Did you know that over 90% of Mortgage repossessions can be stopped or suspended? This figure increases when it comes to the number of Eviction Warrants that can be stopped.
No one likes getting those brown or white envelopes, you’re afraid to open them as nine out of ten times it’s a bill or another way of siphoning and prising your hard earned money from your hands and pockets. Is it any wonder that so many of us don’t even want to acknowledge these envelopes? Let alone open them up and face what’s inside. Burying your head in the sand can help you to ignore the situation for a while but you know that you should have opened the envelope, even if it means just seeing who it is that is chasing you for debts and what it is they have to say.
Ignoring these letters can often make things much worse and by the time you actually do open the envelope or you begin to face the situation you find there is so much to sort out that the thought of it all becomes overwhelming and you become very stressed and worried about things and worse of all you don’t want to let anyone know and you just don’t know what to do.
There are ways, there is help out there, don’t suffer in silence or walk away from your home, get some help! Call someone!
It’s only difficult because you don’t know how or what to do. To stop a Mortgage repossession or Eviction notice you must:
- Show the court that you can afford the monthly mortgage payments and an additional amount on top. The additional amount must be enough to pay off the additional debt over the life of the mortgage. Some mortgage companies will tell you the amount that they are willing to accept, in my experience if they do not say when you get into court; you can ask the judge how much the mortgage company is willing to accept. (the mortgage company will require you to complete an Income & Expenditure form
- Stick to any agreement made in the court, be aware that if you break any agreement that you make most Mortgage companies will not hesitate to drag you back into court indeed I am sure that there are mortgage companies that relish the idea of issuing documents that take you back into court if you break an agreement.
- Always make sure that you have proof or a paper trail, this step alone has helped me in court on more than a couple of occasions. If you pay your mortgage by cheque or you send your monthly payment by mail, get a Certificate of Posting, this is free and make sure they include the address and postcode to which your item is being sent, keep these in one safe place. Check on a regular basis preferably monthly that the correct amount of direct debit or Cheque has left your account.
- Don’t leave it to your Mortgage company to decide what happens to you, if they issue a Mortgage repossession notice or an Eviction notice you can go down to the court and complete an N244 form, fill it out, put it together with your proof, include your income and expenditure form and evidence and give it to the courts. There could be a fee of £60 or if you are entitled to legal aid. You will then be given an appointment for a hearing date; the hearing will take place before the repossession/eviction date.
The courts can be an intimidating place especially if you have never had reason to be in a courtroom before. Most of us at all costs try to avoid the court room, especially where mortgages are concerned. Let me assure and reassure you that in most cases of Mortgage repossession and Eviction warrants there is something that can be done to stop the case moving forward, often times you won’t even have to go to court if you can negotiate with the mortgage company.
There are rules and protocols that mortgage companies must follow, very often they don’t but unless you know what these are then you are unable to pick up on their failings, call these points to action and confidently exercise your rights with the mortgage company or in court. Talk to some-one, get some advice, read information that is out there in the general domain, your local council is duty bound to give you help and advice. Do anything just don’t give up,
Don’t throw in the keys!
