Jessica Ure
Reporting from Wandsworth County Court

Image source, Jessica Ure/BBC

"People turn up at crisis point," says Billy Harding, a housing case worker from the charity Southwark Law Centre, who is at Wandsworth County Court today.

He tells me the lack of early legal advice available is causing serious problems, while the prospect of attending court, plus a limited understanding of how the legal system works, can be overwhelming for many people.

An average day in court for them sees 30 repossession cases listed, but Mr Harding tells me on average a third of defendants do not show up.

He adds that Clerkenwell County Court in particular has seen a surge in repossession cases recently.

Today at Wandsworth he says the court is unusually quiet, with more complicated listings seemingly grouped together for the day.

Stephen Menon
Reporting from Croydon County and Family Court

One man tells me he and his wife lost their jobs in the summer of 2024, and since then he has applied for more than 3,000 jobs on LinkedIn, with no luck.

The man was a former management consultant and his wife was a speech and language therapist, and he says they were used to living very well.

Nearly 18 months later, everything has changed. He was facing not only eviction today, but a County Court Judgement (CCJ), external on the money he owed - which would have not only made it difficult to find a new home to live in, but almost a death sentence on his ability to find a new job in his sector.

He and his wife tried everything before applying for Universal Credit. They spent their savings and maxed out their credit cards as they did not want a "handout".

While he has found work as a labourer and a painter-decorator, the situation still weighs heavily on them.

He says he believes "the stress led my wife to having a miscarriage".

The ruling went against them today and they have until March to pay the arrears - about £13,000 or they will be evicted.

However, the CCJ was separated from the proceedings after he "pleaded" with the claimant, meaning the issue will be dealt with privately rather than through the court.

Despite the relative good news, the potential loss of his son's childhood home hits hard as he says it was "the perfect place for us".

Phil Shepka
Reporting from Peterborough Crown and County Court

"I feel like I'm robbing Peter to pay Paul."

Those are the words of one woman, who asked not to be named, who was visibly emotional after possession proceedings brought against her by her council were suspended.

She tells me afterwards at its worst she was in rental arrears of about £2,500, but has recently got that figure down to £938.

Working full-time with two teenage children, she says she does not qualify for housing benefit. "I earn too much a month, but I don't earn enough," she says, alluding to the fact she is in court for the second time over arrears.

She says the cost of living is "astronomical" and bills on top of rent are more than what she earns.

After today's hearing, she admits feeling apprehensive, but tells me: "I know I'll stick to the order, because I have to, otherwise I lose my home."

Kevin Peachey
Cost of living correspondent

Regulation dictates that lenders must help anyone struggling to cover their mortgage repayments.

Missing payments can affect your ability to borrow money in the future, so speaking to a debt charity or your lender beforehand is highly advised.

The so-called Mortgage Charter, external, introduced by the last government, ensures lenders offer flexible, short-term options. They include lengthening the term of the mortgage or moving to interest-only for up to six months without affecting your credit file.

About 250,000 homeowners have done so since it was introduced two years ago when mortgage interest rates were high.

"I see the sheer number of people that this is affecting," says Lucy Davies, a housing law adviser with the Suffolk Law Centre.

"People get into difficulties largely through no fault of their own.

"Quite often there's mental health, there's employment issues, there's family issues, and I think it can very quickly spiral out of control."

On the day the BBC joined Lucy at Ipswich County Court, none of the five people facing mortgage repossession cases turned up.

This, she says, is often a symptom of shame, despair and the sense that losing one's home is a foregone conclusion.

"It is quite frightening coming to court, but it doesn't have to be."

Matt Precey
Reporting from Norwich County Court

A woman facing eviction from her council property in a week's time applies to Judge Tim Earl for the action to be suspended.

She is unwell so does not attend court, and her application is made in the form of a letter.

"I am prepared to do whatever it takes to keep my home," she writes.

She ran up an arrears of £5,377, she explains, because her previous employer did not pay her on time and she "buried my head because I was unwell".

"I have a better job now," her letter continues.

"I just need one more chance to prove I am a good tenant. I understand this is my last chance."

The council representative in court explains the tenant has not responded to any communications since the possession order on 9 October.

There is still no offer of payment and no money has been received since then, she adds.

