Mr W. I might be able to help on the rental side. What area are you in please? **MODS** This reads like I'm soliciting for business, I'm not, I'm not a letting agent and unfortnately I don't have spare property etc! Victoria.

Hi Bluepete, I agree with everything PriorityOne has said about keeping everything in writing and absolutly everything must be recorded delivery. Reading your posts ( No 7 & 11) it reads as if you are looking at porting your existing HSBC mortgage onto a cheaper property and therefore paying less per month. I have ported numerous mortgages for clients but have never been successful where there is any form of adverse credit. I strongly doubt that this will be an option. If I've read your posts wrongly then please ignore me. Good luck with them. Victoria.

Hi BluePete, I'm in a not good situation with a mortgage lender too so feel for you. I've no answers regarding HSBC and their mentioned credit check but I can tell you that you are not in a position to obtain mortgage funding in the current market. I would discount that from your option list and look at different avenues. I've posted this because the beginning of your post says you are looking for help before making big decisions. I hope things work out for you, am sure someone with more knowledge will be a long soon. Victoria.

CathW, this is the free phone Santander Mortgage Line: 08000280064. It works, I just tried it. Or from a mobile this will be cheaper: 01142704701 , you need to ask for Mortgage Payments if you use this one.

Hi, I'm in a very similar situation to you with Engage Credit Ltd. I too have filled out numerous I&E forms, provided bank stats and proposed an arrears plan. My outcome is the same as yours. We are both self employed too and due to trading less than a year do not have books, I don't believe this to be a problem as I will provide three months bank stats and deduct business expense and tax in order to prove affordability. I'm no expert here, but if I was in a position to pay them I would. I'm sure someone experienced will be along soon. Please keep posting on here with your Engage experience and I will do so too, you never know we may be able to help each other. Good Luck. Victoria.

Hi Ell-enn, Thank you for taking the time to reply, i really appreciate it. I've been writing to them since last November asking for help with agreeing to a plan to repay the arrears. They are not prepared to capitalise the account and we can't make overpayments unless they revert the account to interest only until the arrears are repaid in full. My file is now two inches thick, all copies of my letters to them, the only things I've had back from them are countless I&E docs ( all filled and returned quickly), statements from 2004 and now the intention to repossess notice. I've spent all day on re-dial to Shelter, the FOS didn't seem interested as they say to talk with our lender and the FSA say to go to the FOS. When I asked Engage about any duty of care regarding arrears handling they laughed and said not at this arrears level and that any judge would grant them possession at this arrears level. There doesn't seem to be anything I can do other than wait for a hearing date. Do you now how long this usually takes to get here please? Thank you very much again. Victoria.

Hi, no they won't put anything in writing. I spoke to the account manager and I then told an IFA friend of ours. She then spoke to a senior manager who requested the will be changed too. The will was to be used as a repayment vehicle as Engage are responsible lenders......apparantly.

Hi, our lender is Engage Credit, they bought our mortgage account from Future in October 2010. We had two accounts with Future but they only sold one to Engage, the smaller of the two remains with Future. We had an agreement with Future to pay £1500 per month which covered both mortgages. Our mortgage has been in arrears since 2007 due to my husband’s work being sporadic. Since Engage took over our mortgage has been £1200 per month and the second mortgage with Future is £450.00. Both have been paid on time since October 2010. The outstanding arrears on the main account with Engage are £39,000. I have been asking Engage since last November to revert the main account to interest only which would reduce the mortgage payment to £650.00, this frees up £550.00 per month to repay the arrears. Engage Credit took 8 weeks to reply to this request and insisted that I get my 84 year old Mother to re-write her will naming me as sole beneficiary before they would convert the account to interest only. This would frighten her to death and I didn’t ask her. Countless other requests have been made in writing to Engage to install a payment plan. We have had absolutely nothing back, no demands to pay lump sums, no nasty letters etc. I have a full arrears statement where Engage have removed their £35.00 a month arrears charges, these don’t show as a credit back to the account they have simply disappeared from the statement. The total remaining arrears charges are £6500.00. I last wrote to them on the 6th of June detailing a repayment plan, on Saturday I received a letter of intention to repossess. Today I have faxed a complaint along with the same request outlining my arrears repayment plan. I have complained that I can not get a response from them and am concerned that the level of arrears will not decrease unless they agree to what I am offering. I dare not change any payment without their approval. We are a family with two dependent daughters and I am very frightened. Can anybody with any experience please suggest something? If it helps our mortgage started in January 2004 ( pre regulation), our balance is £240,000 where £39,000 is arrears. Our term is 17.5 years. Thank you. Victoria.