreasonable if the arrangement was made clear to the OP in advance. Nobody should enter a joint-ownership arrangement with their eyes closed. He owns a proportion of one property, and is unable to sell it. Nevertheless, he's fortunate enough to have the means to buy a second property. It would be very unreasonable to expect his parents to move just so he could guarantee getting his child into a better school.

@storminite It’s about family space. Not just school. As parents won’t move it’s a family breakdown in a way. If OP moves out, who is paying the mortgage? Assuming there is one. Op will own two properties so how is second property being funded? Will first property be a second home? It’s a bit of a mess.

I was able to get a mortgage when retired on my pension income. Are you sure your parents have searched around?

No, it's not a family breakdown - the OP is respectful of his parents' situation, and just wants advice about his school application. As ever, a few Mumsnetters are over-stepping and stirring thing up by offering unsolicited advice. It isn't an aibu thread.

We will move asap. The house we are purchasing is fine, new carpet and paint job, which can be done quickly.

Yes, I will try and get them to agree something but I won't count on it.
thanks

I'd agree with you if they were younger and my mother was in better health. Unfortunately, due to their age and health, they don't want to go through the hassle of moving from an area they know well. I get their point.

Property 1 - currently mortgage free.
Property 2 - will need to take a mortgage, and pay additional stamp duty. This is slightly untidy, and selling my share would have be cleaner.