1 step forward, 2 steps back

ceejaydee23

I had been doing soo well with trying to work our money out, getting other half to agree to things, me cutting down spending and stuff. Seems departments forget what they verbally agree! As just before weekend i got another snotty letter from housing association stating they intend to start notice to seek possession, so i rattled an email off to them, stating that within the space of a month they received £700 from us! including the £400 that was agreeable over the phone even if it was split into 2 payments of £200, And how i wished to proceed. As yet not heard anything.

BUT the big slap in the face was a phone call from council tax department, saying they wouldn't consider my payment schedule unless backed up with a statement from CAB. all cos its possible that its considered a long term one, cos it might reach 26 weeks which is considered long term!

I can now definitely understand why people say about sending letters telling them they only wish to deal with people via written format! As from when i go see the CAB i think I'll do that too, cos i cant face more phone calls that make me feel 2 foot tall and stupid. It just makes me feel that all MY hard work has been for nothing!

Clarie_2

Well done for doing all the sorting out you have done! It sounds like it's a tough old slog :-(. But you are doing great, keep at it. And no way has all your hard work been for nothing - after all, you paid £700 to the housing association this month!

Clarie

CH27

ceejaydee23 wrote: »

I had been doing soo well with trying to work our money out, getting other half to agree to things, me cutting down spending and stuff. Seems departments forget what they verbally agree! As just before weekend i got another snotty letter from housing association stating they intend to start notice to seek possession, so i rattled an email off to them, stating that within the space of a month they received £700 from us! including the £400 that was agreeable over the phone even if it was split into 2 payments of £200, And how i wished to proceed. As yet not heard anything.

BUT the big slap in the face was a phone call from council tax department, saying they wouldn't consider my payment schedule unless backed up with a statement from CAB. all cos its possible that its considered a long term one, cos it might reach 26 weeks which is considered long term!

I can now definitely understand why people say about sending letters telling them they only wish to deal with people via written format! As from when i go see the CAB i think I'll do that too, cos i cant face more phone calls that make me feel 2 foot tall and stupid. It just makes me feel that all MY hard work has been for nothing!

You are doing well. Keep at it.
Slowly but surely will get there:)

robsmum_2

Hi CeeJay,
Well done on posting and don't despair, it takes time to settle down and you are doing well in starting to get things sorted out.

Many housing associations automatically issue notices of starting repossession when a debt hits a certain point - I believe ours is at about 2 months arrears. Even if you have an agreement to pay off the arrears, they still issue them. This means that if you default then they can start court proceedings for repossession. Providing you meet your agreement they will not do anything.

Regarding council tax - from my experience they are a law unto themselves. For example ours won't agree to spreading payments over 12 months until they have issused a summons for non-payment of the first 2 months. By which time you will have also incurred court costs so your bill is bigger!

Just persevere you'll get there in the end.

ceejaydee23

Its just really frustrating, that after all that money they have had from us, they still send that letter! maybe its cos although the £400 in the 2 payments of £200 it was right at the beginning of feb so the account hadnt had any other payments until I made the 1st of the new weekly payments yesterday!

It just feels such a waste of my hard slog of working sums out, restricting expenditure, and even finally getting other half on board so it didnt feel like it was ALL on my shoulders, to only be told Go to the CAB or we will have no option but to put a court summons on you! and its like GRRRR, Its not like I'm trying to get out of paying anyone anything. Thing is if the council hadn't messed up on the Council Tax and Housing Benefit payments to begin with we wouldn't be in this position were in now, even if it has been the royal kick up the jacksy we needed to stop the silly spending and organising our finances better.

ceejaydee23

Well been to CAB office again now, explained to them my last money pack sheets got into such a mess trying to work things out as so much up in the air, BUT that i have been trying to do a lot of things on my own but that the Council wouldn't accept my payment plan without a statement from CAB. Have been given another Money pack which me n the other half WILL fill in tonight, and go back down there Thursday.

skyvicky123

Sorry Ceejaydee, feel my post on the emotional spending forum was a bit insensitive seen as repocession is being threatened. I haven't really got any advice in this area except that you're right that it's much better to keep everything in writing so that you can't get scrXwed over!

ceejaydee23

Skyvicky, I've replied on the emotional thread, and sent you a pm. I'm not sure repossession is on the cards as such, just the wording in the letter said I intend to start the process of seeing notice of possession, so i think it was just a "threat" letter so to speak. Well i'll be down CAB tomorrow with their money pack forms all filled in and signed, just have to see what happens now i guess! It might be a blessing in disguise, who knows yet!

Delree

As Robsmum says the NSP on your home is a procedure. The wording is key it's Notice not intention to seek possession. As long as the arrears come down (as you say they are) you have nothing to worry to worry about. Also you will note that there is a 4 week period built into the notice before your association can take action (if they want to). That's 4 weeks to clear the arrears, and once your balance is down to zero the NSP is defunct and has to be re-issued (along with another 4 week period) should the same thing happen again.

I don't know about council tax arrears I'm afraid but I know they are a tougher nut. Good luck.

debtfree2010

I hope you get everything sorted

Council tax is a joke, i asked if i could spread my payments over 12 months and was refused.
My work collegue who dosnt pay by direct debit, is always 1 month behind....her punishment is to have to pay over 12 months instead of 10 :mad:

jokers !!

ceejaydee23

Well i suppose in theory even if CAB suggested 1 payment offer to them, we could still "pay extra?" ontop of any agreed payment plan. Thing is i dont think i can even pay what i wanted to all this month (council tax) cos they have put the account on hold until i've produced this statement from CAB! so in theory that could be 3 weeks worth of £30 they wont be getting!