advice please - but not for me....

scheming_gypsy

Friend of mine is about 30k (+ mortgage) in debt at 23. Most of this has come from buying a house with her waste of space ex.
Even though it's a joint debt it's in her name as she had a better credit history, approx £10k is secured on the house.

Her ex was in and out of work and spending the bill money from the joint account, set aside for bills. When the bills were due he'd spent the money so she had to pay them on credit card along with the food etc etc.
He's currently refusing to move out of the house unless she pays him £10k which he believes would be his share of the equity from selling the house but the total equity would be about £13k and he's contributed approx £400 to the mortgage in 2 years. He's also not contributed to repaying the debts and she's been keeping him in food, heating, clothes, cigs, beer etc.

Although she's 23 and in 30k of shared debt, plus the mortgage she's in the frame of mind that she got into debt and it's her job to get out of it.

I won't do a full SOA for her but just a basic broken down one as you'll see there's no point of a full one.

Wage - £13,500 before tax, monthly wage approx £900 after tax

£900ish -

£420 - mortgage
£98 - council tax
£20ish - water
£100 - gas and electric (ex still not working and in the house all day)
£22 - life insurance
£50 - car insurance

---

£700 just on the basics, excluding phone bill, food, petrol, car maintenance, mobile, gym (tied into a contract), TV license, toiletries etc.

She's spoken to the CCCS and they've advised her that she's barely brining in enough to live on never mind start paying the debts.

As much as she doesn't want to go down this route the only advice we've been able to give her is to go bankrupt as there doesn't seem to be a tunnel, never mind a light at the end of it.
Every debtor is demanding their money, including Barclays, 13k, but she's probably owed a fortune in bank charges from them.
As much as she doesn't want to lose the house she's resigned herself to the fact she's going to have to sell.

Can anybody offer any advice on, well anything really. Would bankruptcy be the only option seeing as the CCCS have said she can't afford to pay anything?
She's also looking into a second job, such as body shop parties, candle parties, that kinda thing to try and bring in extra cash but it's a huge debt for her age. I doubt moving back in with her mum would be an option before anybody mentions it as it's a 60mile round trip to her mums and back which would increas petrol, insurance (additional mileage), wear and tear on the car etc etc and wouldn't be beneficial without trying to find work in her field in that area or at a higher wage.
Also lives a bit too far from her current work place now to get rid of the car as it'd be a 2 bus journey at over an hour each way.


thanks in advance.

lynzpower

hi there Scheming _Gyspy

My feeling is she needs to take legal advice about how to buy him out. It doesnt sound to me like she would have access to the money in any case. However, once hes gone would she be able to gewt a lodger. She might want to go to arbitration to find a solution if she doesnt have a solicitor to go through? Does she WANT to split up with him & buy him out.

Could she not sell the house and then sort out the debts that way. If the house is in both thier names, the secured bit is too - is it? If so he would have to pay half of it out of his equity in any event.

scheming_gypsy

She's already split up with him but he's refusing to leave.
By selling the house as it is it should just cover the secured loan, if it doesn't and he doesn't pay his half of the remaining debt it'll affect her as well which is why she'd rather take it all on her shoulders.

Her mum has offered to help in remortgaging to try and take out enough equity to cover the debts but if it sells for more than they paid he'll still refuse to budge on wanting money off her and won't move.
It seems he's taken 'advice' from friends who know absolutely nothing about money or the situation and he's taking it as gospel.