stopped paying the mortgage - now what?

mrsrwallace

thanks for support and advice given so far
i can update you now in that the mortgage company are "happy" to let us sell the house so the for sale is going up this week. We mightn't manage to get a buyer but the mortgage person said we should just keep paying what we can afford each month and that way it would take a bit of time so in that time we could either sell or win the lotto!
However, it being Norn Iron and all.....it never rains but it pours, the car HP company has decided to terminate the agreement now I'm writing a new thread on this if anyone can help PLEASE!

grumpys1daughter

My thoughts are with you and sending you some hugs hope it all works out xx
One thing I definitely agree on is how the SSA will pay rent for people with no jobs but won't pay a penny towards you paying a mortgage, I know from a friend of mine that she asked about help with her mortgage and was refused she and her husband split up and she now lives on her own and is disabled but they point blank refused to help with any help towards her mortgage she does get rate relief but it really p's you off when you see people sitting rent free with all the latest designer gear and gadgets its not that people are asking the SSA to pay for a luxury item they are only being asked to keep a roof over someones head, really
hope you get sorted xx

mrsrwallace

thanks grumpys1daughter, my feelings exactly! it seems there is help for those who choose to do nothing in life and no help for folk who at least try to provide for themselves. I know there are many people who are genuine and NEED the SSA to help them and I have no problem with that at all, but I do have serious issues with those who milk the system for all they can get and just choose it as a lifestyle.

I have a close friend who makes no bones about the money she now has with her expanding brood being clothed fed and homed by us taxpayers yet I cannot afford to keep my own children fed clothed and homed and get no help or support when I need it from my government, yet her family is classed as "disadvantaged"??? Explain please!?!!?

Anyway, a little update to the situation now. The house has been up for sale a little over a week and there has been 2 viewers so far which I am quite chuffed about. I honestly thought nobody would even look! So that is something, the interest (or noseyness!) is there.

Have contacted CAB again and they have advised me of the process of what happens if we get a sale and how we deal with the shortfall. Also been on to Housing Rights and they were fantastic! Really helpful, non-judgemental and informative and advised me to sit tight in the house until it is sold then to go and get a house on the rental market as it is less complicated then plus saves the costs of having to insure my house until it is sold and the cost of rates (although I am getting some rate relief now).

So all positive so far, mortgage company being SUPER helpful now and actually sympathetic and sent me a really nice letter saying that they are sorry to see I am experiencing a difficult period in my life etc etc and they are not being pushy or anything to get the hell out of here! Even went as far as to say try and hold on from selling to see how the future pans out?? Yeah well I can safely say our financial situation will not pick up anytime soon as I didn't get the job I was waiting on and so am still on my low income.

So that is the latest news! So the plan is to sell (hopefully), rent a house and deal with the shortfall as a non-priority debt. Have no assets at all or savings so can't see the mortgage company making us bankrupt (although they could if they wanted to) because they don't stand to gain anything and we haven't the funds to go bankrupt ourselves. Watch this space!

Lovetotravel

I'm really pleased things are looking up for you. I have no advice or anything constructive to add, except I hope it works out for you and I really admire how you're dealing with your problems. Your attitude is fantastic and I wish you all the luck in the world. I'm sure you are an inspiration to your children.

D.A.

Can I ask what your husband's profession is? If he happened to be in the building trade/electrician/plumber etc and was any good at it, I'm sure there are a few of us on here who'd be more than happy to give him some small jobs to do in order to bring in some money. Goodness knows there are enough tradesmen out there who are pretty rubbish!

mrsrwallace

don't know if this is standard procedure now but mortgage company sent me a letter saying they were commencing legal proceedings....even though they had said they were ok with us trying to sell the house? wondering if anybody knows is this just procedure or will we get time to sell before they repossess? can't get hold of them til they open on monday, yet another fab weekend marred with apprehension - getting bit fed up with this routine now of being absolutely miserable all the time - you get so far and then wham you've the wind knocked out of ye again

pepper33

Have to join in here. I have been off work sick with stress about money etc. and we have a mortgage with Santander. They have given us breathing space of 30 days, to do a budget out. I hope to be back at work soon, as I have been out of work sick for seven months, and haven't received any benefits, because my sister is working. I have appllied for ESA, and that was about two weeks ago, of £71.00, and I am on half pay. I really don't know what to do, as they are saying that I can't get housing benefit or anything. The credit unon have been good though, as they have given me a payment holiday. I feel so angry with the government, the bankers, and all the people, that are sitting in paid for council houses and able to go on holidays for disadvantaged people, and drink at weekends, whereas, we are both hard workers, and have no fancy cars, as I burgled twice, and the car stolen twice. So I had to borrow money to get a cheap car, put in a burglar alarm, blinds to the back of the house, and then got a shock when my car and house insurance went up 4 times what it was. I lowered the car insurance to TPF&T, and don't go out anywhere to socialise, as everything is so dear. Had to pay to see a consultant, trying to get better quickly, so I can get back to work. The waiting list for NHS is 8 weeks for my consultant. I wrote to all my MLA's, and there were only two responses, and they said there is nothing they can do, yet the burglars are sitting in the jail, getting everything for nothing, with my taxes. I understand, as you say we have food and a roof at the moment, but it is frightening, and is making my condition worse. Time for a revolution....

mrsrwallace

feeling your pain pepper33, i so understand your frustration and it is SO disheartening and hurtful really that there is NO help available.

The mortgage company said we could sell the house so i thought great, there will still be a shortfall but at least it would save a repossession which would be common knowledge before you know it. Now they have sent me a letter saying they will commence legal proceedings unless we pay our arrears and resume paying full monthly payments. We can't do that on our decreased income. In the envelope there was a letter advising us of the "help" available to us. Well.....this included mortgage assistance (only available if you get income support, JSA etc - none of which we get), mortgage rescue scheme (only available in England!?) and so there is NO HELP available to us here in Northern Ireland.

If we rented a property here we'd be eligible for Housing Benefit so what is the difference to them paying HB for us yet can't give us that money to help pay mortgage?? I don't understand it. It is totally unjust.

As for your health, I can totally understand your pain. Financial stress has to have been the worst suffering I have endured so far in my life, it is just stress day in daily and there seems to be no let-up from it ever. I am sure your mental health is suffering too and you are probably existing not living. I agree with you in that there is no chance of ever going anywhere or socialising yet I am sure you are fed up seeing on FB or wherever that so and so that doesn't work is out having a great time to themselves every weekend. It makes me so angry!!! have you sought free help from CAB? It sounds to me that because of your sister's income then chances you will get anything are slim to none but I would check with them if you haven't already done so. Wishing you the best x

pepper33

I am going to try and get a question into the Assembly about this, as I think it is so unfair, that people get their rent paid. And it was a shock to me, whenever I was told that I couldn't get help with rates, mortgage interest because my sister is working.

We need some answers from our well paid MLA's.

I do wish you all the best, and as we like to think our houses are only bricks and mortar, but they have lots of happy memories that we can bring with us, that is something the government can't take off us.

I will keep watching with a lot of positive thinking for us all

xx

waltsalt

mrsrwallace wrote: »

If we rented a property here we'd be eligible for Housing Benefit so what is the difference to them paying HB for us yet can't give us that money to help pay mortgage?? I don't understand it. It is totally unjust.

Do you not think there is a bit of a difference between the state paying rent to provide you with somewhere to live and the state paying toward something which in the future will most likely be an asset?