approximately 9/10 years ago i met a guy and we decided to live togerther, we rented a house in the East of London. I found after living their for short while that he was not the man i thought, and he bacame very abusive both physically and mentally.

9 years later i receive a letter in the post from a company working on behalf of The Woolwich Building society stating that i had had a morgage with them, and that the property had been repossesed and myself and my x partner were liable for the shortfall !!

This was a total shock to myself, as far as i know i was rening the property and had not bought it.

I feel that i have been really conned and taken for a fall, i really dont understand how they would of given him a morgage as he didn't have a fall time job at the time.

I really dont know what to do, I've got no proof or documentation as all i left with was the clothes on my back.

I have my own flat now, and are scared they can take it off me.

PS the letter stated that it had been reppossed in 1997

-- Sarah Michael (bappy012002@yahoo.co.uk), August 15, 2002

Answers

With all due respect I for one find it very hard to believe that you had no knowledge of this "mortgage" but if you are telling the truth just confront the debt collectors and tell them, but you should report this to the police as if the mortgage was obtained by someone using your name you will need protection. If it ever gets to court you will need proof that you have reported it failiure to do so could look bad for you.

-- Steve. (powerhousesteve@aol.com), August 24, 2002.

Ask for copies of the mortgage documents, for evidence of the signature that they say you have signed.

-- anom (jandn.dielehner@ntlworld.com), August 24, 2002.

I would say that since you own your current flat you know the rigamarole you had to go through to sign all those papers...if you were never party to a similar procedure in the house then what you are talking about is the [criminal] offence of fraud. Go to the police and report it and get a copy of the incident report. Hand it to the debt collectors (keeping a copy for yourself) and let them deal with it. Somehow I think there may be more to this than you suggest, as although I have a very low opinion of most Lenders, the Woolwich would have needed your and your partner's proof of income, your signature, his signature, a bank or building society account, credit history and undoubtedly a meeting along the way. Tad hard to forget all of that don't you think?

-- Too scared to say (iwasduped@yahoo.com), August 24, 2002.