Extremely threatening letter please help!

angelfire

Can anyone give any advice? I have received a letter from a company called Bishop Investigations O.B.O Connaught Collections uk to arrange service of a statutory demand issued under the insolvency act 1986. To explain a little bit, I took out a loan in 1999 of £5k, and although the loan was in my name, my partner at the time agreed to pay half, we split, he didn't and the loan ended up being bought by a collection agency. This agency then chased and chased and threatened me for ages, refusing every offer of payment i made.

In the end i stopped trying to communicate with them and moved house. The letter I have received this week is to my old address (the postman knows weve moved and redirects my post for me), the letter states they KNOW I still live at the old address, which of course is wrong.

Anyway, I have this letter, I also have other debts from previous years which haven't as yet been able to find me. i'm really not sure what to do. Firstly thogh I need to know how much this new company can do to me, particularly as they don't have my current address? After that, where do I go from here?

any help would be appreciated...

southernscouser

When was the last time you received communication from them?

If longer than 6 years you are no longer forced to acknowledge the debt and it is wiped out.

angelfire

To be honesti can't remember, I'm afraid I've stupidly just ignored previous letters from previous companies and have moved house a few times over the past 7 years. In that time I think the debt must have been bought and sold by a few companies....

as i say this last letter came this week and one a week before that from the same compny...

southernscouser

!!!!!! wrote:

To be honesti can't remember, I'm afraid I've stupidly just ignored previous letters from previous companies and have moved house a few times over the past 7 years. In that time I think the debt must have been bought and sold by a few companies....

as i say this last letter came this week and one a week before that from the same compny...

Can you roughly work out when you moved from the house that they last had you addressed at?

You should also check your credit files as you would no doubt have a defualt issued against you. This will give you a date to which it was issued.

chriz1000

southernscouser wrote:

When was the last time you received communication from them?

If longer than 6 years you are no longer forced to acknowledge the debt and it is wiped out.

But that’s only if they don’t try and contact you. They have obviously been trying to contact you and it’s your responsibility to inform them when you moved. You could get into trouble for not informing them.
You could always blag that you phoned them and sent a letter in writing saying you had moved, and it’s not your fault if the records weren’t updated, but I’m almost certain that the courts would rule in favour of the lender if it goes that far.
If I were you I would get in contact with a payment plan company and explain your situation.

Broken_hearted

Simple your loan, your debt, you pay and move on.

homersimpson_3

although the loan was in my name, my partner at the time agreed to pay half,

if loan in your name you are liable for payments. when partner agreed to pay off some did you get this in writing- if so you (and not this co) can take action against partner for payments. the contract/agreement you made with partner is totally seperate.

This agency then chased and chased and threatened me for ages, refusing every offer of payment i made. In the end i stopped trying to communicate with them and moved house.

Did you contact cccs, papylan, cab for advice etc- if not why not?

Anyway, I have this letter, I also have other debts from previous years which haven't as yet been able to find me. i'm really not sure what to do. Firstly thogh I need to know how much this new company can do to me, particularly as they don't have my current address? After that, where do I go from here? any help would be appreciated...

you can't run from debts and you have to face it because in the end things will catch up with you. do you want continual letters, be continually be looking over your shoulder, baliffs knocking on door etc . it's hard but you're not alone. request a copy of credit reports- use free? month trial or pay £2- and see what's on them. contact cccs, payplan, cab and let them deal with it. have you retained copy of paperwork from creditors- how much exactly are you in debt- you must know roughly what you borrowed and from whom. post incomings and outgoings and let's see if we can save you some money.

angelfire

homersimpson wrote:

if loan in your name you are liable for payments. when partner agreed to pay off some did you get this in writing- if so you (and not this co) can take action against partner for payments. the contract/agreement you made with partner is totally seperate.


Did you contact cccs, papylan, cab for advice etc- if not why not?



you can't run from debts and you have to face it because in the end things will catch up with you. do you want continual letters, be continually be looking over your shoulder, baliffs knocking on door etc . it's hard but you're not alone. request a copy of credit reports- use free? month trial or pay £2- and see what's on them. contact cccs, payplan, cab and let them deal with it. have you retained copy of paperwork from creditors- how much exactly are you in debt- you must know roughly what you borrowed and from whom. post incomings and outgoings and let's see if we can save you some money.

Hi, I have not contacted payplan or anyone yet - to be honest I was waiting until they caught up with me at my current address then was going to sort it out..

Monthly Incomings:

Wage: 800.00
Child Benefit: 120.00
Tax Credits: 40.00
Avon: 20.00

Monthly Outgoings:

Nursery Fees: 450.00
Debts already being paid off: 25.00
Car insurance: 35
Petrol/tax/servicing:110
Daughter's gymnastics/cheerleading fees: 54.00
Contact Lenses: 12.00
Mobile Phone: 15.00
Grocery Shopping/general housekeeping: 280.00

thats roughly about the size of it - occasionally i make a little more with Avon but that varies so much it's not safe to count it. I live with my partner who pays the mortgage, all other bills, his own car, student loan etc and he has nothing spare to speak of.

My debts are as follows (rough guide only):

shortfall from a repossessed house just over six years ago - £11,000 (this was a joint motgage but they seem to be chasing me for the whole amount)

Loan - 9000 but the original loan was for 5000

I am paying off (allbeit at £5 a month) an old overdraft of 2500

I am paying off (5 per month) an old credit card (has about 100 left on it)

I am paying off 2 old overpayments from benefits (10 per month)

Haven't had my credit report back yet but i think it has about 2-3 ccj's on. all of the above are already on....

So there you go - please be lenient with me!

lynzpower

Hi there

You have gopt yourself into a bit of a state I can see, so lets try and sort this out.

1. You do not have enough income.
does your daughters father not contribute to her upkeep, if not why not? Www.entitledto.co.uk Check this check you are recieving enough tax credits doesnt look as if you are.

2. Nursery fees are well over half your income and this is unsustainable. Look into any childcare credits yourf employer might give you? Or look at organising child minder, not nursery, can be quite a bit cheaper.

3. Drama. cheerleading, Im sorry, but this HAS to go, you simply cant afford it

You can easily save 100 off your shopping, I reckon you could save 180 off your shopping with some effort. Not impossible at all

You just need to be completely critical and say DO I NEED THAT and if the answer is yes
how can you get this cheaper?

lynzpower

do you HAVE to drive. Its costing you at least 110 a month :eek:

MrsTinks

Contact CAB, CCCS or one of the other free services that can help you.
By running from the problem it's all become even worse than it was initially, but ultimately they can't have what you don't have so you will need to decide if bankrupcy is a possibility for you. Can this be done without dragging your partner into it? Others might be able to advise you about this. Usually I am of the "you owe it, you pay it" school too, but I don't think looking at your income and debts that this is going to be a realistic possibility at present and I am also very aware that you must have at least one young child which is swaying me a little in this case.

Stop running, start sorting yourself out and get these debts dealt with one way or another...

Good luck