CCJ - Can I offer part-payment to satisfy?

Ramshanker

Hey all,

Thanks in advance for any advice offered.

Basically I have managed to sell a few things to get some money together to pay a CCJ (CCJ is for £300). Due to ill health Im unable to work so i recieve PIP and ESA but funds have been very tight for years.

My partner and I are looling to move in together and I recently found that I have the CCJ but didnt know about it as the timing was when my now ex wife left and I changed address twice in 6mths (found the CCJ on my credit score).

Anyway Ive sold off a few things I had to raide money to lay but Ive only got about half of the CCJ amount...

My questions are:

1) can I contact them and ask if i can make a part debt to make it go away?

and

2) Will this be marked as satified or part satisfied?

One last thing...do I contact them or the court it was issued at?

Many thanks

sourcrates

Hi,

You can make them an offer to partially settle the amount owing, however, you must bear in mind the creditor has a judgement in their favor against you, so they are under no obligation to accept.

If you are on a low income, you must explain this to them, and persuade them that your offer to partially settle the debt, is the best they can hope for in the circumstances.

If they were to accept, make 100% sure that the settlement you make will partially satisfy the debt, and the remaining balance will not be chased by them or their agents, get this in writing before you pay them a penny.

fatbelly

You contact the creditor, in writing, using the national debtline standard letter

https://www.nationaldebtline.org/EW/sampleletters/Pages/Full-and-final-settlement-offers-%28sole-name%29.aspx

Settlements tend not to be so good where there is a ccj, as sourcrates observes. I've just been offered 90% on one but am trying to get it down a bit. 50% is unlikely but still worth trying.

If the underlying debt has its own entry on your credit file this should be marked partial settlement, but there is no equivalent for the ccj on your file - so you will have to make sure the creditor will mark it settled as part of the deal.

Are they actively pursing the debt? A lot of ccjs just sit there for 6 years on your credit file, then drop off. Water companies in particular are well known for getting ccjs then doing nothing with them.