Oh what a mess!

fitzmd

Hi

this is a long story and quite convoluted so i better get started.

In 2002/3 the telecomms industry in my sector kind of imploded career-wise, as did my life. Relationship gone, industry and job prospects zero plus owed 25k to lloyds tsb and 8-9k on plastic. all in the space of 4 mths.

Made homeless and then got an offer from work associates in istanbul to go and do some work for them. thought that there was nothing for me here so i ran from everything - leaving all that debt.

in mar 2006 decided to return to UK with new wife and baby son. I had no contact with creditors etc and had changed my name in the meantime by deed poll. this was because i am half-turkish and had problems re military service in turkey. got new passport and driving licence and changed name on my NI number. Citizens advice kjust advised me to keep my head down until april 2010 to escape debt (6yrs statute-barred rule on non-secured debt etc).
I am extremely reluctant to link my old name to my new one and create a paper trail (even tho this is technically fraud) because being a UK citizen means i am not safe from obligations (such as army eligibility until 70) due to my other country of citizenship AND the UK cannot and will not interfere if the turkish authorities find me and want to extradite me.

So....i am trying to keep my head down. rented house and do NOT reveal my old name on ANY applications (eg car insurance). Dare not risk it - was jailed for non-compliance with army and skipped turkey under new name and passport to avoid them trying to cart me off again (got jailed for this once for a few days.

Now i want to move to a new rented house and i have to fill in a credit ref/background check form - no prob - but they are asking for my NI number!!!!
I am NOT HAPPY RE THIS. I am happy to give all other info (but NOT old name) but not this because it creates a trail.
Where do they get off on linking you to govt ID and tax records???

I thought this was not allowed.

I checked some mortgage app forms and they are asking for NI too!!

What is going on??

I am in a bind here.

If i acknowledge the debt and do bankruptcy or IVA i am screwed even tho i am honest AND the turkish military can find me.

If i don't i am committing fraud and also cannot buy a house or rent a new one.

If my wife is a housewife and i am working can we do tenancy and future housebuy in her name?
Even tho i am the earner?

otherwise i feel i am screwed on all fronts if i want to build any kind of life.

Being ill for last year and undergoing 4 major surgeries has not helped either - just starting to get on our feet and i still have another op to go in july.

PLEASE HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


:eek: :mad:

Bakeybadoo

Wow, that's a lot to deal with.

First off, you need your NI number for most things in life nowadays so if you are concerned from that aspect, life is going to continue to be very difficult for you I'm afraid.

If you go BR, you wouldn't be able to get a house for probably at least 6 years, if not longer as it stays on your credit record for that long and then on top of that, many lenders won't offer you a mortgage knowing you were once BR and if they do, it'll be at a much higher rate.

Unless your wife is working, she would not be able to buy a house either. Forget about buying a house, an IVA/BR would see put to that for the foreseeable future and if you are currently in debt, taking more on should not be even on your mind.

Why not go the private renting sector? Scour you local paper and you are bound to find some, that's what we did when our credit was shot and we couldn't get taken on with an agency. Private sector hardly ever do any sort of background check. Then keep your head down, for the 6 years.

I don't know, it's a very hard situation to be in, not to mention complicated. I'm not even sure how to properly advise you. I would however urge you to get professional, free, confidential advice from one of the below:

https://www.cccs.co.uk
https://www.payplan.com
Your local Citizens Advice Bureau.

Richard_S

Phew fitz,

That's certainly a puzzle outside the normal scope of things. Is there any reason why your partner can't provide all the information relating to accomodation? Keep everything in her name.

How about contacting a solicitor that deals in European law?

What about Turkish support groups in the U.K? There must be others that have had similar experiencies.

I must confess I'm clutching at straws.

Richard

Bakeybadoo

Rich, his wife doesn't work so I assume that's why she couldn't be the one on the tenancy.

fitzmd

thanx for that!

i am thinking of the following timescale. I am currently studying to upgrade back to a high-paying job in south again. plan to secure that around sept if poss and then start to sort this out - payplan sounds good as does the other one. can they negotiate to get the amount down?

the full 6yrs+ will definitely be up by 2010.

quick question - when does the 6yr count start?

from date of debt taken out (apr 2003)?

or from when they do a ccj or default?(do not know dates of this).

will definitely go for the private sector tho......shame - we were looking at a lovely house just up the road...

what is it with this NI number !!!! on credit applications????

isn't that a violation of the data protection act and basic personal privacy?

if they can access and cross-reference to those govt files then they can get hold of your medical history, motoring history, criminal record (if you have one - spent or otherwise), employment history. this is horrendous in terms of personal privacy - i thought this was illegal - this was never the case last time i looked.
i do not mind my credit record and location history being checked - but i do NOT like the idea of that being cross-referenced to my NI record and govt records - who knows what those !!!!!!!s have on people?????

fitzmd

wife is trying very hard to work - but she is not getting any joy.

re the turkish thing - i have a friend who is dual same as me and he was extradited back last yr and is currently serving on the iraqi border dodging kurdish terrorist bombs. he has had one narrow escape.
not making my son a potential orphan is my biggest priority - that terrifies us.

fermi

:eek: CCJ A quick point, since I have to go. If you have a CCJ for any of these debts, then 'Statute Barred' does not apply. Otherwise, the 6 years is from the last time you acknowledged the debts (which must be a payment or acknowledgement from you in writing). Nothing else can effect the 6 year rule.

