Help, Help, Help

worndown&desperate

Can anybody please give me some advice?
I have recently sought help from the CCCS after finally admitting I have a massive debt problem (£80k) spread amongst 9 credit card companies. I tried to arrange a dmp myself, but most wouldn't pay ball - so the CCCS have been brilliant. However egg - the largest £14400, have referred to a debt collecting agency who threatened court action to force the sale of my house and/ or bankruptcy. I am rubbish at dealing on the phone with these people and always end up in tears. I've now had a letter from solicitiors that if I don't pay the balance in full by 22nd May, they will take me to court. I am working approximately 52 hours a week so pay the debt and am a single parent with a 7 year old who has seen me in tears for the most of the weekend. I am totally worndown by the whole experience - I know am to blame for all this, but I am working all hours to meet the CCCS payments and keepe everything else. I can't raise any more money by remortgaging. I have a couple of friends who know some of it, but nobody knows the extent.
Can anybody help with how I should handle egg?

KellsBells

Hi Hun,

your situation sounds terrible and you must be distraught. Is egg secured on your property? If not, let them take you to court. then you should make an offer of payment that you can afford, advising the court of all your other debts and help from the CCCS. They shouldn't then be able to force the sale of your home. However, if egg is secured, it is a different matter and you need to seek legal advice.xx

brainfreeze

Hi and welcome to the boards

Firstly, post your SOA and people will be able to give your much more relevant advice.

Keep working the CCCS and whatever they have suggested paying to EGG....make sure you pay it. If it does go to court, the court will look favourably on the fact that you made an offer, even if EGG didn't accept it, and kept to the offer.

I don't have personal experience with DMPs or CCCS but am sure some others who do will be along with loads of excellent advice.

I think you have done the hardest bit by admitting the scale of the problem and talking to CCCS about it. Don't let one creditor get you down - you are already doing so well.

this_year_2

I had the same problem with my creditors phoning all hours and threatening me in a nice sort of way but I was with the C.A.B (citizens advice bureau) and every time they phoned or sent a threatening letter I told them we managed to get them all to correspond by letter that way its all in writing. And we done a financial statement using the same figures as a county court would use took about 3 months but in the end all of my creditors started to quiet down. THATS THE BEST ADVICE I CAN GIVE APART FROM KEEP YOUR HEAD UP AND EVERYONE ON THIS SITE WILL DO THERE BEST TO HELP YOU...

fermi

I cannot emphasise enough that the threats to take you to court are designed to intimidate and frighten you. They depend on you not knowing your rights, and the court process. They are designed solely to frighten you into making payments preferentially to that creditor.

The legal position is this:

Should the creditor take you to court, you always have the opportunity to make a fair offer of payments by instalment.
The level of this payment that the court would accept is assessed in exactly the way as your DMP payment is.

The creditors know this, which is why they are attempting scare tactics to try to get more money out of you.

They know that they would get nowhere with court.

Get back in touch with CCCS ASAP, who will confirm this.

Good luck, and please don't worry. The law is on your side.

GingerSte

I would echo what every body else has said. Pass any letters onto the CCCS, who you say are already handling your case. If it makes your life easier (and imagine it would), then you can insist that all communication to you be in writing (ie by post). Once you've done that it's against the law for them to harrass you by phone.

I would also repeat that a lot of these phone calls are to scare you into paying more than you can afford. These people don't care whether or not you've got other debts and that you can't afford it. They're just after their commission.

If it helps, post a statement of affairs (see the sticky at the top of the board for instructions). Basically it's just a list of what you've got coming in and going out every month. Together we can work through it and try and save you a bit.

worndown&desperate

Thank you all so much for your advice so quickly - it's tough when you're in this on your own, but I already feel more positive.

GingerSte

worndown&desperate wrote: »

Thank you all so much for your advice so quickly - it's tough when you're in this on your own, but I already feel more positive.

I'm glad your feeling much better. This site is amazing for that. A few years ago I had particularly bad money problems. I used to lie awake worrying about it. But then I found this site, and saw the advice that was being given. The number one thing that I took from this place is that worring about it only makes it worse. Once you've realised there are people around you who love you, and want to help, had a bit of a cry (optional) and a cup of tea, you can start the process of sorting your finances out with a fresh outlook and a degree of optimism.

spud30

WDD, they really are just threats hun.

I've been threatened with it all too, and panicked just like you are now.

CCCS are fantastic, and reassured me that I would NOT lose my home, despite the threats.

My DMP started in August 06, and all has settled down here now.

Stick around here, the help you will get is amazing :beer:

aaroncaz

Excuse me for evesdropping here, but whats a DMP?

Dumyat

debt management plan/program