According to the latest figures released by the housing charity Shelter.org, the city of London has the highest number of property repossessions in the entire United Kingdom. The declining market for buyers, plus the possible negative effects of Brexit means this should come as no great surprise. If you are unfortunate enough to find yourself a victim of this process, you may be confused and frustrated. However, it’s crucial you appreciate some basic facts. Reading this article will help you understand why a document known as Court Form N244 can come in handy. If you complete it correctly and at the right time it could help you to stop (or postpone) a government-sanctioned repossession.
Understanding the General Repossession Process
The first thing you should realise is that you cannot be evicted from your property overnight. There are seven discrete steps that must first take place. These are:
1. You must be notified by the lender about any mortgage arrears.
2. Your lender then applies to the court for a repossession order against you.
3. Next, you will be informed of a hearing date by post from the Court.
4. Your case will be heard by a judge.
5. If the judge rules against you and in favour of the lender then an order for repossession is granted.
6. If you fail to leave, bailiffs remove you from the property.
7. Your home is repossessed and subsequently sold.
It vital you understand that court form N244 MUST be presented to the judge AFTER the order for repossession has been made. This means that if you complete and present the form correctly, you may be allowed to postpone the process. This can allow you some time to come to a financial agreement with the lender and avoid a costly and stressful repossession.
A Look at Court Form N244 in Detail
So now you know that Court Form N244 can help to slow down the repossession process, or postpone relevant bailiff warrants for eviction. So how do you do it? Well, the good news is that Court Form N244 is fairly straightforward. You just need to take a few simple steps. Firstly, you’ll need to enter the court, claim number and warrant number in the correct fields. Next, you’ll need to complete ten different sections which you should complete in order. You’ll also need to provide some further information including the name of the petitioner (or representative solicitor), the type of hearing you need (telephone, a formal hearing or no hearing whatsoever) and the type of judge required for the hearing (normally a District Judge). Once you’ve completed the form correctly you can submit it to the court.
Is Court Form N244 an Effective Method to avoid repossession?
You need to understand that Court Form N244 is simply an application for a court order. In other words, there are no guarantees that this document alone will be able to stop the repossession process you are facing. You will be required to provide further evidence to the court that any outstanding arrears can be dealt with in a timely fashion. Possible examples could be that you have recently obtained full-time employment or that an offer has already been made by your solicitor to sell the property.
There is no doubt that property repossessions can be a very challenging and stressful time in your life. Although court form N244 is not necessarily the only way you can deal with the situation, it can certainly help in postponing or avoiding such a life-changing event. Finally, if you need to sell your property quickly, you could consider speaking to Molae Properties. Our fast, friendly service means you could complete a cash purchase in as little as seven days, so why not get in touch?
