Any idea of a rough cost for removing a name from a mortgage?

HurdyGurdy

I don't really want to go into too much detail, as it's not my life I am talking about. But the girl wants to get out of the area due to domestic violence (not from a partner, but a family member).

She has been to her local council who have told her that as her name is on a mortgage, she is considered to have a home to go to, and is not considered homeless.

I have spoken to someone in the housing department of my local council (the area she wants to move to) who said exactly the same as her own local council. Also she would not be accepted as homeless in this area, as she does not live here. She would need to live here for 6 months to be considered eligible, and even then her needs would be low priority.

Her local council will not refer her out of area, and even if they did refer her to our local women's refuge, then as she cannot claim housing benefit, they will not accept her into the refuge as it would be HB that would pay the cost of the refuge (which isn't free).

She was told by the benefits agency(?) that she is not entitled to claim income support as she has an asset, in the form of a house. I think that's what they said - it may not have been the word "asset" but essentially, it amounts to the same thing.

The ex-partner is living in the house now, but splits his time between his and his new partner's house. He has a child with this new partner, and another on the way.



Thank you all for your replies. I had no idea it could be so complex (naive, me!). I thought it would just be a case of going to the mortgage lender and saying "here's a couple of hundred quid, can you take me off the mortgage"!!

She has an appointment with the CAB on Monday, so hopefully they will be able to steer her in the right direction.

Again - thank you for all your replies.

Caz3121

She may need to apply to court to force the sale of the property although not sure what the situation would be given that there is negative equity as she is equally liable for this too

pigpen

Our house has equity.. probably about £40k yet my xh claimed HB when he was made redundant.. I wonder if it was different because he already had the house with a private landlord.

Could she not scrape together the deposit for a private landlord rather than council house?.. or if the ex-partner is spending time with his new gf and baby maybe she could move back into the house they have the mortgage for.. if she also has his child he does really have a duty to provide a home for the child.

jetplane

I think the CAB is the best way forward. Neither LA will take responsibility, as they don't have the accommodation, and she can claim benefits. The domestic violence issue is a contributing factor. Has your friend actually made any claims, approached a refuge or presented herself homeless or is all of this information just a 'he says she says'?

General inquiries are made via LA or DWP customer service staff and the majority repeat what they have been told or what they have seen, very few of them know the law, otherwise they would direct her to Shelter / Woman's Aid / solicitor etc.

No one can give a decision on a persons situation until they have all of the relevant facts, hopefully the CAB will be more informed.

HurdyGurdy

She was offered a place in a refuge. She had moved into a Travelodge for two nights to get out of the family home, so they told her to think about it overnight and decide if she wanted to accept the place. When she rang them them the next day to accept, the refuge was full.

They have placed her in another kind of accommodation, and I can't quite figure out who it belongs to. The LA, I think, sent her there. It is secure, with security guards and CCTV. She is allowed visitors, but they may not stay overnight. "Visiting hours" are 9am to 10pm, so I think it's a bit more "free" than a refuge (guessing here, having never had the need for one myself). She has to pay £25 a week towards the cost. They have put her there until they decide what else they can do for her. It is a self contained two bedroomed unit.

Yes, she has been to her LA in person, and I have been to see my LA (as this is where she wants to move to, as she has a reasonable amount of support here, and it's a long way away from the family member she is afraid of).

pigpen - thank you for your information and advice. Her ex partner isn't the father of her baby. They broke up several years before she had the baby. I had been told that her LA may possibly be able to assist her with a deposit and first month's rent for a property, and that it doesn't have to be within her own LA area. However, even if she got that, with her being told she cannot claim IS or HB, she couldn't afford to pay any further rent. This mortgage thing seems to be the barrier to just about everything.

If she did move to this area, she is hoping that she would be able to find evening work, when there would be people around who could help her with looking after the baby.

Skintski

I'd move back in if it was me, its her house too. That should help speed up his decision to sell. She'd just have to grin and bare it for a while but its better than coughing up yet more cash to force a sale.