Loopy's Bankruptcy Journey

Gillianh2

I have pmd you xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

betterlatethannever

Hi Loopy, the best of luck for tomorrow and i'm sure you'll be ok. Your well informed and well prepared and thats the best you can do.
Fermi's right, everything that can go wrong does the time just before BR, but hopefully this is a turning point in your life.
Let us know how it all goes.

nomoneyprobs

Awwwwwww you've had a right old day of it hun. Least the cop let you off with the car and the fine, Good luck again for tomorrow but you really won't need it.

You'll be posting on here tomorrow how glad you are that its over and how nice everyone was.

all the best for tomorrow x

fermi

All the best for today.

You'll be debt free very soon.

tigerfeet2006

Best wishes for today. You'll be fine I'm sure.

Today is the start of your debt free life.

loopy_lou1

Hello

Well, it's done. I will give you a blow by blow account of what happened but I would suggest anyone on this forum contemplating bankruptcy - please consider it carefully but if it's your only option I advise that you consider doing it.

My experience will show you why.

First of all, thank you so so so so much to all the people who were supportive and gave AMAZING and ACCURATE advice.

I went to bed last night at about 1am after stewing over my papers for the millionth time. I watched a (well tried to) bit of my favourite TV show and I eventually went to sleep. My alarm went off this morning at 6.35am and I got out of bed thinking "today's the day" - I calmly went for a shower and after washing my hair twice I then proceeded to a thrird soap-up because I forgot what I was doing. By the by! Anyway all showered and smelling fresh I went to make a cup of coffee and all the time feeling numb to be honest. Not stressed, not calm, like I was in a trance.
I routinely dried and straightened my hair and put it in an alice band and put some minimal make up on and some little pearl earrings. I wore black trousers, a white shirt with black pinstripe and a matching jacket. I sat and had a fag and stared into space for about 20 minutes and then tried to sneak off without my dad seeing me. This is 7.55am by the way - the court is 6 miles away and my appointment wasn't until 9!! Anyway, he saw me he was coming back from taking the dog for a walk and I just waved and scurried off to my car.
I had £20 left in my bank account so I thought I'd use that for petrol. No, I forgot my card - clever girl. Never mind - I had enough to get there.
I drove to the County Court, checked where it was and found the nearest car park. By now it was only twenty past eight!!! I sat in the car park, had another fag, looked around making sure no one was noticing me because I was trying to be invisible. About 8.35 I phoned the agency I work for to tell them I was ill with traffic noise all around me. I explained that I'd set off for work and I felt sick so I was turning back to go home. So that was that done. By now it was about 8.40 so I went to the local shop to buy some chewing gums because I didn't want to smell of smoke did I?
All this took me to about 8.50 and I did the walk of shame to the court. Looking around in case someone knew me.
I got to court and was greeted by a really pleasant lady called Jackie and she directed me to the loo, I always need to go when I'm nervous!!!
I came back and the court security guy was chatting to me - he was lovely. A really nice guy. Quite young, very down to earth and said he saw people like me every day. Bless him he really tried to put me at ease which he did to an extent apart from my right leg taking on a mind of it's own and shaking profusely. The court official was AMAZING. She told me her name and I gave her my exemption form and I signed my affi -thingy with her and she sifted through my SOAs - all fine. I didn't have to pay the court fees. Just the £335! Brilliant. Now I have another £150 towards christmas. I was still really nervous but she put me at ease and was so pleasant I honestly couldn't believe how nice the whole thing was. I thought I was being punished. I wasn't. I was then taken to another waiting room to wait to go into see the Judge who was a lady. I had seen her earlier - very tall and elegant lady with glasses. The Court Official told me to wait and the Judge would call my name over the speaker in the corner of the room. She told me not to worry and that it happens to lots of people and that her situation would be worse if she didn't work because she was the sole bread winner in her house. So so so nice and sweet.
This was about 9.30. I then sat in the waiting room for 20 minutes watching the seconds tick away praying for the Judge to call my name. I was alone in this room by the way and I had a look through an "OK" from January but I can't tell you what the hell was in it!
At about 9.47 I was called into the District Judge's Office and it was just a big room with a big table and the Judge sitting behind it. I went to sit far away at the end of the table but the Judge told me to take a seat next to her. So I sat down and she addressed me and asked if I wanted to go bankrupt. I said I did and she looked through my papers asked me a bit about my employment and I said I was stupid and she said that obviously I was unable to pay these debts but I wouldn't have got the credit if it wasn't available. I could feel tears coming but they didn't and at 9.54am she declared me BANKRUPT. I didn't think I'd feel the way I did. I honestly felt like my stomach had gone into the floor with relief and I didn't know how to feel. She wrote a few things down and gave me my file and said thank you. I wished her a Happy Christmas and she said "Yes, and you" and I left her chambers. I was bankrupt. I got out of the door and burst into tears. I was so relieved and happy and I just felt weird to be honest. I then went back downstairs and the security guy asked me if I was all better now. And I was. I then had to go into the office where the court staff are situated and the Official Receiver phoned me and she was lovely - she just went over some details with me and said I'd have an interview on the 3rd January at 8.00am to go over everything with another OR. She gave me the office number to direct any pestering creditors and once again I wished her a Merry Christmas and said bye bye. The Official Court lady then told me to go and have a nice cup of tea and I thanked everyone for being so lovely and I left the County Court. It was AMAZING. I couldn't have wished for a more painless and pleasant experience. I sat in the car afterwards and broke my heart crying and I drove home feeling lighter than I've felt in years. I don't owe anyone a penny. I am debt-free. I can't believe it. I know I still have the interview and maybe my name in the local paper but to be honest I am less bothered about that than I thought I would be.
I've come home and I can't stop crying - just relief and I can now look foward to a debt free Christmas. I am just waiting for a creditor to call me so I can tell them where to go now. I have the OR's number and also I forgot to say that unless the bank freezes my account I can still keep it.

