Mortgage with a County Court Judgement (CCJ)

Having bad credit such as a county court judgement (CCJ) against your name can have an impact on a mortgage application, but is it possible to get approved with one on your file?

In this article, we will explore whether this is possible, how to increase your chances of success and much more.

Can you get a mortgage with a CCJ on your credit file?

Yes, you can get a mortgage with a CCJ. A larger deposit, strong credit history apart from the CCJ, stable income, and keeping a low debt-to-income ratio will all increase the chance of approval. Older, smaller, and satisfied CCJs are less concerning. Specialist mortgage brokers can provide tailored advice.

If your application is approved, you may find that you have to pay a higher interest rate. This is because many lenders consider customers with bad credit to be a higher risk, so they charge more interest to protect themselves.

How to get a mortgage with a CCJ

Your first step should be to speak to a mortgage broker who specialises in securing finance for customers with CCJs.

Make an enquiry with us and we’ll match you with an advisor with these credentials from our network of bad credit mortgage specialists.

Your handpicked mortgage broker will guide you through the following steps to full application:

• Downloading and optimising your credit reports: Your broker will suggest ways to build and repair your credit score quickly, and this could be the difference between mortgage approval and rejection in the long run.
• Finding the right lenders for borrowers with CCJs: There are mortgage lenders who offer exclusive deals for borrowers with this type of bad credit, and your mortgage advisor can match you with them,
• Securing the best rate for you and helping you complete your application: By boosting your chances of securing a better deal and giving you a hand with the paperwork, your broker could help you save time as well as money.

Which lenders will consider your application?

Despite the severity of this type of credit issue, there are still a high number of lenders who’ll consider lending to people with a CCJ.

Here are some examples:

• Earl Shilton Building Society will consider applicants with CCJs that have been registered between 3 and 12 months ago, but it must be worth £500 or less.
• West Brom will consider lending to applicants with these credit issues but if it was registered less than 12 months ago, it must be worth less than £500. A thorough credit check will be carried out and an underwriter will carry out an assessment.
• Leeds Building Society is also sometimes willing to lend to people with a CCJ, but they will only consider applicants with a maximum of one judgement or default satisfied within the last three years. CCJs satisfied over three years ago must not exceed £20,000.

Keep in mind that mortgage lenders are constantly updating their eligibility criteria – particularly during periods of economic instability – so, these details can be subject to change at any time.

What interest rates to expect

The rates quoted above were correct at the time of writing and are subject to change at any time at the lender’s discretion. Speaking to a mortgage broker is the best way to keep track of the rates available at any given time. 

How do mortgage lenders assess applicants with CCJs?

Eligibility criteria varies from one mortgage lender to the next. While some lenders won’t lend to borrowers who’ve had a CCJ, others will assess each person on a case-by-case basis.

Often, they’ll take the following into account:

Date of the CCJ

The date you got your CCJ is extremely important. If it was registered more than three years ago, you may be able to choose from a wider number of lenders than if it was registered in the last 12 months.

The value of the CCJ

Some lenders will place a limit on the size of your CCJ, particularly if it was registered recently. For example, Mansfield Building Society are known to consider lending up to 80% of the property’s value, if the CCJ was registered less than 12 months ago and it is worth £500 or less.

If more than two to three years old, lenders may be more flexible and place no size restrictions at all.

Number of CCJs

Lenders will often restrict the number of allowable CCJs to one or two. But there are some lenders who have no maximum number as long as they were all registered long enough ago.

Satisfied or unsatisfied?

Getting a mortgage with an unsatisfied CCJ is possible but more difficult than if the matter has been fully satisfied.

The number of lenders willing to look at your application will be higher if your CCJ has been fully settled and satisfied and a sufficient period of time has passed since.

• Satisfied – Some lenders will want satisfied CCJs to have been paid off at least 12 months before the application. Others will be content if it’s been satisfied at all, providing other criteria has been met.
• Unsatisfied – Specialist lenders will sometimes approve unsatisfied CCJ applications as long as the judgement was registered long enough ago.

How much deposit will you need?

The minimum amount of deposit you can expect to get approved for a mortgage with a CCJ is 10% of the property’s value, but if your CCJ was registered recently or is for a high amount, 25% is more realistic. This is subject to change depending on the lender’s criteria

How much can you borrow?

Having a CCJ won’t directly impact the amount you can borrow as this will largely be based on your income and outgoings. Most lenders will cap your maximum borrowing at 4.5 times your salary, although a few go higher than this, up to 5.5-6 times income.

Keep in mind that it might be harder to secure a mortgage deal based on a higher income multiple if you have bad credit, purely because you will have fewer lenders to choose from.

Use our mortgage calculator below to get a rough idea of your maximum borrowing:

What if you have additional bad credit issues?

If you have additional bad credit issues on top of a CCJ, it can add an extra layer of complexity to your mortgage application but the good news is that it isn’t impossible to get approved or even secure a competitive issue with more than one type of bad credit.

You will, however, need to apply through a specialist bad credit mortgage broker to stand the best chance of finding a lender with a high enough appetite for risk.

Can you remortgage with a CCJ?

Yes, it’s possible. Remortgaging can be more straightforward than completing a full mortgage application, but you may find it harder than someone with good credit to get the best rates and deals. It’s a good idea to compare mortgages from across the whole market. This could help you avoid rejection and save you thousands over the course of your mortgage term.

Get matched with a bad credit mortgage broker

You can increase your chances of getting a mortgage by using a specialist broker with experience helping people with a CCJ. They’ll know which lenders are most likely to approve your application and can help you jump through the various hoops you may encounter as someone who’s had problems with credit.

We offer a free broker-matching service that can help you find the right mortgage advisor for you. Many of the brokers we work with operate on a success-only fee structure. This means that if they don’t secure you a mortgage, you won’t have to pay a penny and any upfront fees will be refunded.

Give us a call on 0808 189 2301 or make an enquiry to get started.