Judge Earl says no evidence has been given to back up her promise to meet the rent and reduce the arrears.

"This application is significantly flawed," he says.

"I am going to refuse the application".

A man who's contacted us via today's live coverage says he is facing the repossession of the flat he owns over a claim he hasn't paid ground rent for two years.

Ground rent pays for the use of the land on which a property is situated.

The Londoner, who asked to remain anonymous, says the company that owns the land his flat is built on claims he owes £4,000, which he denies, saying that he is not in arrears.

"They are trying to have my home (worth £300,000) repossessed over a bill I have already paid," he says, adding his hearing is next Tuesday.

"Hopefully [I] will get this thrown out otherwise I'm at risk of losing my house," he says.

Gabriela Pomeroy
Reporting from Stratford Magistrates' Court

A woman who is crying next appears in court facing a repossession order for a property she says she left 15 years ago, following the breakdown of her marriage.

She tells the judge she hasn't spoken to her estranged husband since then - nor is he here today - and she only became aware of the threat of the repossession proceedings last week, with the property £87,000 in arrears.

"I am lost, to be frank," the judge says to her.

The woman tells him she "hasn’t had anything to do with" the property.

"If you walk out of a property, you are still liable," the judge replies. “Are you saying to me you hadn’t realised he wasn’t paying? Did you not think to check?”

She responds: "We haven’t got that sort of relationship."

She explains she has been homeless for several years and is currently in temporary accommodation.

The judge says the house will be repossessed in 28 days.

After walking out of the court in tears, she tells me she thinks the judge showed "no empathy".

Charlotte Rose
Reporting from Stratford Magistrates' Court

In 56 minutes the judge at Stratford Housing Centre has granted three mortgage repossession claims - and in two of those cases the defendant did not attend court, with the decision being made in their absence.

In one case, National Westminster Bank was granted an order for a home where a woman owed arrears of £7,574.

Another was granted to the Bank of Ireland where a woman owed arrears of £5,334, and finally the Bank of Scotland was granted an order for a home with arrears of £87,672.

It is not unusual for those facing repossession claims not to attend the hearing. Sometimes they are told by their lender that they do not need to be there, even though it would be to their advantage to attend.

Duty Advisors - a free legal service in the civil courts - have also told me that often people are frightened about going to court and do not know they are able to get legal advice and have someone represent them.

Of five cases due to be heard this morning, two were adjourned which means the parties may have settled the matter out of court.

We have been told by the usher that today's list is very "light". Sometimes there can be as many as 18 repossessions cases listed in one day.

Is it easy to lose my home?published at 11:59 GMT

11:59 GMT

Kevin Peachey
Cost of living correspondent

Getting to the stage of your home being repossessed means huge financial and emotional stress.

That is why it should always be a last resort for lenders - something that the courts will insist upon, and which means cases remain relatively rare.

It also takes a long time. The process of repossession can take about two years.

Everyone from lenders to debt charities says that before and during that process, every effort should be made to deal with the financial situation before someone becomes homeless.

Jonathan Fagg
BBC England Data Unit

County court bailiffs can also repossess properties from people renting properties.

As the chart shows, the number has been rising recently following a pandemic dip.

There have been 7,641 landlord repossessions between July and September across England and Wales, according to the Ministry of Justice's provisional figures.

That’s the most for a three-month period since January to March 2019, when there were 8,369.

For repossessions by private landlords, London's local authority areas have some of the highest rates.

If you look at the top five areas from July to September, four of them are in the capital.

Newham is top, with 304 private landlord repossessions per 100,000 people, followed by 266 in Redbridge, and 235 in Barking and Dagenham.

At the other end of the table, 39 local authorities had no landlord repossessions in the last three months of data.

Phil Shepka
Reporting from Peterborough Crown and County Court

Today’s hearings highlight just how people can end up in court.

There has just been the case of a 75-year-old man living in social housing in Peterborough, who the court heard had been the victim of a scam.

He has ended up in nearly £3,000 worth of arrears, but - with the help of the duty housing adviser - he has come to an agreement with his provider.

The man told me afterwards the scammer “took a lot of money out of me”, but he was pleased with the outcome today.