So for anyone out there considering doing this - believe me and I was told the same thing. It is not as bad you think it's going to be. In fact my experience was actually bearable. Unless I was really lucky.

Thank you sooooooooooooooooooo much everyone x

lilly62

WELL DONE! :T So glad it went well and they were nice to you. Heres to a debt free future and a new start for the new year. Enjoy your day now and feel proud that you've done so well. :beer: :j :beer: :j

Gillianh2

))))))))))))))))))HUGS)))))))))))))))))))))
Well done and I am so glad its all over for you.
Now sit down and kick back today.xxxxxxxxx

loopy_lou1

I know now from first hand experience that it's not as bad as you think it's going to be. I was expecting a row. I was expecting someone tell me I'm an idiot for getting into that situation in the first place. You already know that by filing bankruptcy. So no - that is not what happens. The staff at my court were lovely. I mean really lovely. I did feel lucky. I know probably most are but I felt that way. And my judge was a lovely lady and didn't make me feel nervous or stupid or like a criminal. I felt relieved that she was as nice and as understanding as she was.

I am really over the moon to not have this hanging over me anymore. My oldest and closest friend just left and she gave me the biggest hug and I sobbed into her shoulder and she was really happy for me. I am still feeling a bit weird because 1. I lied to work and have to deal with that tomorrow 2. because I still have the OR interview to get through. Having said that I know now that the worst part is over apart from people finding out. At the end of the day it's done. I can't change the fact I got into debt and now I can't change the fact I am bankrupt. I couldn't even write that word for so long. I ws telling Ian (the court security guy) this morning that it's like a disease. Like alcoholism - until you admit there's a problem you can't deal with it. Once that first step is taken - that's the hardest part.

Again - to all the well wishers, thank you so much for the support. You were all mentioned in the D Judge's office this morning!!!

Lots and lots of love and a Merry Christmas back to all of you

ruby2

Best wishes to loppy and her debt free future.