Complex & Adverse Credit · Mortgage
Purchase mortgage approved 18 months after a satisfied CCJ — with a 10% deposit
A county court judgment satisfied 18 months prior to application, combined with a 10% deposit and a recent change of employment, placed this client outside the criteria of every lender he had tried. We found a route — and completed.
Reviewed by Jack Cousins · CeMAP qualified
1 March 2025
The Situation
Our client had a CCJ registered against him approximately three years before the application. It had been satisfied 18 months prior. Since then his financial position had improved significantly: he had changed jobs, received a salary increase and had been saving consistently. He wanted to purchase a two-bedroom house at £225,000 with a £22,500 deposit. He had been declined by four lenders, including two specialist adverse credit brokers who told him he would need to wait until the CCJ was three or more years old.
The Challenge
A county court judgment is one of the most significant adverse credit events in lender criteria. Even when satisfied, most mainstream lenders will not consider an application with a CCJ registered in the last six years. Specialist adverse credit lenders who will consider CCJs typically apply thresholds: some require satisfaction before application, some require a minimum time elapsed since satisfaction, and almost all want a higher deposit — usually 15–25% — to compensate for the perceived risk. At 10% deposit, the combination of a relatively recent CCJ and a low deposit eliminated most of the specialist market as well.
Our Approach
We identified the small number of lenders whose published criteria permit a satisfied CCJ at 18 months post-satisfaction with a 10% deposit, and cross-referenced that against the client's employment type and property type to confirm no further filters applied. We obtained the full credit report, confirmed the CCJ was correctly marked as satisfied with the correct date and reviewed for any other entries that might have been missed. The application was presented cleanly with documentary evidence of the satisfaction date.
The Outcome
Mortgage offered. The rate was higher than a clean-credit applicant at the same LTV would receive — we explained this clearly, and the client accepted it as a fair reflection of his current position, with a clear plan to remortgage onto better terms once the CCJ ages further. He completed on the purchase.
Outcome
Mortgage offered. The rate was higher than a clean-credit applicant at the same LTV would receive — we explained this clearly, and the client accepted it as a fair reflection of his current position, with a clear plan to remortgage onto better terms once the CCJ ages further. He completed on the purchase.
This case study is anonymised. The outcome shown is specific to this client's individual circumstances and is not indicative of results in other cases. Your mortgage is not guaranteed until a formal offer is issued. Think carefully before securing other debts against your home. Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage. Lockhart Murphy Ltd is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.
- CCJ
- county court judgment
- adverse credit
- 10% deposit
- satisfied CCJ
- complex
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