My bankruptcy Journey

dack_2

Hi antarctica,
I'm in a very similar situation to you both debt-wise and work wise and I think health-wise, though my wife has recently been able to find work. Despite her good fortune it seems BR is the only way for me to get a fresh start so will likely be going BR myself soon.

I'm happy to hear it all went well for you. It seemed to happen very quickly and I hope the relief it brings you allows you to enjoy life

Warm regards,

dack

Angiepange

Warm wishes to you so glad it went smoothly for you :j
Angie x

antarctica

My husbands account of yesterday, as you can see he is more eloquent than me with words!

"

We got the tube to the Royal Courts Of Justice. When we got there, the man objecting to actors smoking was outside the court building with his placard. This is the same gentleman who interrupted the opening of the 4th Plinth at Trafalgar Square.

When we got inside, we had to go through the security checks. When we went to find the Court Fees Office, a woman offered to show us. She took us to a corridor and then gave us a whole mass of directions, so we just followed the signs as best we could. It is a rabbit-warren over there.

The sorted out the Remission for Court Fees and the Sworn Affidavit in one office and then paid the Official Receivers Deposit in the office next door. We were then told that we had to take our receipt and the Remission Document to the Thomas More Building all the way over on the other side of the complex. Fortunately they gave us a map which we followed. My wife is directionally-challenged but even I would have had a problem finding the place. You go through impressive looking corridors with many impressive doorways, only to exit from a poky corner door and then up some tiny stairs. There are lots of signs saying "Not This Door" because of the no-doubt many lost people going through the wrong door. We made jokes about all the men we saw in gowns and wigs.

We found the Bankruptcy Office which has its own wood and window screen inside the room, with its own internal doors, I kid you not. We all queued up so that they could check our forms, get us to sign bits and then make us formally swear that we are telling the truth, including on Exbibit Z (?!?). My wife and I did ours separately together at the same counter. We were then told to be back on the first floor at 0230pm, so we went home rather than wait there. It was about 1055am, after all.

It was a winding journey home as there is no sub-surface interchange at Bank. At least it gave us a chance to pick up a McDonalds to eat. My wife was already very tired from her several-day headache and so she went to bed for a bit after eating.

We got back to the First Floor at 0220pm and had to wait which was very boring. Most of the complex is a bit decrepit-looking, even the new bits. Even the grand bits have a dusty feel. I suppose the Legal fraternity like it that way. The Thomas More building is relatively "new", in that it was built at some point following the Second World War. But the Bankruptcy Court on the first floor looks really down-at-heel. Everyone was really quiet, even the staff. It was worse than a Doctors Waiting Room. Some people were very nervous, one couple was obviously not talking to each other in a very pointed way. We were kept waiting for ages without being told anything, until one of the staff from the second floor turned up quarter-hour late, apologised and started handing out the Bankruptcy Orders. It felt like a University Graduation, with people being called up, being given their Orders, and told they can go home now. One chap even shook the staff members hand.

Everyone rushed out with their Orders as soon as possible. I ducked around the corner to read through the front page, just to make sure I has been made bankrupt. I have been "adjudged bankrupt". There are small and tiny stamps and initials all over it, so we are officially debt-free now. The Order comprises several top-sheets stapled to one of the Statements-Of-Affairs that we submitted. One top-sheet is the Bankruptcy Petition that was made when we visited the second-floor office in the morning. The Top-top-sheet is the actual Bankruptcy Office.

There was a general scrabble for the nearest lift, not the ones that everyone had come up by. Everyone just wanted to get away as quickly as possible, as I joked "before they change their minds". Ourselves and everyone else just seemed to be in a race to get away as quickly as possible. Everyone seemed to be suddenly smiling, though, and wanted a drink to celebrate. It was 0255pm by the time we exited the Royal Courts, so we hadn't been there long at all. We made our way to sign-up for our Co-Op Bank Cashminder Accounts.

The form took about 5mins to fill-in. They took photocopies of our passports and told us that the process would take up to 2 weeks to finish. There would be a letter asking us to send in some ID, which we could ignore as we had done that in the branch. There would also be a subsequent letter with our account details. We activate the account by depositing some money at that point.
"

Tristesse

Congrats, and thanks for posting that too

(I had no idea I was supposed to deposit money to activate my Co-op account so it was informative as well as interesting!)

antarctica

Tristesse wrote: »

Congrats, and thanks for posting that too

(I had no idea I was supposed to deposit money to activate my Co-op account so it was informative as well as interesting!)

me either, i thought you'd just hand over a quid with your app form but nope! :rolleyes:

Nightranger

tigerfeet2006 wrote: »

Hi and welcome to the board.

There is no minimum for BR. You may be eligable for a DRO (debt relief order) rather than BR but give CCCS a ring and explain you have had enough and is BR or a DRO an option. They will tell you if it is. If they advise you to go BR or for a DRO then we will help you all we can.

For future reference you will find you get more help if you start your own thread and ask questions rather than pop it in the middle of someone elses where it can get lost.

Thanks TigerFeet. I am not that new to this forum but I have followed rather than post and chose this thread to give encouragement to others who have got into the same situation by different routes but thanks for the advice about where to post. I have used Bird Forum where it is common practise to use the same thread for follow-on discussions yet Wild About Nature members tend to post separate threads (as per your suggestion). I am still divided about the best method.

There are quite a few elements to my problems with Lloyds and many have serious legal repurcussions for the bank and their associates. As one snotty caller from BLS said, it all depends on whether I can find the time to fight them when my real priority is getting back into work. :mad:

Nightranger

antarctica

Good luck with it nightranger, there are lots of lovely people here that give excellent advice.



Didn't mind you posting on my thread one bit, just wanted to make sure you got answers to your question.

Rainy_2

Thanks for keeping us in the loop antarctica and sharing the day that was. I've lurked on this sight for several years but only recently started posting as BR looms nearer, it's a great support hearing others experiences.

Please keep us updated on life after the big BR!

Congrats :T

antarctica

No worries, glad to help!

Love your signature - ~I always hope to be the second mouse.

antarctica

Still waiting for the OR to call, have sent an email. Quite scared