Want To Be Free

Want2beFree_2

Hi everyone.

First off I'm not a new member, I am a active poster on here but want to keep this issue separate from my other account.

I have been with my OH now for over 4 years and still going strong.

Before i met him he was with this 'woman' if i have to call her that. She got her claws into him after he had lost his dad and was at a very vulnerable time in his life, he had depression and was drinking a lot. She took full advantage of it all.

Short story, they were together about 5 years, he had really bad depression and his drinking to escape life with her was bad. But she built up huge debts in his name, he wasn't in any state of mind to think what she was doing and trusted her, his wages would go in the bank and he'd pay all the bills and then she's have the rest. She made him take out a loan for her over 10 grand, for her friends 'buiness' nothing ever came of it and as she was clever enough to have it all in his name i think nothing connecting her to it.

Over the 5 years or so she built up more and more debts all on him. She treated him like crap and he just fell deeper and deeper into depression. Finally he left one night after not being able to take any more.

He got himself sorted in another job and started paying off all the debts, he worked 8 12 hour shifts on the row once, not to mention everything else he went through to pay off her debts. It took him a while but he finally thought - by the time he met me - that he had paid everything off. But then the letters started coming again!

I've never been in debt and the letters scare me, talk of people coming to your house and taking things etc. He's depressed, he thought it was all over and it wasn't, so this was a few years ago, he paid that 'letter' off, then another came for more, and this year we've had another two. He dreads the mail. And i just don't know what to do or suggest to him. He has no idea what else there is out there. And this is bringing us both down, and she had the nerve to email him before christmas saying the council tax office had been in contact about unpaid council tax i think, its not even his house! she is still in it with the latest man she's sucking more and more money out of by the day!

If anyone can make sense of this well done, please be gentle with replies. I just want this over with, we can't move on with our lives with wondering when the next letter will drop on the matt.

mum2one

I don't really know what to say,

The 1st thing I'd do is check to see whether he is registered as still living at that property,

Another thought would be to check his credit file, so at least he'll have an idea what is going on. This may not be nice reading, but it should help show where the money went.

Has she got access to any cards, bank books, etc of your OH

You need to look after both of you, there be someone along soon who be more knowledgeable than me. But good luck, and take care xx

planning_ahead_2

Hi

I'm not the most experienced DFW, but the very first thing I would suggest is that he contacts all the credit reference agencies for a copy of his file so that he can see what credit is lodged against his name. Getting copies of the credit files can't do any harm and at least you will know what you are dealing with. Once you know, then you can take advice on how to move forward.

At least this will give you a starting point. As he was sure that he had cleared all the debt then any letters he is still receiving must mean that she has taken credit out in his name fraudulently. I am not sure what you can do, but hopefully someone will come along on here with excellent advice.

There is also a regular poster on here who works in a council tax collections office (or something like that) and hopefully they will pop in to this thread and advise on that issue.

Keep positive - you are in the best place for excellent advice and support.

Tixy

Hi

Hopefully someone will be along with more advice soon but here are just a couple of points from me

Is he certain she is not still taking out more credit in his name? if he isn't sure it might be worth registering with cifas.

Whenever he gets a letter about a new debt is he sending a 'prove it' letter first to make sure the debt is correct (well as correct might not be the word - but that it does relate to him or his ex in his name) - http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showpost.html?p=11570893&postcount=2

Has he had copies of his credit reports? are these debts just defaulted debts or are there CCJs in his name?

Is he checking/considering whether any of the newly surfaced debts could be statute barred before he starts paying them?

Want2beFree_2

Thank you all for your really nice posts. :A :A

I have seen that experian thing on the TV ads and around the internet but didn't know if it would just make things worse to do a check on that. I mean when he lived with her it was down south, we now live in the midlands and he's not trying to run away from the debts - as much as he would want to - but i don't want to do anything to make more debts find him if im making any sense. I'm really no good at all this.

I don't think that he is still registered at the house where they lived and i don't think she would be still ringing up debt in his name as she is doing well ringing her new BF dry, we know this as my OH is still friends with someone who see's her now and then around. But in those years when they were together god knows what debts she was building up. Yes he did sign the loan but as i said was in no fit state to think straight as she knew, also she made him ask his mum for his inheritance early and she had all that off him, now he has nothing, he used to have his dad's war medals and she sold all them as well. Has worked like mad all his life, still does and for what, to have to keep on paying for her selfish past. Sorry it just gets me going.


When he met me all the debts that had caught up with him he had paid off and we're not talking hundreds here either, he looked so bad when we first met, he'd worked himself into the ground to pay it all off, was depressed, stick thin and drinking more than ever. He has the drinking under control now, but i just can't see a day when this is all going to be in the past.

