Rough day, feeling beat up

OberonSH

Hey all, have had a triple whammy today, and could do with a bit of support.

Spent time on phone yesterday with (soon to be) ex hubby - he's suicidal right now cos of the divorce (long story, basically he moved to manchester to get head together, I find out 2 months on he's living with a lady of negotiable virtue and her kids. Divorce proceedings ensued). Also forgot paperwork this morning to apply for my decree nisi now his girlfriend has retunred the bailiff-served papers. Damn, a day's delay! So I'm trying to deal with suicidal ex without triggering him off.

This morning I had a visit from bailiffs regarding my VAT for my business. Nice enough chap, bill is £800. Not a huge problem, with 2 weeks to pay, However this week I also have the shop rent, and my personal rent due. So £905 to pay this week (current takings around £700 per week!) and then the VAT to fnd next week. As I'm already behind with my shop rent they've said it's okay to pay a little late this month, as long as I make it up before next month's is due and that's on time. So mini headache, nothing a bit of juggling can't sort.

Then finaly I get home to find Bailiff no. 2 on doorstep - I'm being taken to court by a local solicotors firm over an unpaid legal bill, relating to a house purchase we didn't complete. I've written numerous letters asking for a breakdown, as the bill is nearly what I was quoted for full conveyancing, and our purchase didn't get beyond searches. They've ignored all letter (including offers of payment) and as I couldn't get to a questioning session I have to go on the 8th otherwise apparently I'm looking at 7 day in Wakefield Prison!!:eek: :eek: :eek:

I'm really upset cos I'v been offering to pay the bill (depending on final amount), even before they started court proceedings. I'm not disputing they are owed money, I just don't agree the amount. Apperntly this firm are well known for being heavy handed and for ignoring offers of payment in order to claim costs. I'm planning on going down there tomorrow and giving what for. iI'm also planning to find out who to complain to about this, as a single mum I'm being told they could take me to prison and God only knows what would happen to my daughter. I'm absolutely furious about this.

I'm going to clean the house, have a storecupboard tea (resisting urge to order in a chinese) and watch a funny film.

In_Search_Of_Me

Oh dear...2 bailiffs in a day...depressing even on a good day! Well done for store cupboard tea (just about to have a bowl of cereal myself!!) & resisting chinese!
Re solicitors did you keep copies of letters you sent? Have you sought advice from CAB or legal? May be an idea to get another solicitor to write them a letter? Soon to be xhusband tricky one as (ugh KFC advert just come on TV..mean!) despite what you've been through you still loved them once...Hope you feel better after food, good nights sleep & hopefully a hug from your daughter. On that note children & their welfare are carefully considered when consodering whether to imprison peopls & I suepect they'd be reluctant to do that for a petty solicitors bill if thats any help! Bug hug from me!

QueenB.

Sorry to hear about your day HUGS. i think all in all you seem to have handles it really well, by now i would have been a nervous hysterical wreck armed with a credit card and wanting to do some dangerous shopping.

So again well done. I do not know much about the court thing but it seems to me if you can prove you have been compliant and it is the company that has held up the issue, plus being a single mum i would think you have alot in your favour, good luck.

HUGS.

lynzpower

good god, what a day.

Well done for the storecupbard dinner, Im fairly sure there is no way in hell I would have been able to manage that. Well done.

If you have any copies of the letters or anything youve got about disputed costs, you could always go full tilt & take them to the police tomorrow after youve seen the solicitors & do them for harassment or something.

Millions of hugs
Lynz
x

beanielou

Day from hell then
Hopefully tomorrow will be better

Pobby

Sorry to hear about your day.One thing i picked up,You say that your normal weeks turnover is £700 per week.Oberon,you need to have an average turnover somewhere above £1,000 per week.I guess you claim V.A.T from your invoices on stock you have purchased and then pay V.A.T on your sales.If your turnover is this low you should pay the tax to your supplier not to the custom and excise.Not explaining this well.Say you buy goods for £100 you would be charged tax @ 17.5% then you should add your margin to the goods and sell on as usual.Please check with cutoms and excise or an accountant.Paying V.A.T every quarter is a drain on your cash flow.Been there,done it.

Bunnyinthelights

Wow,
Now that's what I call stress.
sending virtual hugs,
Whatever doesn't kill you makes you stronger
(keep saying it in mantra stylee-may eventaully believe it!)
Bunny

OberonSH

hey all,

thanks for all your kind thoughts, it's a real help. Pobby - I have a good margin on my stock, but I own a wool shop and this traditionally a quiet time for us. Thanks for the advice though. I'm about to deregister for VAT though. Can't be done with the hassle for the minimal benefits at the moment.

Watched a funny film, had a good cup of tea (free sample from Yorky Tea - See Martin, what you've done to us? I'm even money-saving in times of stress!) and feeling much better after a yummy bowl of noodles. I'm not going to be a jailbird, and everything will get straightened out.

Thanks again everyone.

Pigeongirl

If it's an Order to Attend Court for Questioning and you don't turn up for the second date then the bailiffs will come and arrest you. You will be taken to the court and given a last chance to answer the questions or you will indeed be taken to prison. So please please do attend and don't let it get to that.

You don't deserve to be treated like this because you have done your utmost to sort the problem but it sounds like the solicitors are a bunch of heartless bapstards. I hope it all gets sorted for you matey.

(((Big hugs)))

OberonSH

Today there was yet anothre kick in the teeth.

I have been trying for the last 6 months to get my £400 deposit back from my previous landlord. Today I get a letter saying he had to use my deposit plus more money to get eh place 'habitable'. Apparently I left a garage full of 'rubbish' (left by previous tenant - his sister!), carpet in the garden (put down to clear weeds) painted the spare room an 'unpalatable' colour without permission (discussed with him and painted cream. Unpalatable? ONly if you have a problem with magnolia) and left the garden full of weeds.

I admit the garden needed looking at, he had a real bug up his backsifde about the garden (40 x 40 foot flowerbed) but seeing as there were tiles falling off the bathroom wall for our 18 month tenancy I refused to do anything in the garden. Tiles fell on me in the shower cutting open my feet, and now the supercilious b*stard claims that it couldn't have been that bad, as we carried on using it. Well, excuse me for not wanting to get hosed down in the back yard!

None of this was brought up in the final inspection, and he reckons he's doing me a favour by not asking more money off me!!! If this work did need soing, then did he hire the most expensive workmen in the country?

Grr, I'm so mad. I'm planning on allowing him £50 for skip hire and £30 for garden as a gesture of goodwill and demanding the balance withn a week or I'm taking it to small claims. Problem is, it's my word against his really. I'm loath to write off £400 though.

And then I had a £300 electric & gas bill through, apparently I haven't been billed for gas since last october! Could do without that at the moment.

Oh well, gtting upset isn't going to get me anywhere. Got a nice bit of turkey at the market and going to make escolopes - bashing the hell out of a bit of turkey should make me feel better. nd my paperwork for my decree nisi went in today, so a few positives.

jesster_2

Grr, I hate landlords who do this! I think you definitely should not roll over and take it re the £400. Some strong words would not go amiss, even if you only get part of it back. It'd take less time to reclaim some of it than to earn it again. Esepcially as you had permission to repaint that room. It makes me so cross!

On the plus side, LOVE your description of STB-EX OH's girlfriend as 'of negotiable virtue'. Nicely put!