Leaving country, what to do about debts?

chattychappy

A friend of mine owes £8000 on loans and credit card, (including £400 to me!) She was living well within her means and was paying the debts down.

Both of her parents by an unfortunate coincidence have been taken seriously ill within a few days of each other. Her mother will not recover. They are in Kenya.

She has resigned her job, given notice to her landlord and will return to Kenya in 10 days. She thinks she will never return.

There is no way she can service the debts for the next month or so but does not want to run away from them. She hopes to find work in Kenya and believes she will have have enough spare income to at least cover the interest (ranging between 0% and 26% APR) after a month or so. She really doesn't know. There may be some money in Kenya that could be used, but she won't know until she gets there.

What should she do? Get a debt advice charity to approach the lenders on her behalf? Just call them up herself?

She is not worried about her credit file. She does want to pay her debts and thinks she probably can eventually. She doesn't want threatening letters or hassle for the people she was sharing her flat with. Ie she would like to handle things in a "decent" way.

andyfromotley

The decent thing is to keep her job and pay her debts.

This is what many many other people with terminally ill parents abroad do.

She has no real plan or guarantee of an income in Kenya. In fact she doesn't even know if she can get a job at all. Ridiculous.

No doubt she will go, no doubt that that you or any other creditor will ever see another penny. we shall probably see a post on here when she returns in 4 years pleading for help about her terrible debts she found upon her return!

bexster1975

Really?! The best thing to do if at least one of your parents is going to die abroad is to stay here? What an extraordinary viewpoint. I'm sorry if you stayed in a job whilst a parent died thousands of miles away but I'm afraid I couldn't agree less with your advice. You don't get another chance to say goodbye to people.

Better questions are why would she not return? Could she not work once out there? I really don't think the debt should be the first priority in this instance right now.

In answer to your original question I would speak to National Debt Line and seek professional advice as it is an unusual circumstance.

Bexster

andyfromotley

bexster1975 wrote: »

Really?! The best thing to do if at least one of your parents is going to die abroad is to stay here? What an extraordinary viewpoint. I'm sorry if you stayed in a job whilst a parent died thousands of miles away but I'm afraid I couldn't agree less with your advice. You don't get another chance to say goodbye to people.

Really Bexs,

do you think everyone just packs up their job, walks away from their responsibilities and heads of into a very uncertain future because their parents are dying? Thats an extraordinary view to me. What about all of the people with families and mortgages, kids in school here, people studying, working hard having just got a break in their chosen profession, Military personel, etc? Do you really think all of these people just upticks and go home waiting on their parents to die? I'm pretty sure thats not what the vast majority of people do.

Of course most of those people would visit home to see them if possible, and try to arrange finances and time to go when the very end is near, but i don't think most people do what you are suggesting.

Not arguing, i just think the reality is most people have lives and responsibilities that don't allow them to do that.

bbk87

Could she not just take a 'holiday' to Kenya instead of going there permanently?

northerner999

I fundamentally disagree with Andy's cold and heartless comments, made with no knowledge of the person's circumstances or apparently much humanity. This is a forum about clearing debt, but to think that is more important than the health of close family is crazy. If in that situation I would probably do the same - what's the point of striving to be debt-free if by the time you do it you've done it those who you are close to have died? Let's not forget the human being being the numbers.

Afraid I can't offer any advice other than saying I am sure those owed money would prefer to be told in advance about missed payments than find out when direct debits bounce or minimum payments are not met - she needs to do everything possible to try and arrange this (payment holidays, selling anything she has and no longer needs, ensuring subscriptions for things she will no longer need like TV/internet are cancelled). And it would be worth speaking to a debt charity. Others will know more.

paulsad

Sounds like she's already made up her mind - I'd leave her to it - if she owes you £400 maybe that's the reason for the pangs of conscience and "wanting" to pay; maybe the whole thing is a load of cobblers - sorry I'm hard but been around a bit - human nature can be a pig!

bexster1975

You see Andy, the sad thing is you have no idea about her circumstances. All you know is she owes £8000. I'm sorry you are unhappy that I think your view is extraordinary, and I am by no means saying everyone is able to be with dying relatives at the end, but I really don't think £8000 of debt should be a barrier do you? Others seem to also disagree with you here. I don't intend to argue either, I just think it's very sad if that is really your view.

Oh, and I wasn't suggesting anything, simply saying that reason for going greater than debt. OP wasn't asking for people to judge friends decision, just asking for best way forward with stalling debt repayments.

Bexster

Bublin1

Can she not take a career break instead of packing in her job altogether?

fatbelly

When she gets an income in the new country she can pay her creditors from her surplus income. It's not difficult to arrange with online banking.

Or she can walk away from them.

Her choice.

You'll find out soon which one she chose.

sourcrates

Hello there OP,

I`m assuming your friend is a Kenyan National, am I right ?

I'm afraid there is no easy get out clause from this, if she leaves the country still owing money, the debts will be chased, her old address will be the point of contact for her creditors, and she risks county court judgments in her absence.

However, its extremely unlikely they will attempt to trace her abroad, you cannot go to jail for debt, or be extradited back to this country either, she could set up payment arrangements from Kenya, if she so chose, but basically, nothing would happen if she just upped and left.

If she ever did return to the UK, after 6 years the debts would be statute barred anyway, unless court action had taken place, but that would be something to deal with then, not now.