Struggling with debt? Ask a debt advisor a question

StepChange_Rachael

Hi

Welcome to the forum and thanks for posting.

I’m sorry to hear that you’re going through a difficult time at the moment. It can’t be helping with the added stress of debts but there’s certainly a way forward to deal with the debts and help available to get you there.

It may feel like a hopeless situation at the moment but there are many different solutions available to help deal with problem debt.

It’s important to make sure advice and solutions are tailored to you and your husband’s individual situation. Taking into account your income, expenditure and the debts you have.

StepChange debt charity offer free and impartial advice based on your situation and will support you going forward to deal with the creditors and debts.

You can find the contact details for StepChange here.

Thanks
Rachael

Bleeboop wrote: »

My husband is still working, although suffering with a long term illness. We have credit card debt of about £13,500 and can only pay minimum balance. Because we still have a mortgage. We tried to borrow money from the Halifax and were turned down because of 'affordability' criteria. How can we get out of this mess? My Halifax card minimum payment keeps going up every month even though I am not using it any more.

MrsDFW

I hope someone can help me. My partner is in debt and has been for quite some time but he won't seek help or even open his mail. I know it's only a matter of time before he receives a court summons and I'm terrified to think what will happen if he ignores it. We have separate finances and I know that it won't affect my assets or credit score but the whole thing still makes me feel very anxious. Is there anything I can do or someone I can speak to on his behalf? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Many thanks.

Edward1986

How do I get off a mortgage or go bankrupt?

I went on a mortgage with my brother a few years back so he could have a house with his girlfriend, I was just on it so he could get the mortgage and it would be nothing to do with me, he soon left that property as him and his partner had a baby and needed somewhere bigger, so they got a rented place in his girlfriends name so she can claim single mother benefits and he no longer works or pays the original mortgage which I am on, this mortgage/property is up for sale but it has a tennent who hasn't paid the rent in over four years which has ran up the arrears, I think the original mortgage was for 100k and now there is nearly 20k arrears on top and the property is probably worth about 90k Max, I am losing the plot and will to carry on as I work full time and pay all my bills but still have the mortgage provider demanding that I pay, I just don't know where I stand it's been going on about six years he doesn't get any bills or letters as he has moved on and doesn't work, I get the banks demanding money and at some point I'd like to get a place with my girlfriend like normal people do, we both work full time and never miss our bills, or is there any legal process where I could sue him for damages as it has left me feeling worthless and like I can't have anything for myself... Any feedback would be much appreciated

StepChange_Rachael

Hi

Welcome to the forum and thanks for posting.

I’m sorry to hear that you’ve concerns about your partner’s finances; I can see how it’d be a worrying time for you.

There’s certainly a way forward to deal with your partners problem debt and there are many options available depending on their individual situation.

If your partner is reluctant to find help they might be more willing if they have someone to help them. Hopefully with your support your partner would be more likely to seek help.

At StepChange debt charity we provide free and impartial advice and recommendations.

Due to the situation I’d suggest taking a look at the Debt Remedy tool which is an online anonymous self-help tool.

Once Debt Remedy’s completed you and your partner will be able to access a personal action plan which includes all the advice and recommendations on how to deal with the debts and creditors as a downloadable PDF file.

This is the link to the Debt Remedy tool so you can take a look and get the ball rolling.

Thanks
Rachael

MrsDFW wrote: »

I hope someone can help me. My partner is in debt and has been for quite some time but he won't seek help or even open his mail. I know it's only a matter of time before he receives a court summons and I'm terrified to think what will happen if he ignores it. We have separate finances and I know that it won't affect my assets or credit score but the whole thing still makes me feel very anxious. Is there anything I can do or someone I can speak to on his behalf? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Many thanks.

StepChange_Rachael

Hi

Thanks for posting and welcome to the forum.

I’m sorry to hear that you’re going through such a difficult situation. It must be a very stressful and worrying time for you but there is certainly a way forward.

There are a few things to take into consideration. Firstly I take it from the information you’ve given me that it’s a joint mortgage with your brother which would mean you’re both liable for the payments. It’s highly unlikely that the mortgage provider would allow one party to be removed from the mortgage.

