Coming off a mortgage...help!

Fizz_Bomb

Hello, 
I’m in desperate need of some advice on my complicated situation if anyone can help I’d be so grateful. 

My ex husband and I bought a flat in 2006. We separated in 2014 and I moved out, taking the kids with me and we agreed that he could stay on in the flat, and I’d have no further interest in it. We were in negative equity at the time, and given the circumstances, I just wanted rid of it. I moved into rented accommodation with the children. He moved out of the flat a short while later and has rented it out since. I have had no dealings with the property or paid anything towards it since that day. I got a letter drafted by a solicitor back in 2014 to state I had no interest in the flat in order for me to be able to claim tax credits etc. Nothing had ever been an issue with it. 

Fast forward to now, and I am now in a position with my partner to want to buy a house of our own. However, the problem is that my ex husband has been turned down repeatedly for remortgaging the flat on his own. He put it up for sale just after Christmas, but 5k higher than it was valued at. It didn’t get one viewing and he’s now taken it off the market and states he is not willing to sell for any less than the higher figure as he cannot afford to lose what he’s put into it. 

I have gone round in circles with him (we are not on good terms) but he states that he’s been knocked back several times for remortgage and he’s tried every which was possible. He puts this down to an unpaid electricity bill which was sent in between tenants and lay unpaid for some months before he knew anything about it and has therefore been given poor credit. 

Is there ANYTHING I can do here? I am even willing to pay a small amount of money if it means being released, I find it so frustrating I’m tied by something (and indeed someone) who I left over 7 years ago. I spoke to a solicitor recently for some advice and she said the Court wouldn’t even entertain me unless we’d tried mediation first, but I understand this process could get very costly, with no guarantees of it going in my favour. Such a mess 😩
Thanks in advance 

MWT

Unfortunately I don't think there are any simple solutions at this point, it sounds like you have already taken advice and received the answer I would have expected.

If he cannot remortgage on his own and either will not or cannot sell then forcing a sale is likely to be costly...