A divorce and relocation

Status: Open
Oct 14, 2020 Views1,718 Answer a Question

I currently reside in the UK and my husband and I are in the middle of divorce. I want to move to the USA in the end of December and I have contacted several landlords by myself, who asked for copies of divorce documents right now, however I am just completing the forms with onlinedivorcer.co.uk/ and I still haven't filed them at court. My question is whether I could use the screenshots from that service to provide landlords and what is the big deal with divorce papers for landlords in case of foreign citizens.

About 2 years ago
I would reach out to a lawyer who is more educated to provide the advice you need. Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns.
About 3 years ago
Good morning here in Houston and good afternoon to you in the UK.

I am used to working with expats and being british myself I understand the hurdles you are going through. I have a portfolio of home around the city and I am sure we can overcome most of these problems you are facing. I have never heard of a landlord requesting divorce papers though. I find this somewhat extreme. As past chair for HAR International I have an abundance of knowledge I can assist you with. I think the main thing is immigration and to ensure you can stay here longer than 3 months. You would need to provide some form of letter from an employer to say what you are earning and when your start date is. If you are depending on savings then you may well have to put down additional deposits especially if you have no credit built up here in the US. I can offer short term fully furnished rentals to get you on your feet and save you having to buy furniture. If you are looking at buying, I have lenders who can finance expats with no credit here in the US as long as the home is located on US soil. Feel free to reach out to me at anytime.
About 3 years ago
Hi Francisca, and fellow Brit! Am Scottish, ex Oil&Gas, met man of my dreams over here & rest is history. When I first came here, the completely different real estate process confused the life out of me, so after getting my license & years of realty experience I love to explain the differences to my UK friends/colleagues. If you’re not familiar, am happy to discuss at length if you’d like to contact me. As regards your divorce decree situation I agree seems a little extreme but without knowing all details (and whether managed apartment complex or otherwise) & will hazard a guess maybe (i) Landlord not used to foreign nationals, visa’d visitors or green card holders, & wants more docn (ii) You don’t have Social Security# (iii) or no USA credit history so they’re unable to run traditional credit check & so need other docn (iii) many other reasons. Best to understand why they need it first before sending them more info. That said, I’d highly recommend you get your own Realtor/agent to work with you. Unlike the UK, it’s typical in Texas to have an agent/Brokerage acting for the Seller/Landlord, and one acting on behalf of the Buyer/Tenant (And they can be from different companies too) vs. in UK we contact the estate agency directly, view, and use solicitor for paperwork. Here Realtors/agents have a fiduciary duty to their clients & must put client’s interests first and foremost. Meaning if you go direct to Landlord/Agent, they’re acting in their best interests, not yours. Suggest you choose your own Realtor/Agent to help navigate your Houston rental search, who’ll quickly find you properties that fit your needs, & advise best course of action for you/your situation. As a buyer/tenant there’s no cost to you to have your own Realtor/agent working for you - seller/landlord pays any commissions due to buyer/tenant brokerage when transaction completes/you move in. It’s very different to UK! Happy to discuss/explain more if needed. In the meantime, Good Luck!
About 3 years ago
Depends on the landlord and if this is a policy that they have. Did you ask why they are requiring proof of divorce? Something like this shouldn't keep you know getting a place. Feel free to give me a call. I do a lot of leases.
About 3 years ago
My first advise is to work with a local realtor with experience in relocation and working with foreigners, this service is free to you. Asking for a divorce decree is a bit extreme, but you do need to show a source of income. Most of my business is based on working with relocation costumers and foreigners landlords.
About 3 years ago
Hello Francisca,
You have to keep in mind several aspects while planning your move to USA. The set of documents asked for by a LandLord would depend on the type of LL. If you are planning to lease a flat in an apartment building/complex, the requirements will be stricter since most of such complexes have to comply with significantly more rules & laws rather than a private LL. As I see from your question, you'll have a status of foreign resident. You will have to provide the documents proving your legal status in USA. Also, due to your foreign status, you probably don’t have any credit history with the US credit agencies, thus you'll need to have some proof of credibility that would be acceptable to a particular LL. LLords may ask you for your divorce decree to see if you have any major financial obligations that might affect your ability to pay the rent. I do not have knowledge of UK divorce process. If the divorce application includes a list of properties, belongings and financials (accounts and debts) that will be divided in the course of the divorce, alimonies paid or expected, the application might be helpful to the LL in the consideration of your application. Screenshots are fine as long as they are acceptable for the particular LL. You need to be prepared that due to your foreign status and lack of US credit history, LL may ask for a larger security deposit. So they will be looking into your financials to determine whether you have reserves to pay such deposits. The process of approval is not that long timewise. But since you are planning to move from another country, I would STRONGLY advise you to enroll help of a local Realtor. The Realtor knows the rules, the areas, the pros and cons of the lease process, and can help you find a place according to your specifications and budgets. Since you are posting a question in the Houston area I assume you plan to move to Texas. Seek reputable agents here: https://www.har.com/realestatepro . Hope this helps. Good luck.
About 3 years ago
The divorce decree papers are a bit extreme. Background and credit check, pay stubs and proof of income is the normal requirements. Every landlord is different. Some require more and some require none of the above. You can also substitute proofs of income with proof of bank deposits. I think the most important will be your proof of income. They will all want to know you have a job lined up when you arrive.

I’m excellent at working with special situations and relo programs. Feel free to email me any questions. Joe@primetxproperties.com.

Keep in mind it’s all negotiable. The landlords make the rules on how they want to accept a tenant. They can charge a bit higher deposit to make themselves comfortable anytime they want.
About 3 years ago
This United States is an great place to live. And I must say Houston and surrounding areas are my favorite within the US. Call me and lets discuss some options and opportunities in the US.
About 3 years ago
Landlord always want to make sure they are getting a hood tenant so they may ask for a lot of documents to ensure you can take care of the financial obligations and so they can trust you say you are. It is best to supply all documentation to a Realtor who can represent you and then that Realtor can give out those documents when necessary. And Yes, you can use a screen shot as long as the Landlord accepts it. If not it may be better to get the official printed documents. Let me know if you need further help. 8324651692.
About 3 years ago
Usually landlords ask for the divorce decree to see what financial obligations you have (creditors, alimony,...) or other sources of income to show you can afford to pay the rent. Typically, they run credit checks and possibly a background check, to insure there is a good likelihood that you will be a good tenant. If your filing is not final at court, they would not be able to use it to decide. There are, however, a couple ways out. If you want to discuss, feel free to shoot me an email at: anh@anhjorgensen.com.
About 3 years ago
You should use a local Realtor. A landlord will require a lot more information. They will need to know your source of income, background and credit check, employment and rental history, your immigration status etc. Also there are a lot of scammers who will take your money and run. You should have a proper lease papers in order to protect you and the landlord, which a Realtor can help you with.
Pia@piajohal.com
832-851-9190
About 3 years ago
Please contact me at JR@Sparkrep.com
I can help with overcoming this objection with landlords.

All the best,

Jason
Disclaimer: Answers provided are just opinions and should not be accepted as advice.
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