I feel no shame

Suggi

One thing I would like anyone going BR to know is that it’s NOT illegal. I tell anyone who is willing to listen that I was in my situation due to the break-up of my marriage, and the effects of debt were affecting every area of my life. I took the initiative to do something positive about it and declared myself BR. I had to borrow the money to pay for it, I went to court on my own, spoke to the OR during my lunch break at work which was hard because I had to sit in my car covered with papers ranging from my SOA to all my bills. I was a bag of nerves and the OR was as cold as ice. I had my accounts frozen, lost the little I had saved in a credit union and had my car taken away. I eventually confided in my boss because I had phoned in work sick just to attend the court, and was feeling awfully guilty, she, however, fully understood. I have even recommended it to friends who are sinking but as I said I feel no shame and was even a bit bemused when I saw my name on the BR register telling the world I was a debtor.

BR is there to help people who otherwise have no choice. There are no longer any debtor’s prisons and I for one am thankful that my life can continue on a positive note. So much so that I am nearing the end of a management course that I have struggled to complete during my first year of BR but once completed will double my salary in the next year so. I just wanted to tell all those who are thinking about BR to do it as you will most definitely get your life back and all the persistent phone calls, harassment and letters will soon be a thing of the past.

macbabypam

Good for you Suggi.

No one enter BR lightly, it is almost always the final stop on a very bumpy road.

It's good to see a positive post for a change instead of everyone saying how ashamed they are. Good Luck

Mr_F_Dorsetty

Suggi wrote: »

One thing I would like anyone going BR to know is that it’s NOT illegal. I tell anyone who is willing to listen that I was in my situation due to the break-up of my marriage, and the effects of debt were affecting every area of my life. I took the initiative to do something positive about it and declared myself BR. I had to borrow the money to pay for it, I went to court on my own, spoke to the OR during my lunch break at work which was hard because I had to sit in my car covered with papers ranging from my SOA to all my bills. I was a bag of nerves and the OR was as cold as ice. I had my accounts frozen, lost the little I had saved in a credit union and had my car taken away. I eventually confided in my boss because I had phoned in work sick just to attend the court, and was feeling awfully guilty, she, however, fully understood. I have even recommended it to friends who are sinking but as I said I feel no shame and was even a bit bemused when I saw my name on the BR register telling the world I was a debtor.

BR is there to help people who otherwise have no choice. There are no longer any debtor’s prisons and I for one am thankful that my life can continue on a positive note. So much so that I am nearing the end of a management course that I have struggled to complete during my first year of BR but once completed will double my salary in the next year so. I just wanted to tell all those who are thinking about BR to do it as you will most definitely get your life back and all the persistent phone calls, harassment and letters will soon be a thing of the past.

Indeed.

I have BK twice, first time when the early 90's recession hit, 2nd time when I suddenly (like over a week) became ill and seriously disabled 15 years later and our then business of course failed. I'm in a wheel chair now with basically zero mobility; this is typed by voice recognition for instance, just in case someone thinks I am taking the p***

Am I ashamed? No, not in the slightest. As you correctly state bankruptcy is a law there to help those who have no other rational way out. As I tried to explain to someone on here it does not mean you have to be ashamed, nor be flayed through the streets, nor neutered or have your forehead tattooed like some 17th century Japanese criminal.

IMO people wait far too long to go BK because it has been made into some sort of 'folk devil'. Money is the Emperors new clothes, the worlds governments waste £Billions every single day, yet people are told to live in misery because they owe a CC £25K? It is a sick joke.

Yes, some people make a business out of it but for every one of those there are thousands who just have nowhere else to go - and having been there twice I have learnt two things.

1) Do not take out credit, you do not need it. If you need to buy the £600 TV on credit you cannot afford it as on credit it'll cost you at least double. The only change therefore the TV on credit will make to your life is to make you more miserable, not happy

2) Do not imagine some wildly implausible rubbish can't happen to your life because in my experience, it can. If your lifestyle means you must work 60 or 80hrs a week to pay your bills... change your lifestyle is my advice.