You’ve mentioned that you’re looking to sell the property and depending on the equity this might mean that the outstanding mortgage and arrears could be paid once sold. If you wanted to carry on down this route then I’d suggest looking into legal action regarding your tenant. If they continue to not pay rent then you’re missing out on income that could help to cover payments until it sells.

Here is a link to the Government website that explains your rights as a landlord and what you can do going forward.

You could contact citizen’s advice to find out if you can take legal action and how to go about doing that if it is an option. You can find their contact details here.

As a registered debt advice charity, StepChange can help and advise you on your options taking into account your individual situation. There are many options available to deal with debts including bankruptcy and we’d advise you on the best way forward for your situation.

You can find our contact details here.

Thanks
Rachael

Edward1986 wrote: »

How do I get off a mortgage or go bankrupt?

I went on a mortgage with my brother a few years back so he could have a house with his girlfriend, I was just on it so he could get the mortgage and it would be nothing to do with me, he soon left that property as him and his partner had a baby and needed somewhere bigger, so they got a rented place in his girlfriends name so she can claim single mother benefits and he no longer works or pays the original mortgage which I am on, this mortgage/property is up for sale but it has a tennent who hasn't paid the rent in over four years which has ran up the arrears, I think the original mortgage was for 100k and now there is nearly 20k arrears on top and the property is probably worth about 90k Max, I am losing the plot and will to carry on as I work full time and pay all my bills but still have the mortgage provider demanding that I pay, I just don't know where I stand it's been going on about six years he doesn't get any bills or letters as he has moved on and doesn't work, I get the banks demanding money and at some point I'd like to get a place with my girlfriend like normal people do, we both work full time and never miss our bills, or is there any legal process where I could sue him for damages as it has left me feeling worthless and like I can't have anything for myself... Any feedback would be much appreciated

hull1978

Hello, not sure if this is the right place to post or not. My house mate has some past debts caught up with him. He doesn't have a tenancy and is not on the electoral role, we just gave him a temporary room after a split with his partner. The bailiffs are refusing his offers to pay it which is his fault as he has ignored them. However my question is they told him that we as tenants have to prove everything is ours with receipts. 1 or 2 we may have but not for everything in the house. What power do they have? I know with a warrant we have to let them in but can they take our stuff? And what about if we're not in, can they take things like our hot tub out the back garden? I am concerned as myself and my housemate work away most of the week and it leaves my partner home alone and vulnerable. thank you in advance.

StepChange_Rachael

Hi

Welcome to the forum and thanks for posting.

I can understand your concerns as it can be worrying when enforcement agents (bailiffs) are collecting for debt.

Enforcement agents can’t take anything that isn’t the debtors. I’d suggest that If your friend isn’t on the council tax or on the rent agreement then explain this to the enforcement agents and show them the contract and a council tax bill.

It’s important you and your friend know what rights the enforcement agents have and what they can and can’t do. What the enforcement agents can and can’t do depends on what they are collecting for and how far along in the collection process the debt is.

Here is a link to our website which will give you guidance on dealing with enforcement agents.

I’d recommend your friend gets some free and impartial advice to find out a way forward in dealing with the debts. As a registered debt advice charity StepChange can help.

We have an anonymous self-help tool called Debt Remedy which is completed online.

Once Debt Remedy’s been completed your friend will be able to access a personal action plan which he can download as a PDF file. This includes our advice and recommendations in taking the next steps to dealing with the debts.

You can find the link to Debt Remedy here.

Thanks
Rachael

hull1978 wrote: »

Hello, not sure if this is the right place to post or not. My house mate has some past debts caught up with him. He doesn't have a tenancy and is not on the electoral role, we just gave him a temporary room after a split with his partner. The bailiffs are refusing his offers to pay it which is his fault as he has ignored them. However my question is they told him that we as tenants have to prove everything is ours with receipts. 1 or 2 we may have but not for everything in the house. What power do they have? I know with a warrant we have to let them in but can they take our stuff? And what about if we're not in, can they take things like our hot tub out the back garden? I am concerned as myself and my housemate work away most of the week and it leaves my partner home alone and vulnerable. thank you in advance.

sassi

Hi,

i am unsure if this is the best place to post, so feel free to move this to another board if necessary.

