In a world of s**t!

[Mickb1969]

Hi Everyone,
It's been a while since I was last on here and that's mainly due to the help you all gave me when I found myself struggling after an accident/divorce and so on.
I still have a few problems that I will be asking for help with but for what has been done already, I cannot thank you all enough. THANK YOU!

Now, the main point of this plea is literally "asking for a friend".

Basics....

She's a single mum.
Works full time.
Lives hand to mouth each month as the ex won't give her a penny.
Ex ran up loads of debt in her name which she can't prove (he's such a lovely guy)
Recently applied for an Experian report which came back with only 2 things on it.
She was evicted after failing to pay her mortgage but at the time was only a month or so behind and was still making regular payments.
Owes money on a car loan, credit cards and so on.
Has a letter saying she owes around £3000 for a water bill even though she's only lived in this rented accommodation for three years!!!

Panics when the mail arrives (as many of us have).

She is such a lovely woman (Yes, I have a personal interest in her well being) and I have helped her out a little when I can.

She wants to stave off bankruptcy as one day, she hopes to be a director of the company she works for (owned by parents) but at the moment, that's a long way off!!

I have told her of some of the miracles that happen through this site and she's said it's ok for me to start the journey to financial sustainability.

Her needs really are greater than mine at the moment so my plea to you all is where do we start and we really would appreciate any and all help you can offer?

Many Thanks in advance for what's about to come.



Mick B

[PriorityOne]

Re: In a world of s**t!

We need more details before planning a way forward here....

Please can you list all of her debts here, say what they are for, how old they are, when the last payment was made, how much is being paid now (if applicable), if there are any CCJs... and.... which companies are currently chasing her for payments.

I'm assuming she's in rented accommodation now? Is there a repossession debt as well?

[IF]

Re: In a world of s**t!

Hi Mick, could you set out each of her debts like this, with a separate post for each

• Type of account (credit card/loan)
  
  
• Date commenced (ideally before Apr 2007)
  
  
• Approx balance
  
  
• Date last paid (approximate date you last made a FULL payment)
  
  
• Are you on arrangement or not paying
  
  
• Status (default/in arrears/up-to-date)
  
  
• Account owner (who is writing to you, a DCA or the lender)

[Mickb1969]

Re: In a world of s**t!

Thanks guys,
It's going to be difficult as she had a bit of a breakdown but says she hasn't paid anyone anything since 2008 when her first child was born.

The Experian request was to find out what she owes and to who but it only came back with two things on it.

Since applying for that, more letters have started turning up and for the few in front of me now, here's the details.....


Water bill

27/9/2010 (took up residence at home address)

£3249

Hasn't paid since moving in (Court action pending)

Not paying

In arrears

Account owner South West Water

When she moved in to the hosue CAB told her not to make any payments to this as her only option that they could see was to claim bankruptcy.
Her water bill for an unmetered property is £82 a month in a 2 bedroom flat!! They refuse to fit a meter to the property.

Type of account Credit Card

Date commenced Possibly before 2007 (Unsure of exact date)

Approx balance £442

Date last paid 2008

Are you on arrangement or not paying Not paying

Status (default/in arrears/up-to-date) In arrears

Account owner (who is writing to you, a DCA or the lender) DCA Lucas Credit Services


Type of account (credit card/loan) Catalogue

Date commenced (ideally before Apr 2007) Around 2007

Approx balance 532

Date last paid (approximate date you last made a FULL payment) 2008

Are you on arrangement or not paying Not paying

Status (default/in arrears/up-to-date) In Arrears

Account owner (who is writing to you, a DCA or the lender) DCA Scotcall



Type of account (credit card/loan) Catalogue

Date commenced (ideally before Apr 2007) 2002

Approx balance £492

Date last paid (approximate date you last made a FULL payment) 2008

Are you on arrangement or not paying Not Paying

Status (default/in arrears/up-to-date) In arrears

Account owner (who is writing to you, a DCA or the lender) DCA Red Debt Collection Services


Type of account (credit card/loan) Mobile Phone

Date commenced (ideally before Apr 2007) 24/11/2006

Approx balance £124

Date last paid (approximate date you last made a FULL payment) Not known, does not recall owing Orange any money.