Jessica Ure
Reporting from Wandsworth County Court

A claim for possession launched against a private tenant has just been struck out of court, as the judge deemed the tenancy could not be ended under Section 21 of the Housing Act, external.

The homeowner had bought the property with the tenant in situ, with him living there since the 1990s, and a tenancy agreement thought to have been in place since 1997.

"The rent has been paid like clockwork," admits the representative of the owner in court, but says the owner has now experienced financial hardship and the rent needed to be put up.

Mediation had broken down between both parties, with offers of a sale to the tenant allegedly being a "non-starter".

Outside the courtroom the representative for the owner asks the tenant to consider a counter offer for rental increase, saying even though possession could not be taken under Section 21 today, they would be forced to pursue it in other ways.

Stephen Menon
Reporting from Croydon County and Family Court

In stark contrast to when I arrived, there is now more people waiting for their time in court than chairs available.

There are groups of people spread throughout the room, heads bowed together, having hushed discussions.

In one corner, a quiet, intense argument rumbles along.

In another is an older gentleman, legs crossed staring into the distance, his mind seemingly a million miles from here.

There is laughter as colleagues and lawyers spot one another and update each other on their lives in snatched moments in between cases, and across one wall a line of people are waiting quietly for the free duty solicitor.

The whole room feels alive.

Stephen Menon
Reporting from Croydon County and Family Court

Here at Croydon County Court Hajra Jafri, who my colleagues spoke to as part of the BBC investigation, has managed to prevent a woman from being evicted from her home.

Despite there being a mandatory ground for eviction, a defect in the paperwork submitted led to an intense discussion over what happens next.

The claimants seemed sympathetic, hinting that even if they had received a ruling in favour they might not have pushed for the 14-day eviction notice.

However, this does not mean the defendant, who we will not be naming, is clear and free. A payment plan must be set up, and the existing debts must be cleared.

If nothing changes, the tenant will be back in court, facing this day all over again.

Matt Precey
Reporting from Norwich County Court

The first case before Judge Tim Earl at Norwich County Court is a single mother who owes her landlady £5,200 in unpaid rent.

The defendant explains via telephone that she had a guarantor who was due to cover the arrears, but a business loan he was applying for had not come through.

She agrees to the landlady's possession claim and hopes her guarantor will settle the arrears in January.

"I have got a hell of a lot on my plate," she tells the judge.

She is now in temporary accommodation, but is in the process of moving her belongings out of the property.

The judge sets a deadline of 27 November to vacate the property. Each day she remains in the property after that date, she will incur a daily occupancy charge of £42.

Jessica Ure
Reporting from Wandsworth County Court

In an unassuming building opposite East Putney Tube station sits Wandsworth County Court.

The concrete façade matches an overcast sky.

The court reception is warm. Security guards check bags and wave detection wands across coats.

Inside, I'm greeted by a friendly courtroom usher. He tells me today's order of business is mostly rental repossession cases.

For now, I am the only person here for those hearings, with defendants and legal representatives expected to arrive shortly.

I'll be bringing you updates from the courtroom throughout the day.

Jon Ironmonger
Reporting from Northampton County Court

It promises to be a busy afternoon in the small chamber at Northampton County Court, which hears repossession claims from 14:00 GMT.

The first five hearings are for mortgages, with each scheduled to last five minutes - that's all it takes to decide the fate of what are usually people's biggest assets.

After that, District Judge Allan Pickup will hear six private rent possession claims.

Phil Shepka
Reporting from Peterborough Crown and County Court

Situated right next to Peterborough's historic Grade II listed lido stands the combined Peterborough Crown and County Court.

Today's repossession list is full of rental possession hearings, related to both private and social housing.

Driving here was more difficult than normal, and I am hearing whispers that people due in court have been caught up in the same traffic I was.

But the room is busy, full of people sat waiting or they are on laptops, ready for their case to be called on. Others head in to see the housing advisor before their hearing starts.

This is a day when major life decisions can be made.

Jessica Ure
Reporting from Wandsworth County Court

Half an hour after its scheduled start time, the first repossession hearing of the day is yet to begin here in Wandsworth.

The usher tells me severe transport delays around Putney have held people up.

It remains unclear whether defendants who arrive late will still get their day in court.