My wife sent me this article from The Guardian today.
It’s from a series called Ask The Experts: Homebuying.

Divorce and Property Are Not An Easy Mix
Are You Experiencing Problems with Your Home Because of Divorce or Separation?
Unfortunately, this so called ‘expert’ answering this question about her home in a divorce and how hard it is to remortgage doesn’t seem to be able to give this woman any help whatsoever, other than telling her what she already knows!
This is a situation that it’s easy for me to help with, even if this homeowner has little or no equity in her home.
It’s Not Rocket Science – You Just Need an Actual Expert, Not an Agony Aunt
There is a very simple solution that will allow her to do what she needs to do. If you’re in a similar situation with divorce or separation and problems with your home or mortgage lender, let me know!
Click Here to contact me Now
Here’s the article in full from the Guardian 23rd March 2011:
Help! I can’t get a mortgage following a relationship split
guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 23 March 2011 06.15 GMT
Question
I jointly own two properties with my ex partner. I am living in one with my current partner and our baby daughter; the other is rented out.
My ex and I are currently resolving the financial split of the two properties. What I want to do is sell the one in which I live (using the profits to pay off my ex partner) and have the joint mortgage for the rented property transferred into my name only.
Unfortunately, my lender won’t let me remortgage the rented home solely in my name. Although I have joint-owned it for 11 years, and the property has been rented successfully for more than five years (without mortgage default), they say I have to sell it. I have tried to find a mortgage elsewhere, but my current low salary and recent poor credit history mean I cannot find one.
My argument with my lender was as follows: the property has been rented for five years with no difficulty paying the mortgage, so why not continue the same way but in my name? They say sell, but my view is that if they offered me a mortgage and the worst came to the worst, I would have to sell some point down the line – so the result would be the same and they wouldn’t lose out either way.
As it stands myself and my family face being thrown off the property ladder (in fact losing two properties) without much prospect of ever getting back on it. NH
Answer If you are planning to move into the property currently being rented out, there will no longer be any rent coming in to pay the mortgage. This prospect will not please your lender, especially if an assessment of your income has shown you won’t be able to afford the mortgage on your own without the rental income and/or without the income of your ex partner.
As your lender seems unwilling to budge on allowing you to take over the let property, you need to find an alternative. If you were to sell the let property would the sale proceeds be enough for you to buy out your ex-partner’s share of the house you are currently living in? If they were, and your lender was willing to let you take on the mortgage on that property, you wouldn’t face being thrown off the property ladder.