Diary of a Scots LILA family

isabella01 · 23 March 2009 at 2:49PM

I am so so happy to have posts in here regarding Low Income Low Assets sequestration process in Scotland.

I intend to post here over the next few weeks or more of our personal experience,hopefully like many posts in here have done for me..show me the way and lend a bit of assurance.

I'll set the background scene before starting the diary..

We are a family of 4 myself,my other half and 2 young boys,our eldest has complex medical needs and as such my partner and myself haven't worked in years(apart from charity/voluntary work)helping care for our son and now my elderyl father(86) who has heart failure and dementia...we are entirely dependant on benefits & rent our home from a housing association.

We were credit card/loan virgins up until a few years ago..boy have we had our fingers burnt dipping into that fire!!!:mad:

After struggling

well sinking month after month as the bank crippled us with horrendous bank charges(sometimes over £100 in one fell swoop) cos we simply couldn't make ends meet..eternally robbing Peter to pay Paul...after trying to bide our time in the hope something would change to get us out of this blinkin' financial mess...
We HAD to face up to the fact that we weren't getting out of this mess..if anything we were chucking money after money at the vaccumous black hole called DEBT.:eek:

So we tried various online debt advice sites using the online tools,then called our local CAS filled out all the forms and had an appointment with a local advisor...sadly this turned out to be of no use to us..about a s much good as a chocolate fireguard!:rolleyes:

So detrnmined to seek help to try and get us some life back I called National Debtline I truly appreciated being told what our options were and they promptly sent out info via the post.
One of the contacts regarding Debt Advice I had also found on the Money Scotland website regarding an option called the Debt Arrangement Scheme(DAS),which I thought might be the solution for us.

So I called and got chatting with a helpful debt advisor,who informed us that the DAS was aimed at people with assets..which we most definately don't have.
She arranged to visit us in our home. She was able to explain what I'd already learned about from the info sent out from National Debtline. We had always intended paying back our debts..no matter how we'd find a way..but after alot of discussion we lent toward the LILA way...instead of dragging it out and prolonging the agony any longer..we are embarking upon a road we have never travelled before but hope it will lead us outta the deep dark forest into the sunny clearing:hello: ...do you wanna join me on it?
I hope to post here frequently with happenings,emotions warts 'n' all....

Izzy

isabella01 · 23 March 2009 at 3:01PM

Monday 23rd March

Both my partner and myself filled out forms for LILA. The Debtor Application Pack and Bankruptcy (Scotland) Act 1985,section 5a.

My father is going to cover the £100 each fees(£200) I hope to give him it back ASAP

On the advice of our debt advisor we have opened a new bank account and arranged that all our money be paid into this account,will soon arrange for our household direct debits to be paid out of this account.

Dreading this week already had my 1st "phone call" on Friday about being over our limit on our card..horrid woman..she made me feel awful..I felt sick afterwards...scary times:eek:

Having spoken to our debt advisor about some questions I had regarding the forms I also asked about the phone calls we expect..anyone calling regarding our debt should be given her contact details and she will deal with them for us:T ...phew!

Hoping to get the big envelope posted,recorded delivery tomorrow

Izzy

eklynne · 23 March 2009 at 3:14PM

Hi Izzy,
I've not went through BR the LILA way as I jointly own a property, but I think you'll probably agree with me that us Scots seem to have it a whole lot easier than our southern counterparts?
Good luck with your journey, I'll keep reading with interest!

killingjoke · 23 March 2009 at 5:21PM

hello, i`m going down the Lila route. I posted my debtors application forms on 12/3/2009 and received a letter a week later 21/3/2009 which was form 17 which is just a declaration form which you sign again and asked me what my former business name was and how i am going to support myself with no income ( my partner and stepson are helping me out). i signed the letter and sent it straight back. Got a phone call today from accountants in bankruptcys office from a case worker who said my letter answering the two questions they`d asked was here but not the completed form 17 ( don`t know what happened to that, i put it in rhe envelope isent) anyway she said she could do form 17 over the phone , which she did and now it will be passed on for approval. Fingers crossed it won`t be long. I`ll keep you posted if anything else happens. It`s been straightforward so far.
Chris

isabella01 · 26 March 2009 at 3:35PM

Tuesday 24th March

My father has written the 2 cheques for the LILA fees with cheques attached and the envelope sealed,my partner takes a short drive to the next town..don't want to use our local post office as we know everyone who works there(small town) it's sent off recorded delivery,as reccomended by our advisor. this way you can track it's delivery. PHEW that's now it started!
Don't know how I feel relieved and anxious and a wee bit scared of what lies ahead I guess.

Wednesday 25th

Went onto Royal Mail site and was able to type in the reference code in the "Track & Trace" it's arrived at it's destination signed & received...oooooh:eek:

so that's all for now till something else happens...be back soon..

Izzy

mykitten · 27 March 2009 at 12:29AM

Hi Izzy,

Im thinking of going down the same route so will read your posts with interest.

goodluck!

isabella01 · 27 March 2009 at 5:57PM

Friday 27th March

Both my partner and myself were sent form 17 from Accountants in Bankruptcy to fill in again and a couple of extra questions to do with renting our home and the registration of our car(crash damaged!)..so promptly filled it all out and posted them back in pre paid envelopes...so I guess the process might take a wee bit longer:rolleyes:

Thankful no phone calls from creditors as yet...but we knew we had a week or so before all hell breaks loose..so this weekend and next week could be the beginning of the nightmare onslaught:eek:

Izzy

dodo50 · 1 April 2009 at 7:37PM

hi hope you both hear soon, i'm also at same stage and the waiting is awful! my friend heard in two weeks so i hoped to be same but this is third week now. not sure how long we have to wait as it doesn't state anywhere that i can find.

anyway best of luck to us all!

killingjoke · 1 April 2009 at 7:59PM

hello just heard today i`m bankrupt. it took about 12 days after i sent form 17 in. but i wormas made bankrupt on 24/3 which was the day after they received form 17, if this makes sense. It`s a great releif .
Chris,celebrating listening to Hawkwind

isabella01 · 5 April 2009 at 6:11PM

Brilliant news on the BR killingjoke:j..no wonder you're relieved;)
12 days after you sent off form 17..we'' we sent that off 9 days ago..hoping to get something in the post next week.

dodo50 if you're now into your 3rd week..it maybe is taking longer..they'll be busier than ever I suspect.

here's hoping you hear soon dodo50

isabella01 · 5 April 2009 at 6:24PM

Sunday 5th April

Well nothing as yet..hoping to get something in the post this week.

It was D Day...last Monday..Direct Debit Day and when the biggest DD's come off..I'd cancelled most and re arranged for new set ups with our new bank,,but RBS took the loan off then cos we had no money to pay it in the account charged £78(so far)..am not bothered we're away..they just don't know it yet..new bank account with Think Banking is working out well so far. Nice to have a personal money manager. I was expecting calls from RBS immediately but some woman called yesterday when I was out..said she would only speak with me..& would call back at 3pm..she never did:T
We were all sat out having brunch in the sun this morning when the phone went..turned out to be a chap from RBS about our credit card..d'you know I was nervous and anxious and all set for a horrid phone conversation...but nope..he was lovely..yup he was pleasant he listened to me he didn't talk over me :rotfl:I gave him the contact of our debt advisor he asked for a reference number..which I don't have dunno what he meant..maybe like a case number?
Anyhows..that's it so far..the other major debts will be past their monthly payment date this week...if the paperwork doesn't come through to say we're BR there may well be more calls to come...

Izzy

Diary of a Scots LILA family

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