Are you on arrangement or not paying Not paying

Status (default/in arrears/up-to-date) Apparently in arrears

Account owner (who is writing to you, a DCA or the lender) DCA Arrow Global


Type of account (credit card/loan) Loan (used to buy a car)

Date commenced (ideally before Apr 2007) 2006

Approx balance £3897

Date last paid (approximate date you last made a FULL payment) 2008

Are you on arrangement or not paying Not paying

Status (default/in arrears/up-to-date) In arrears
Account owner (who is writing to you, a DCA or the lender) DCA Robinson Way


Type of account (credit card/loan) Unknown (Letter says RBS but she does not recall ever banking with them)

Date commenced (ideally before Apr 2007) Unknown

Approx balance 1456

Date last paid (approximate date you last made a FULL payment) Unknown

Are you on arrangement or not paying Not paying

Status (default/in arrears/up-to-date) In Arrears

Account owner (who is writing to you, a DCA or the lender) DCA Wescot


Type of account (credit card/loan)

Date commenced (ideally before Apr 2007)

Approx balance

Date last paid (approximate date you last made a FULL payment)

Are you on arrangement or not paying

Status (default/in arrears/up-to-date)

Account owner (who is writing to you, a DCA or the lender)


There is also the mortgage which didn't appear on the Experian report. She believes the balance outstanding after the sale of her property was £26000 but they were adding £630 a month to it. She last received a letter from Future Mortgages regarding this in 2009.

I realise there's a lot and not a lot of current information but after her breakdown, she doesn't recall a lot of these things as her debt problems contributed greatly to the medical issues.
Some of the letters, in fact most of them, have been a complete surprise to her.

She foolishly trusted her ex and family members who promised to repay her monies owing but have since not made any payment to her.

She's been working a 4 day week and has been breaking even each month (just about) but has just started 5 days now her youngest is at nursery. ]



Once again I wait patiently for your replies.

Mick

[Mickb1969]

Re: In a world of s**t!

Just to add, she's in Council housing now.

Just requested an application for a basic account with Barclays too.


Mick

[SXGuy]

Re: In a world of s**t!

alot of these say, last paid 2008, when exactly in 2008? because they may be statue barred by January 14, really need to know this. Could alter the way its handled.

[Mickb1969]

Re: In a world of s**t!

She thinks it was November 2008 that she last paid ANY of them but some would have been June/July 2008 as she was trying to keep the mortgage going.

Sorry guys, Mental Health has a lot to answer for

[Never-In-Doubt]

Re: In a world of s**t!

Then she's probably best ignoring any lenders or their DCA's (ie personal credit) as they'll be SB next year and as things stand she has no assets so I'd be inclined to utilise pure ignorance and see what develops.

[PlanB]

Re: In a world of s**t!

She was evicted after failing to pay her mortgage but at the time was only a month or so behind and was still making regular payment

I'd be happy to take a look at that particular issue. Pre-Action Protocol is clear that possession proceedings should not be commenced unless the borrower is in arrears by at least three months and all options have been exhausted. Did she attend the repossession court hearing? Does she have a shortfall debt as a result of the repossession (was the property sold at auction?) being chased by her lender? Read this link first and we'll take it from there

http://www.justice.gov.uk/courts/pro...t_mha#IDAPK0HC

[PlanB]

Re: In a world of s**t!

There is also the mortgage which didn't appear on the Experian report. She believes the balance outstanding after the sale of her property was £26000 but they were adding £630 a month to it. She last received a letter from Future Mortgages regarding this in 2009.

OK I've just seen this. Mortgage shortfalls can be chased for 12 years not 6 years so SB is a long way off on this debt. Future Mortgages was a Citi offshoot and is now a closed book lender (i.e. no longer offers loans)

http://www.citibank.co.uk/personal/b...ges/future.htm

Having said that unless she expects to win the lottery in the next eight years the bank has a hell's chance of getting any money from her

[PriorityOne]

Re: In a world of s**t!

She may find herself getting all kinds of correspondence because of the credit file request, so please let us know if this happens. Under no circumstances must she get on the phone with any of these companies and if she gets caught unawares, tell her to hang up immediately.

As for the ex-repo debt.... my advice would be not to give them too much information if/when they make contact. While she has no assets at the moment, you mentioned her parents' company in your first post and her intention to become Director at some point. While they cannot touch anything that doesn't belong to her, they would be interested in any financial gains that she makes from that company, so she would need to be as economical with the truth as possible.

There are ways of dealing with this though. My ex-repo debt was £52K.... and my lender got less than 2% of that in a Full & Final settlement years ago.....

[Mickb1969]

Re: In a world of s**t!

Thanks for the replies so far, she feels a bit better about all this now.
She has found an old Experian report that has a lot more on it. She's sending it to me and I will update you all when I get it.

Any help with the repossession thing would be appreciated, what do you need to know?

Her main worry right now is the water thing. Is there anything she can do about that?


CSA are taking her ex to court over non-payment to her but I am sure you know that could take ages!!

Thanks again,

Mick

[PriorityOne]

Re: In a world of s**t!

I wouldn't worry about the repossession until they come calling for it. Sort out the other stuff first.

Is the water bill from debt collectors or from the water company? That seems cack advice from CAB not to pay anything, as if they went for a CCJ, they could then go for an attachment of earnings.

When you say court action is "pending".... how far has it gone?

.... and why has she not paid anything at all since moving in? I don't understand that one.... The £82 monthly charge probably includes arrears, which is why it's so high.