One step forward, many backwards...

rkh001

Already mentioned this before but need to have a moan again...

My car has failed it's MOT. The garage have said that it is not roadworthy at all and therefore not worth even trying to fix it. So I decided to apply for a small loan to get another old heap that would keep going for a year or two - guess what! Got turned down. Need a car to get to and from work as it's out in the sticks - no public transport to there. OH has a car but he works in the opposite direction.

Had both my knees operated on last week Tues so have been signed off for 2 weeks and will not get paid as I temp. So, no money to buy a car, no money for anything for 2 weeks. Wrote to Northern Rock to ask for mortgage payment holiday - they refused. Why? Because the counter staff told us that if we pay by cheque on the last day of the month, it will show as a payment for that month. WRONG!!! The payments show up when cleared which means, effectively, we have been paying a month in arrears. So as far as NR are concerned, we are not paying on time to warrant a holiday as we are not abiding by their T's & C's.

Went and saw a physiotherapist yesterday and that was a waste of time. Had to get my cousin to take time out to take me there - 40 mins for her to get to me, 40 mins to get to hospital, £2 for car park, 10 mins with physiotherapist!! And she did not even clean the area around the stitches before changing the tape. Told me to carry on doing my exercises and go and see her in 3 weeks time. I am fuming - have a good mind to cancel the appointment and complain.

But at the moment feel like complaing about a lot of things - including life!

I can't even think what to do next.

Thanks for reading.

lynzpower

Oh darling

I know how you mean, when life kicks you in the teeth, then draws its hoof back and boots you again.

I know this has probably crossed your mind, but can OH get a bike to do the journeys?

ALso have you got any holidays that you can put in through your temp agency. OH had to do this, he had 5 days saved so at least some money is coming in next friday. Check this out.

I know this is obvious, but is there anything you could sell ?

What happened to the car? Is it scrapped? ONly you might fetch some money for it on ebay, ie selling for parts?

Ebany

If you are properly signed off sick with a note then your temp agency should pay you Staturory sick pay - take the note in and see what they say. I think its a legal requirement that they do this now - there may be a few 'qualifying days' first but certainly with 2 weeks signed off you should get something.

Can't help much with anything else, but wanted to let you know that bit!

rkh001

Spoke to the agency about the holiday days but they said that because I have a sickness certificate, they can only pay sickness on that. So I thought that as the first 4 days don't get covered by the cert., they could pay me the holiday. Then, they said, I'd have to wait another 4 days before the sickness kicks in. Too confusing for me. Just have to wait and see what they pay in the end.

OH is an IT trainer and has to travel round to customers sites to train - needs to carry a lot of stuff.

I am going to call the garage again and see if they can do something with my car to put it on the road for a year - I'll just have to increase my debt on credit card. Can't see any other way.

I thought life was meant to be easy once you start sorting it out but I guess I take things too literally - one day I will learn!!!

Prudent

Re: Northern Rock issue. One of my friends had a similar hassle with our local council over council tax. She paid by cheque every month, never missing a payment, at the end of the month. Every month the council wrote and told her she was in arrears - she even had to fight to get it moved off her credit rating. Eventually after much argument the council has now accepted the payments are up to date.

rkh001

That's a good point, Prudent. I think I should check my credit report to ensure that we aren't showing as late payers.

lynsayjane

Prudent wrote:

Re: Northern Rock issue. One of my friends had a similar hassle with our local council over council tax. She paid by cheque every month, never missing a payment, at the end of the month. Every month the council wrote and told her she was in arrears - she even had to fight to get it moved off her credit rating. Eventually after much argument the council has now accepted the payments are up to date.

the problem is council tax payments are due on the first. i pay by cheque around the first as days off work allow, some are a few days before, some a few days after, and i haven't received any arrears notices this year. i have in the past for payments more than two weeks late but thats another story...