Today is the day

artnoble

...that my head comes out of the sand.


Heya guys, been a while but I'm back. Hope your all well.

I've have debts that I've ignored for years and now is the time I need to step up and deal with it. I hope that this place can help me with that.

Today I have received a court order (ccj I guess) from a debt collector I've never heard of for an amount I dont recognise. I just dont know what to do about it. I gather its my debt but how do I deal with it. Do I ask for proof of the debt or just accept it and try and pay.

Also I've been out of work since xmas so funds are pretty much bare bones.

I have a big mess to untangle and allot of work to do. I guess I better start with this.

artnoble

sorry for a bit of a rambled post, bit all over the place today.

Looking at other posts I see that I have to make a SOA, however I don't know where my debts are or how much I owe. I'm not in control of this.

EssexHebridean

OK - first things first. Well done for seeing you have a problem. Now take a deep breath, and don't panic.

There is a sticky at the top of the board I think for the SOA calculator at Make Sense of Cards - input the details for your SOA in there, hit the button at the bottom that formats it for MSE, and then copy and paste into your thread. Link for SOA calculator

Your question above re what to do next about the thing you've received today......are you sure it IS your debt? If you are, then my personal approach would be acknowledge it, throw your hands up, and deal with it. (We'll come on to how later, when we know the facts). Some people prefer to fight it, and of course, if you think there is a possibility that the debt itself might have gone six years without you paying anything to it, then it may well be Statute Barred, in which case you cannot be legally pursued for it in any case. Other than that though, if you know it's your debt, whether you choose to look at the possibilities of not needing to pay it off it entirely up to you - I would imagine that someone else will be along shortly who can tell you what those possibilities are re Prove It letters etc. Which ever option you choose though - do make sure it will leave you feeling "ok" about it in years to come.

Now, most important thing re working out where you stand on your debt generally is to gather together all the paperwork you have.....all those envelopes that have arrived and been shoved into drawers, carriers bags, under sofa cushions? Yes, time to drag them out I'm afraid. Get a cuppa for this next bit.....now open all the envelopes. They won't bite, although they might frighten you a bit. Once they are open though, you've DONE the scariest bit. It's not easy, it's not painless, but it is the first positive step you need to take towards sorting the situation out, and you know something else? It's actually better when you DO know what you're dealing with.

Once you have got your SOA, and the total of your debts, then people can start offering you some help and solutions. One way or another there is ALWAYS a solution, too.

Good luck.

artnoble

Wow.. EssexHebridean that was really good advice. Thank you so much.

Re the court letter, it stands a good chance the debt is mine however I don't recognise it, I don't want to admit and start paying for something that I'm not sure it is. All my debts seem to have been passed around to different agencies. It also could be 6 years since I last paid into the debt. Depending on what it is. Is there a way that I could get the credit agreement and stall proceedings until I find out what it is?

I'm also now on job seekers so only on about £60 a week, so haven't got much to offer at the moment.

I think its gonna be a long long road.

thank you once again for your help, and the guys who have read this.

EssexHebridean

If you're not certain then you do indeed need to find out. It may be that when you scale the heights of "brown envelope mountain" all will become clear....but someone will be along in a bit I'm sure who can tell you the ins and outs of sending "Prove it" letters etc.

Have a look at This Sticky Thread too - loads of information.

artnoble

thanks again, stupid of me I have thrown allot of them away.

Could I get the information off my credit report? I think its about time I seek professional advice, like a DMP or similar. Its time to stand up to the plate.!

Just taken a call from an agency, and I have 3 days work for the rest of the week.

cpjackso

artnoble wrote: »

thanks again, stupid of me I have thrown allot of them away.

Could I get the information off my credit report? I think its about time I seek professional advice, like a DMP or similar. Its time to stand up to the plate.!

Just taken a call from an agency, and I have 3 days work for the rest of the week.

If you ask for debt management advice from somewhere - they will want to know what debts you have. So as EssexHebridean said - you need to go through all the evidence you have to hand (letters/statements/loan agreements) and get an idea of your position, re: debts. If you think there are things missing then accessing your credit report will give you a good idea as well - but its the letters that you need to face up to first and foremost.

A list of debts - company name, total balance and APR. Then do an SOA for your costs (rent) etc.

You have to face up to your position at some point; either face up to it now OR bury your head and face up to it in 3-6 months when you are in a far worse situation.

artnoble

cpjackso wrote: »

If you ask for debt management advice from somewhere - they will want to know what debts you have. So as EssexHebridean said - you need to go through all the evidence you have to hand (letters/statements/loan agreements) and get an idea of your position, re: debts. If you think there are things missing then accessing your credit report will give you a good idea as well - but its the letters that you need to face up to first and foremost.

A list of debts - company name, total balance and APR. Then do an SOA for your costs (rent) etc.

You have to face up to your position at some point; either face up to it now OR bury your head and face up to it in 3-6 months when you are in a far worse situation.

That is fair advice, I think getting the court order this morning was a big wake up call. Still not sure what I need to do with it or the best course of action.

I think sticking round here is going to help, reading the stories of the other people, knowing I'm not alone

RAS

Hi

before you even go anywhere else, you need to learn about statute barred debt. This is debt towards which you have not paid anything in the last 6 years, or made any written acknowledgement. Yopu are not required to pay this debt unles the creditor had a CCJ before the 6 year period was up.

Debt collectors can take you to court and if you do not defend the case, they can still get a CCJ after the 6 years.

So you need to get your credit records.

artnoble

RAS wrote: »

Hi

before you even go anywhere else, you need to learn about statute barred debt. This is debt towards which you have not paid anything in the last 6 years, or made any written acknowledgement. Yopu are not required to pay this debt unles the creditor had a CCJ before the 6 year period was up.

Debt collectors can take you to court and if you do not defend the case, they can still get a CCJ after the 6 years.

So you need to get your credit records.

Cheers RAS, thanks for your help.

Is it worth writing to the debt collector asking for a credit agreement, or should I go ahead and accept. I just don't know where this debt is from, but upon reflection I think 6 years is a long time so I probably have had contact in that time.

Would they take into account I'm only on JSA.

Thanks for your help everyone.