My partner and I are currently buying our first house. He is paying off a large debt (on an unsecured loan from years ago) to a debt collection agency. He wasn't a homeowner at the time he accrued the debt. Will the company be able to seize our new home and use it to pay off the rest of his debt, even though I will own half of the house? Would the company wait until we have paid off some of the mortgage and therefore built up equity in the house, and then seize it? Thanks for the help.