I put a deposit down of £75 for a photobooth for my wedding, as i thought this would be a fun addition.

The final balance of £355 was due 7 days before the event.

In the months before the wedding we had several trips to London to Great Ormand Street hospital for my sons recently diagnosed heart condition. These were very expensive, and we ended up unable to afford the booth.

I emailed the company to explain we were now unable to afford the booth and they said they require one months written notice for cancellations, which i didn't know when i booked, i had (wrongly) assumed this was why you put a £75 non refundable deposit down.

If i had the money we still would have had the booth and we were disappointed we had to cancel, but train tickets to london and spends while we were there for a few days twice was more important as it's our childrens health.

I received this email today
Hi Sarah

Further to our request I write to advise that as we have not received the payment in full as per our terms and conditions that we will be commencing legal proceedings through the small claims court in 7 days.
We would of course hope to hear from you in the meantime to sort this out without further problems or the necessity for legal action.

Many thanks


I was wondering if these terms and conditions are enforceable, as i do not have the funds to pay and they are threatening court action.

If you wish to cancel a booking, the deposit of £75 is non-refundable, we ask for 1 month written notice prior to your event to cancel your booking, if written notice is not received then the full payment will become due and no refund will be due.

What can i do? probably nothing but thought i'd pop on and ask you guys for your opinion here.

Thanks in advance!

this is the website in question, i booked it all by email.
http://www.photoboothexpress.co.uk/

AlanS76

Hello,
I am divorced but have a joint mortgage with my ex we have come to agreement about them buying me out of the mortgage but I currently have some debts and DMP with step change my ex has a excellent credit score and none of my debts are in their name, would my credit score prevent them from remortgaging on there own? Thank you in advance.

StepChange_Rachael

Hi

Thanks for posting.

I’m sorry to hear that your son’s been unwell. It must be a very difficult time for you and certainly health comes as a priority.

Unfortunately if the company states in their terms and conditions that a written notice is needed a month in advance then there’s a good chance they’d be successful when taking it through a small claims court.

If you want to dispute this I’d suggest seeking legal advice.

If you’d like further advice and to discuss your options to find the best way to deal with this debt for your individual situation, you can contact StepChange debt charity for free and impartial advice.

You can find the contact details for StepChange here.

Thanks
Rachael

sassi wrote: »

Hi,

i am unsure if this is the best place to post, so feel free to move this to another board if necessary.

I put a deposit down of £75 for a photobooth for my wedding, as i thought this would be a fun addition.

The final balance of £355 was due 7 days before the event.

In the months before the wedding we had several trips to London to Great Ormand Street hospital for my sons recently diagnosed heart condition. These were very expensive, and we ended up unable to afford the booth.

I emailed the company to explain we were now unable to afford the booth and they said they require one months written notice for cancellations, which i didn't know when i booked, i had (wrongly) assumed this was why you put a £75 non refundable deposit down.

If i had the money we still would have had the booth and we were disappointed we had to cancel, but train tickets to london and spends while we were there for a few days twice was more important as it's our childrens health.

I received this email today
Hi Sarah

Further to our request I write to advise that as we have not received the payment in full as per our terms and conditions that we will be commencing legal proceedings through the small claims court in 7 days.
We would of course hope to hear from you in the meantime to sort this out without further problems or the necessity for legal action.

Many thanks


I was wondering if these terms and conditions are enforceable, as i do not have the funds to pay and they are threatening court action.

If you wish to cancel a booking, the deposit of £75 is non-refundable, we ask for 1 month written notice prior to your event to cancel your booking, if written notice is not received then the full payment will become due and no refund will be due.

What can i do? probably nothing but thought i'd pop on and ask you guys for your opinion here.

Thanks in advance!

this is the website in question, i booked it all by email.
http://www.photoboothexpress.co.uk/