Bankruptcy isn't a party and it isn't funny but it really is not the end of the world and is certainly nothing to be ashamed of.

christmas_baby

Thanks for your upbeat post Suggi,Up until recently i was struggling with £38k debt, with no job & ill health, I really felt suicidal & i couldn't take the stress & worry any more. My wonderful mum told me to go BR & even paid the fees for me ( i know i am extremely lucky to have a wonderful family), plenty of people don't have that support & after a long, hard look at my miserable life i decided to take the plunge.... Roll on 6 months later & i am so glad i took the plunge, the stress has slowly lifted, no more creditor letters or phone calls, I had no assets so i haven't even had an OR interview!! Going BR really has helped me no end, though it wasn't an easy decision, i worried about my landlord finding out, worried about my name being in the local paper etc but i told my LL that the OR might be in touch (he hasn't so far) & he was lovely about the situation, said i had never been in arrears with my rent & thanked me for being honest with him. I agree it isn't a decision to be taken likely but it worked for me & i am now counting down to my AD on 6th sept 2014 & the start of my debt free life.To anyone thinking of going BR or starting the journey i would say get as much information as you can, read the posts here, there are some wonderful people going through the same thing & someone will always read your posts,thinking about going BR was worse for me than actually doing it & i wish good luck to everyone on this journey.:)

Suggi

I'm glad I could share my experience and am also so grateful to this site because without it I would have been lost. I'm glad that there are others who are now getting their lives back albeit slowly but as I said before I feel no shame and actually feel proud to have gone through such a traumatic experience and come out the other end with my life back and a future to look forward to. Good luck to you all x

No.Looking.Back

Seconded Suggi!

RuthnJasper

Suggi wrote: »

One thing I would like anyone going BR to know is that it’s NOT illegal. I tell anyone who is willing to listen that I was in my situation due to the break-up of my marriage, and the effects of debt were affecting every area of my life. I took the initiative to do something positive about it and declared myself BR. I had to borrow the money to pay for it, I went to court on my own, spoke to the OR during my lunch break at work which was hard because I had to sit in my car covered with papers ranging from my SOA to all my bills. I was a bag of nerves and the OR was as cold as ice. I had my accounts frozen, lost the little I had saved in a credit union and had my car taken away. I eventually confided in my boss because I had phoned in work sick just to attend the court, and was feeling awfully guilty, she, however, fully understood. I have even recommended it to friends who are sinking but as I said I feel no shame and was even a bit bemused when I saw my name on the BR register telling the world I was a debtor.

BR is there to help people who otherwise have no choice. There are no longer any debtor’s prisons and I for one am thankful that my life can continue on a positive note. So much so that I am nearing the end of a management course that I have struggled to complete during my first year of BR but once completed will double my salary in the next year so. I just wanted to tell all those who are thinking about BR to do it as you will most definitely get your life back and all the persistent phone calls, harassment and letters will soon be a thing of the past.

Good for you. It's braver by far to admit that you've got a problem and take proactive steps to deal with it than to bury your head in the sand and hope it will all somehow go away.

All the best to you. x

SomebodyToldMe

Like what others said- you have a problem, and now you are taking action to solve it.
BR has this bad reputation IMHO mainly due to blood-sucking banks wanting to make huge profits...someone going BR means they don't receive their 'pound of flesh'.
It's a bit like people that are discouraged from getting benefits- even though they have paid into the system for 30-40 years....how dare they claim back that money- we, the Gov't- could buy weapons with that!
No, after going BR...when the Bankers who gambled with Public money, incapable Banking Chief execs walking away with huge payoffs & pensions, Banks getting money at 0% and then charging customers 7,8,9 % for loans ALL feel shame...then expect me to follow.
Sorry, rant over- off for a lie down in a darkened room now....