my sister in law is in this situation. The mortgage is coming out of her account every month. She works part a few days a week at a hairdressing salon and is making ends meet. As far as I know most of the bills etc are also coming from this account also. Anyway she wants her partner to sign the house over to her and he flatly refuses, the S.O.B as he is,. He will not help her financially in any way as they have separate bank accounts. Is there anything she can do, the mortgage advisor said no, but surely she hasn't got to grim and bear it for the rest of her days.

-- s gwilym (cherubchops2000@yahoo.co.uk), April 15, 2003

Answers

Hi,

Your sister-in-law is doing the right thing in carrying on paying the full mortgage amount as she can now take her partner to court if the house is in joint names and get him off the deeds and mortgage by proving she has paid the whole lot and he is paying nothing. She needs to see a good divorce lawyer.

As for the bills, all she needs to do is ring around the gas, electricity, telephone etc. to find out whose name is listed on the account, if it is hers she tells them that she has moved out of the property and gives them a new address and is no longer liable for these. Same applies to the council inform them she is no longer there and she will not be liable for council tax.

Going to court to get him off the property will be a long haul but it is worth it and she needs to get a full and final settlement so he can never return to claim any more from her, tell her to keep paying the mortgage but as for the rest just inform them she has left.

Good luck.

-- Chris (chris@anon.co.uk), April 16, 2003.