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A Brighter Spring for Homeowners
For those homeowners worrying about how they can meet their
mortgage payments at this time of the year, help is at hand from
local councils across North Yorkshire.
Residents who are still recovering from post-Christmas debt and
are in arrears with their mortgage payments could be facing the
possibility of losing their home. While this prospect is
particularly hard to come to terms with, help is readily available
and taking action now, could lead to a much brighter spring for
those homeowners and their families.
There are several different Mortgage Rescue Schemes across the
country, and some specifically in North Yorkshire, that can assist
homeowners who are unable to meet their mortgage payments.
Some schemes are for those homeowners who have suffered a temporary
loss of income but whose situation should improve, and some are for
homeowners who have had a long-term change in their
circumstances.
In all cases local councils can offer advice about the
assistance available to someone experiencing difficulties with
paying their mortgage and can also provide details of how free
legal advice can be accessed. Additionally, all county courts
in North Yorkshire have specialist housing advisers present on
housing possession days that can give free legal advice and can
represent the homeowner in court.
Val Blood, a specialist legal adviser with North Yorkshire and
York Housing Advice Resource Project (HARP) stressed the importance
of getting advice and of attending any court hearings, saying:
“Many homeowners are unaware of the wealth of free advice that
is available to them in North Yorkshire, and of the various
Mortgage Rescue schemes available to homeowners in mortgage
arrears. Many also do not attend repossession hearings about
their home, meaning that a possession order is often made in their
absence. If you are in mortgage arrears, or you think you may
not be able to keep up your mortgage payments, speak to the Housing
Options Team at your local council about your situation. They
will assist you in accessing the help that you need, and you should
always go to court when there is a possession hearing; the Housing
Adviser on duty will help you through the process.”
Many thousands of people will experience difficulty in paying
their mortgage during 2010, and some will lose their homes, but if
struggling homeowners access the help available in North Yorkshire,
that number may be considerable reduced.
For further information contact Ryedale’s Housing Options Team
on 01653 600666 or by email or Val Blood on
01845 521456.