Open Market Shared Equity (OMSE) administrative procedures: 2014

Annexe B

Application form

(to be produced on the Registered Social Landlord's (or subsidiary's) letter headed notepaper)

Please read the guidance notes for applicants before completing the application form.

Part one - About the application

1. Please tell us where you would like to look for a property by ticking the name of the area/s you are interested in:

Local Authority	Local areas	Please tick
City of Edinburgh	City of Edinburgh
	Urban Regeneration Companies - Craigmillar
East Lothian	East Lothian
Midlothian	Midlothian
West Lothian	West Lothian
Angus	Angus
Clackmannanshire	Clackmannanshire
Dundee	Dundee
Falkirk	Falkirk
Fife	Fife
Perth & Kinross	Perth & Kinross
Scottish Borders	Scottish Borders
Stirling	Rural Stirling
	Urban Regeneration Companies - Raploch
	Urban Stirling
Local Authority	Local areas
Aberdeen City	Aberdeen City
Aberdeenshire	Central Aberdeenshire North Aberdeenshire South Aberdeenshire
Eilean Siar	Eilean Siar
Highland	Highland
Moray	Moray
Orkney Islands	Orkney Islands
Shetland Islands	Shetland Islands
Local Authority	Local areas
Argyll & Bute	Argyll & Bute
City of Glasgow	City of Glasgow
Dumfries & Galloway	Dumfries & Galloway
East Ayrshire	East Ayrshire
East Dunbartonshire	East Dunbartonshire
East Renfrewshire	East Renfrewshire
Inverclyde	Inverclyde
North Ayrshire	Arran
	North Ayrshire
North Lanarkshire	North Lanarkshire
Renfrewshire	Renfrewshire
South Ayrshire	South Ayrshire
South Lanarkshire	South Lanarkshire
West Dunbartonshire	West Dunbartonshire

2. How many people are applying to the Open Market Shared Equity Scheme (applicants are all those who wish to be named as the owner of the property)?

___

3. Please give details of all applicants:

First applicant:	Second applicant:
Surname:	Surname:
First names:	First names:
Current address:	Current address:
Postcode (in full):	Postcode (in full):
Telephone numbers: Home Work Mobile	Telephone numbers: Home Work Mobile
Email address:	Email address:
Date of birth:	Date of birth:
Relationship to other applicant:	Relationship to other applicant:

(If there are more than two applicants please use the space provided at the end of the form to tell us about the other people applying.)

Part two - Enclosures

	Please tick (if provided)
1. Written evidence of your current accommodation status.	______
2. In the case of current home owners, evidence supporting your need to move.	______
3. Written evidence of mortgage quotes which you have received from three different qualifying lenders.	______

Part nine - Use of information

We and the Scottish Government will use the information you provide on this application form (including Sensitive Personal Data as defined in the Data Protection Act 1998) for the purposes of, or in connection with, the processing of your application for the Open Market Shared Equity Scheme and/or the operation of the Open Market Shared Equity Scheme ; any transfer of the Scottish Government's interest in it; and enabling the Scottish Government, us and anyone acting on our behalf, to monitor and/ otherwise evaluate the scheme.

This may include making checks with credit rating agencies to authenticate and verify your identity and credit status; taking up references and sharing this information with other organisations that handle public funds; and passing information to other partner housing providers (registered social landlords and private developers) and to your own legal advisers. If any of the information changes, you must inform the Scottish Government and us immediately.

The information may also be used for statistical surveys and the Scottish Government and/or their representatives, including us, may contact you in the future to seek your views on the scheme.

The Scottish Government must protect public funds and so may use the information you have provided on this form to prevent and detect fraud. Under section 29(3) of the Data Protection Act 1998, the information may be disclosed for the purposes of crime prevention and detection. Sensitive Personal Data is required under the Equal Opportunities Monitoring statute.

You may request a copy of the information we hold about you. We may charge an administrative charge for each request. You also have the right to request correction of any incorrect information.

Note: 'Sensitive Personal Data' is defined in the Data Protection Act 1998 as being information concerning your racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, religious, philosophical or similar beliefs, trade union membership, physical or mental health, sexual life, commission of criminal offences and/or involvement in criminal proceedings.

Part ten - Signing the application form

For joint applications both signatures are required.

I/ We confirm that I/ we would like to be considered for the Open Market Shared Equity Scheme and that I/ we have fully considered the requirements of the scheme.

I/ We acknowledge and explicitly give my/ our consent to the Scottish Government and you processing my/ our personal data, including any Sensitive Personal Data as defined in the Data Protection Act 1998 in accordance with Part nine.

I/ We confirm that the information provided in this application form is to the best of my/ our knowledge and belief correct and accurate in all respects.

I/ We understand that you and the Scottish Government reserve the right to withdraw from any agreement with me/ us in the event that the information provided proves to have been false or misleading and that it is a criminal offence to knowingly or recklessly make a false declaration or withhold information reasonably required in connection with the application.

Signatory 1:	Print name (including Mr/Mrs/Ms/Miss):
	Signature 1:
	Date:
Signatory 2:	Print name (including Mr/Mrs/Ms/Miss):
	Signature 2:
	Date:

All applicants must sign this form twice - once here and once in the next section. The signature in the next section allows us to request information from the lender that has offered you a mortgage.

We may contact you after we have received the application form to ask you to sign letters giving us permission to contact other organisations mentioned in this form.

Part eleven - Allowing us to request and share information

Application form for the Open Market Shared Equity Scheme

Notes for applicants

Please complete the application form using BLOCK CAPITALS.

Part one - About the application

Please tell us where you would like to look for a property.

