Can You Get a Mortgage With a CCJ?

What is a CCJ and what will a lender see

A CCJ is a court judgment concerning money owed. It’s different from a default recorded directly by a creditor, although the same financial difficulty may have led to both entries. Check your credit reports and the judgment record for the judgment date, amount and status — don’t assume a default notice means there’s a CCJ, or that every CCJ was preceded by a default visible on your file.

A judgment normally remains on the public register for six years from the judgment date, not six years after you pay it. If you pay the full amount within one month of judgment, you can apply to have it removed from the register with evidence of payment. Paid later, it can be marked satisfied but normally remains for the original six-year period. A CCJ can also be set aside by the court in certain circumstances — that’s a court process, not something we can promise or carry out as legal advice.

What changes your mortgage options

Date and amount. A recent or larger judgment may narrow lender choice. There’s no single rule that every applicant must wait three years or provide a set deposit — lender policy can differ for an individual judgment and for the total value of several judgments.

Satisfied or outstanding. Paying a CCJ can change its recorded status. Some lenders require satisfaction; others may consider an outstanding judgment under limits. If you’re weighing up using savings to repay it, we’ll check current lender criteria and the effect on your deposit and buying costs first.

Other credit and conduct since. A CCJ alongside defaults, ongoing arrears or further missed payments can be assessed differently from an isolated older issue. If several entries relate to the same period, tell us the dates and what’s changed — an explanation can help an underwriter understand the case, though it’s not an exemption from policy.

Deposit and affordability. A larger deposit may widen your options, but it won’t correct an inaccurate report or make unaffordable payments affordable. Income, existing debts, dependants and property suitability all affect the result too.

What if the CCJ is wrong, or you didn’t know about it

Start by getting the case details and checking your reports. If you believe the judgment should be set aside or the record corrected, use official court guidance and seek appropriate legal or debt advice. Don’t tell a lender that a judgment is removed until the record has actually been updated — if you paid within one month, keep proof and ask the court about cancellation; if you paid after a month, ask about satisfaction. We can explain how the current recorded status affects a mortgage search, but we can’t decide the legal merits of the debt.

What information should you have ready

• The judgment date, amount, court reference if available, and present status.
• Proof of payment or a certificate if paid, plus any correspondence about a correction or set-aside application.
• Current credit reports, including other judgments, defaults and missed payments.
• Deposit source or property equity, income evidence, existing commitments and the amount you’d like to borrow.

If you already own a home, also send your current mortgage balance, deal end date and any early repayment charge — we can compare a remortgage with options from your existing lender.

There may be a fee for mortgage advice. The precise amount of the fee will depend upon your circumstances but will range from £597 to £997 and this will be discussed and agreed with you at the earliest opportunity.