About the council tax one i think its that anyway, sure it is, i think they have passed the debt onto a collection agency and they're threatening to come round. I'm a nervous wreck. My BF is so careful with money like i am, it's so annoying we're going through this all coz of her.

"Has he had copies of his credit reports? are these debts just defaulted debts or are there CCJs in his name?

Is he checking/considering whether any of the newly surfaced debts could be statute barred before he starts paying them?"


And im doing to sound right thick here but i don't understand the above fully, i know its bad on my part. He isn't checking any of them. Like in Jan he got one off the phone company she had her mobile with - contract - and it said he owed £300 or else the men were going to be at the door, he sent a check off. But to be honest with you when mail comes now he really doesn't want to open it for fear its the next thing to drop.

planning_ahead_2

Hi Want2beFree

Not sure who else is up to answer you, but he really does need to get copies of his credit reports so he knows what debts he is looking at being responsible for - and he can also work out from that if he took out the credit or if his ex did in his name.

The term ‘default’ on credit reference files is used when the relationship between the lender and borrower has broken down, ie., the account has fallen into arrears, and the lender has notified credit reference agencies to mark his credit file with a default, so his credit rating will go down - but you obviously know that payments haven't been made as he is being chased for the debts. So the files will show defaults at the very least.

If he has made no payments or acknowledged to any of the debts for a period of 6 or more years then they are likely to be statute barred. This means that the lender cannot seek recovery of the debt any longer. However, I don't think this applies if the lender has already got a county courty judgement (CCJ) for the debt. I think (but someone will confirm) that if the lender has a CCJ then they can chase the debt no matter how old.

Want2beFree_2

Thank you very much for that i understand what it means now a bit more.

The council tax one is the main one at the moment that he's being hounded about, there's three pages with a different amount on each, was sent Dec 2009 and the Liability Date start on each is 2002 Liability End 2004 - whatever that means. All it keeps going on about and the new threat letters is that the Bailiffs are coming if he doesn't pay all the money now. For a start it's not in the hundreds i don't think.

About the Experian report, is that the one that is best to use?
And could using it in any way make things worse? (I don't know anything about it sorry for asking silly questions) My OH is at work tonight and says he's going to Email the Debt Recovery people in the morning when he gets in.
It's all so not fair.

planning_ahead_2

Want2beFree wrote: »

Thank you very much for that i understand what it means now a bit more.

The council tax one is the main one at the moment that he's being hounded about, there's three pages with a different amount on each, was sent Dec 2009 and the Liability Date start on each is 2002 Liability End 2004 - whatever that means. All it keeps going on about and the new threat letters is that the Bailiffs are coming if he doesn't pay all the money now. For a start it's not in the hundreds i don't think.

About the Experian report, is that the one that is best to use?
And could using it in any way make things worse? (I don't know anything about it sorry for asking silly questions) My OH is at work tonight and says he's going to Email the Debt Recovery people in the morning when he gets in.
It's all so not fair.

Please, please, don't let him contact the debt recovery firm in any way until you have got advice from here in the morning. The fantastic people on here will tell you exactly what to do - in writing I suspect.

planning_ahead_2

Regarding credit reference agencies the three I know of are

Equifax
Experian
CallCredit

I don't think getting the files can make things worse....but don't take my advice on that, please wait for more seasoned posters who know whats what in these cases to advise you.

If the council tax debt is 2004 that may be statute barred - or coming up to being statue barred so do not allow him to acknowledge the debt in any way until you have taken advice from here.

Want2beFree_2

I will tell him that and say to wait till tomorrow night maybe. It just sounded so scary in the letter and he's only opened the one of them there are another 3 from the same place this Debt Recovery place over there.

"your account has been passed to us by the council and has been allocated to one of our Enforcement Officers who will be coming to your property to enforce the Liability order by seizure of your goods for which you will be liable for the additional costs......" and it goes on like that.

Now at the moment we don't have our own place, we live with my family and it would be so embarrassing for him if bailiffs showed up at the door, plus nothing in here is his anyway so i don't know what they're planning on taking. The whole situation is making us both ill.

planning_ahead_2

Hi

Don't worry - if they turn up they do not have right of entry. Someone will come along in the morning and give you all the information you need to deal with debt recovery firms and/or bailiffs.

Please try and get some sleep - you will not help him or yourself if you can't think straight for lack of sleep.

Take care and check back after 8 in the morning....people will have logged in then and will offer loads more better advice than me. I just felt you were still online and perhaps needed someone to answer.