Please also complete all your personal details and include a telephone number which would be useful if we need to clarify any details.

Part two - Enclosures

These are additional documents which must be provided where necessary in order to consider your application.

Enclosure one - Evidence of your accommodation status is required. For example, if you are a tenant, a copy of your tenancy agreement should be provided. You must provide written evidence of the accommodation status of all applicants regardless of whether they currently live in the same accommodation or live separately.

Enclosure two - If you currently own your home but need to move, you must provide evidence of why this is the case. For example, if you have particular housing needs arising from an impairment or disability and need to move you must provide written evidence from a professional (such as a doctor or occupational therapist) stating why your current home is unsuitable.

Enclosure three - You are normally required to provide quotes from three different lenders. Where this is not possible, there should be clear justification of the reasons. The quotes must be from a qualifying lender such as a bank, building society or insurance company. Other lenders may be acceptable but you will need to check first with us whether the lender can provide a mortgage for the Open Market Shared Equity Scheme .

You should be able to obtain quotes that do not involve a credit search. Searches can leave 'footprints' on your credit history which may affect your ability to obtain credit. You should therefore confirm with the lender whether a quote will include any form of credit search. If a quote does require a credit search the lender should explain to you any potential consequences. The lender should also obtain your consent before carrying out the search.

Part three - About you

This part tells us whether you are a first-time buyer and gives us information about your current employment status. It also asks you to confirm:

• whether your application is in respect of your primary and only residence;
• whether you have left the Armed Forces in the past two years; and
• whether you are a United Kingdom national.

This section should be completed for all applicants.

Part four - Details of those who will be living with you

This is to help us assess your house size requirements. Please give details of all those who will be living with you.

Part five - Current accommodation

Please give us details of your current living arrangements.

This section should be completed for all applicants. You must therefore provide written evidence of the accommodation status of all applicants regardless of whether they currently live in the same accommodation or live separately.

Please give us the details of your landlord, if applicable, and any housing waiting lists that you are currently on.

Please explain why you want to move from your current accommodation.

Please provide Enclosure one - Evidence of accommodation status.

If applicable, please also provide Enclosure two - Evidence of why you have to move from the house that you own.

Part six - People with particular housing needs

We use the term 'people with particular housing needs' to describe people who have a need for a more expensive, larger or more specialised house. This need could arise as a result of a member of the household having a disability or impairment.

This section relates to information about any particular housing need that you or a member of your household has. Please give as much detail as possible about any special housing requirements that you have in relation to house type, size, design and location.

If you currently own your home but require a property which is more expensive as a result of your particular housing needs we will need to know the specific reasons for this. We need written support from a professional (such as a doctor or occupational therapist) stating why your current house is no longer suitable for your needs (Enclosure two).

Part seven - Income assessment

We need as much information as possible relating to your financial situation. We cannot assess your application unless you fully complete this section.

You will have to state all sources of finance. Your funds will be considered to be the total of:

• gross earnings, per single person or couple, as appropriate;
• any other income, comprising sickness benefit, unemployment benefit, bank interest, superannuation or pension from previous employment, working families tax credit, widow's pension and shareholder's profits; and
• personal contributions.

Personal contributions may comprise savings, gifts or any other financial contributions you can make. The definition of personal savings that we use includes: cash; premium bonds; stocks and shares; unit trusts; bank or building society accounts and fixed-term investments; the surrender value of any endowment policies; property; redundancy payments; and pension lump sum payments.

We will include personal contributions held by all prospective applicants.

You may retain £5,000 of any personal contributions held. Above this amount, 90 per cent of the balance will be treated as a contribution towards the purchase of a property.

If you already own a home you may still apply. However, any capital gain on your last owned property will be included as a personal contribution. You must tell us about the profit, or anticipated profit, from the sale of the property. The information must be validated by a solicitor if the application proceeds to the next stage.

You must purchase the maximum level of equity you can afford, taking into account other financial commitments and the associated costs of home ownership.

Please include Enclosure Three - Evidence of the maximum mortgage that you are able to raise.

Part eight - Appointing a solicitor

You should appoint a solicitor to act on your behalf to complete the work involved in buying a home as soon as possible if you have not already done so. You should ask them to notify us directly so that we can put them in contact with Scottish Government Solicitors.

Your mortgage provider or independent financial adviser may be able to recommend certain legal firms having regard to matters such as cost, experience and quality of service.

YOU SHOULD ENSURE THAT YOUR SOLICITOR ADVISES YOU ON THE IMPLICATIONS OF THE OPEN MARKET SHARED EQUITY SCHEME AND THE TERMS OF ALL DOCUMENTATION AND THAT YOU ARE SATISFIED WITH THE SAME BEFORE AGREEING TO ENTER INTO ANY LEGAL COMMITMENTS.

The shared equity arrangements will include the granting of a mortgage (or 'standard security' as it is known in Scotland) to secure the rights of the Scottish Government. YOU SHOULD CHECK THAT THIS MORTGAGE WILL MEET YOUR NEEDS IF YOU WANT TO MOVE OR SELL YOUR HOME, OR IF YOU WANT YOUR FAMILY TO INHERIT IT.

If you have not done so already, we recommend you contact an independent financial advisor to discuss buying a home.

Part nine - Use of information

This part sets out how information provided by you may be used and shared with others and advises you of your rights to obtain a copy of the information held and to request correction.

Part ten - Signing the application form

Please ensure that all applicants sign the application form. Each applicant must sign the form twice - here and in the next section.

Part eleven - Allowing us to request and share information

The signatures in this section allow us to request information from the lenders that have given you mortgage quotes.