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Can anyone advise me on this situation?

Hi, I'm sorry if this isn't the right part of the forum but this isn't about paying of debts, but recovering them from someone.
A few months ago I lend my boyfriend some money to pay off his friends debts (around £1750), we then split up and ever since then (2months now) I've been waiting for a single instalment. He earns about £1000 a month and pays £400 for rent, yet he says that he doesnt have any money left to pay for the weekly £30 we have arranged. I have even come so far with him to accept regular weekly payments but for the past 2 months he has just been coming up with excuses every week.

Now my question is could I, in this case, contact a debt collector to collect the money on my behalf. We have only got a verbal agreement but I have got a lot of text messages to prove that. But what are actually the chances that they are able to collect the debt if he really doesnt have much to pay? What would happen if it goes to court and is it true that worst case scenario he would be asked to pay minimal fees such as £5 per week? Unfortunately he doesnt have much to his name either, so ballifs wont have much to collect other than his clothes!

I hope someone can give me some advice on this, and maybe share their experiences if they've had similar situations. Its my first time dealing with something so I don't know much about my rights and the legal actions that can be taken.

Thanks,
ajdj

Comments

  • RAS
    RAS Posts: 33,838 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    Hi

    Sounds like a small claims court situation. If you have texts, you need to download them so you have evidence of the agreement. Wthout that it will be difficult to prove the debt exists.

    However, you may struggle to get much out of him.
    The person who has not made a mistake, has made nothing
  • If you were going to go down the route of collecting it back I'd attempt to get something in writing and signed by him before proceeding down the small claims route.

    Could you draft a repayment plan where he acknowledges the debt and how he intends to pay it back? This may make it easier if it does need to go to court at a later date?

    These are only my immediate thoughts and I don't have a legal background so I may be talking rubbish but it would be my first step.

    Hope it all works out.
    Official DFW Nerd Club - Member no. 1129 - Proud to be dealing with my debts!
    LBM - Oct'08 - Highest/Current Debt at £29,400 / £28,485 (Jan'09)
    If Loan - [strike]£22,000 [/strike] - £21230 (Mar '09) ~ Halifax Card - [strike]£7100[/strike] - £5815 (Mar '09) ~ Barclaycard - [strike]£1470[/strike] - £1440 (Mar '09)
    £2 Savings Club 2009 - £50
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