I'm about to go bankrupt

futurefree

Hi all, I'm new.
I have my court date on 21 March:eek:

I have a basic bank acct already with hsbc, has anyone found that hsbc will let the acct stay open or should I go to another bank before court? Any tips on which banks will let me open an acct as a bankrupt.

Also I have utility bills in my name and I pay rent.

Will the OR tell my landlord, I dont them to as they are not great landlords and I'm worried they will terminate my tenancy. With the utility bills what have you done about paying them with no bank account?

Any info on anything I should do before the court date would so appreciated.

Many Thanks

IF

Hi FF and Welcome, It's very unlikely HSBC will let you keep the account. They are only two BR friendly basic bank accounts. The Coop cashminder account and Barclays basic account, if the Coop are a creditor they are unlikely to accept you for a cashminder account, if Barlcays are a creditor you can open the basic account after you are BR. If you can open one now, both accounts will set up DD for your utility bills etc.

The OR may or may not contact you LL, they did mine and I was pleased I told them in advance. Check your rental agreement and see if there is a BR clause in it.

Best wishes
If...x

dojoman

Do as IF suggests, the HSBC will definitely close your account with them.

BaldEagle

I spoke with the OR yesterday and they said they weren't likely to speak with my LL but agreed that if they did, they'd let me know first so I can smooth the waves rather than a nasty letter turn up unexpected.

futurefree

Thanks for your replies,
have checked my tenancy agreement and there is not clause, hopefully the OR will choose not to contact them but better if I speak to OR and ask them to let me know first then.

So if I open an acct with coop or barclays before bankruptcy it wont be frozen? should i tell coop or barclays that I'm about to go bankrupt when I'm opening it?

I feel like a headless chicken at the moment.

Thanks again for your help

Ineedaname

When I opened my Coop account I told them why I needed it and they were fine about that. I think it helps if they know because then they won't freeze the account.

HOLIDAYMAD_2

I have a co op basic electron account and they are very good, i rang them last week to advise i was going BR next week and they have said no problem in keeping the account open.
When i opened it i did it by a telephone application application ring the customer services number on 08457 212212, i didnt have to provide any evidence of ID , residency etc and card was here within a couple of days, worth ringing them to say you want to open an account as a BR and see what they say, as they may say open after you have been declared BR opposed to before.
Great account to use for debit card, DD, SO, intenet banking as good as any of the others minus facilities such as overdraft etc and the electron is not accepted everywhere, but to be fair i say 99 percent now take it.

I also thought you could get a step account with the nat west.

HSBC if i could i would put a hit on them, they were truely dreadful to me and caused all my hardship so IMO id steer well clear of them.
they are linked in to a lot of others as well.
So get your money out before you go BR
I dont know if you have anyone that can open a account in their name for you to use in the event of backup- my dad is doing that for me.

It has taken me 5 years to get to this point and tell him , and he has been great, he is paying the fee and coming with me, so dont be frightened of others finding out.

Utility Bills i owe money to british gas and EDF , ive applied to the Charis fund for charges with the BR but have decided go ahead regardless, any way spoke with Bgas who were excellent and explained i was going BR and would they prevent me from having a account as i oe 1k to them , answer was no you start afresh .
To switch the EDF account to them i have to provide 120 pound security which is returned in 12 months with intrest, that is if i dont want a pre payment meter, i suspect as i also owe EDF they wont allow me to keep the account without a prepayment meter hense the question to BGas.


Your landlord- find a excuse of asking him for a upto date rent statement showing all payments and say to the OR he is a difficult landlord and see if OR will accept your evidences that rent is up to date. Always keep receipts and ideally try and pay via the bank.

Should your landlord find out and decide to end the tenancy they have to do it correctly.
1. if it is still in a fixed term l, they cant end a tenancy sooner than the end date.
if it is out of the fixed term period it become a periodic regardless if they have given you a new tenancy
They then
2 .have to serve a S21 notice and give two clear months notice that must marry around the rental date.
If it is still in the fixed term notice notice still has to be applied correctly at the end and can be issued at any time in the original term but cannot end earlier.

Also the only way you can be legally evicted regardless of a any notice being served is by a court order from the county court and then a baliff warrant, until a warrant has been issued you have the legal right to remain in occupation, beleive me if your a good tenant the landlord will not want the hassle or cost.

So in short - notice has to be served in the correct manner, tenancy can not be brought to a end earlier than the end date and you can remain until a court order is served, S21 notice is only granted for ending a tenancy, nothing else such as rent arrears or nusiance.

Any problems contact your local housing advice team

good luck

HOLIDAYMAD_2

Just to add my status shows me as a newbie, i havent been on here for a while and have lost all my old details so im not really a newbie but have been around for a long time.
i have explored every option re BR known to man - over the last 5 years and have got my date for Thursday.

i also work in social housing/benefits etc so hopefully can help as best i can.

PS charis fund is a charity supported by British Gas , Anglican Water etc that may pay the BR fee or help with clearing a debt , they are funded by several of the big utilities such as Bgas and will help from certain organsiations in my case i am a customer of BGAS so can apply .
Charis is on the net - just do a google.

futurefree

Thanks holidaymad & others,

I will get on to coop to apply for an acct and make sure any money (very little!) is out of hsbc.

Thanks x

Ineedaname

HOLIDAYMAD wrote: »

Should your landlord find out and decide to end the tenancy they have to do it correctly.
1. if it is still in a fixed term l, they cant end a tenancy sooner than the end date.
if it is out of the fixed term period it become a periodic regardless if they have given you a new tenancy

Not so, the Landlord can start processes to evict a tenant during an AST if you owe at least 2 months or 8 weeks rent. They have a 'right to possession' in this instance.

If a new AST has been entered into then that over rides the periodic tenancy as you've both signed up to a NEW fixed term rental agreement.

futurefree

Thanks,

I have an ast and i'm in a periodic tenancy now. my rent is all up to date and i've never missed a rent payment.

have just applied for a coop account over the phone and its referred so fingers crossed!

couple of other questions... i have a life insurance policy not linked to a mortgage or anything as I rent, I was thinking should I cancel it before I go BR? as I think to OR would take ownership for 12 months anyway, and if I die I dont want to be paying the £15 per month for their benefit to be honest, and then they get the lump sum. I'm happy to cancel it and start a new policy after discharge. Has anyone done anything similar?

My electricity is with npower, has anyone had experience of npower and bankruptcy? do they insist on a prepayment meter? I was thinking of asking a family member to pay the electricity from their account. Any tips would be great. Thanks