Bye, and keep posting so we can help

Bakeybadoo

fitzmd wrote: »

thanx for that!

i am thinking of the following timescale. I am currently studying to upgrade back to a high-paying job in south again. plan to secure that around sept if poss and then start to sort this out

For any job, you will need to put your NI down and sometimes former names. There is always going to be a way to trace you.

payplan sounds good as does the other one. can they negotiate to get the amount down?

No, only an IVA/DMP can arrange payment options. Not the same as getting the amount down necessarily.

quick question - when does the 6yr count start?

from date of debt taken out (apr 2003)?

or from when they do a ccj or default?(do not know dates of this).

When you last acknowledged the debt, so if you agreed to make a payment or sent any correspondance back.

will definitely go for the private sector tho......shame - we were looking at a lovely house just up the road...

All in good time, things will work themselves out. Just concentrate on the basics right now and getting any roof over your head. Then you can work on the rest.

what is it with this NI number !!!! on credit applications????

isn't that a violation of the data protection act and basic personal privacy?

It's proving who you are. For stuff like an agency estate agent, yes, they'll ask so they can verify who you are. Not necessarily ALL credit applications will ask but some can and do.

Plus, if they ask for wage slips to prove income - in the case of a housing check, then that would have your NI number on it anyway.

if they can access and cross-reference to those govt files then they can get hold of your medical history, motoring history, criminal record (if you have one - spent or otherwise), employment history. this is horrendous in terms of personal privacy - i thought this was illegal - this was never the case last time i looked.

Be careful what you are signing in that case. It's not easy for any company to get a lot of information and stuff like your medical history wouldn't be looked into in every day applications but for something like claiming on Life Insurance for example, it would be.

Your employment history is searchable and usually is if the company in question want a work history search. The Inland Revenue hold that information. Criminal record, yes again, if you sign to say that someone can check into that (like my husband had to sign to have a check before he could get his job) then yes, that's all searchable.

i do not mind my credit record and location history being checked - but i do NOT like the idea of that being cross-referenced to my NI record and govt records - who knows what those !!!!!!!s have on people?????

Your NI number is linked to government records, it's a way of finding you on a system. It's simple, if you don't want to have something specific searched, don't sign to say you agree to it. If in doubt, ask exactly what they are planning to look for and decide from there.

Yes, the Data Protection Act is a blessing and a curse.

fitzmd

:T

if my wife can get some work, then everything can go in her name, correct?

she would have the bank acct and i would just get extra cards on her name?

so...we will go for a private let in the next month or so (need something bigger) and then plan to get job in south for more dosh. relocate with private let again.
then she can find some work after we sort out childcare for the little guy and we can get moving from there.
buy house and do everything in her name. (does this sound feasible?)

once we have a house (hopefully within 2 yrs - when 6 yrs is up), i will make arrangements to pay if i have a ccj (how can i check this without being traced?).

who is good person to do IVA or DMP when i need to do this further down the line? - want to get the amt down if poss.
how long does a ccj stay on my record?

sorry for all the q's - have been very stupid on this for a long time and want to start amending and developing a plan for us as a family.

My ex ripping me for 20k just before i left the uk originally did not help either but cannot do anything about that - she moved to aus 3 yrs ago.
the employment thing is just something i will have to deal with - not a worry though.

fitzmd

how far back does the employment/history check thing go?

never been subjected to it and am curious.........

Bakeybadoo

fitzmd wrote: »

:T

if my wife can get some work, then everything can go in her name, correct?

she would have the bank acct and i would just get extra cards on her name?

Well, yes, technically. Your card would be in your name but as an added card holder, you wouldn't need to give anything more than your name as you want it on the card and your date of birth basically.

so...we will go for a private let in the next month or so (need something bigger) and then plan to get job in south for more dosh. relocate with private let again.
then she can find some work after we sort out childcare for the little guy and we can get moving from there.

Yes, sounds good. But as I said, remember that jobs ask for your NI number. Depending on what job you go for, it may involve background checks or some sort.

buy house and do everything in her name. (does this sound feasible?)

It is feasible if she earns enough to get a mortgage/loan and if she has enough good work history and a good credit record.

once we have a house (hopefully within 2 yrs - when 6 yrs is up), i will make arrangements to pay if i have a ccj (how can i check this without being traced?).

What is the CCJ for? I think, although am not sure, that the CCJ is also subject to the 6 year rule...You can check if you have a CCJ by getting a copy of your credit record.

https://www.experian.co.uk are doing a free 30 day trial. Your CCJ might be on there or you can apply to the court where it was issued, for details. They will just require your name and address at the time and maybe date of birth. This is to trace the CCJ record, not to put down on their system to keep or anything.

who is good person to do IVA or DMP when i need to do this further down the line? - want to get the amt down if poss.

Best bet to ask that question to is the Debt Free Wannabe main board.

If you are keeping your head down for the 6 years, you won't need a DMP or IVA.

how long does a ccj stay on my record?

As I said up above, I think 6 years but I am not 100% sure. If you pay it off, it's there for 6 years still but marked as settled so shouldn't affect your credit score too much. If it's unpaid, it'll appear as defaulted for the 6 years and will affect your credit score accordingly.

sorry for all the q's - have been very stupid on this for a long time and want to start amending and developing a plan for us as a family.

Good for you and don't apologise!