Loopy's Bankruptcy Journey

MammaCas

tigerfeet2006 wrote: »

MammaCass I am so glad you were not put off completely and found the courage to post. I just hope that not too many people were lost because of it.

Thanks TF.

It was people like you, Richard_S, BLTN, Fermi, WDIAG, Scarlett (to name but a few), that made me continue to post xx:T

fiveyearplan

Wow Loopy Lou you sound so much better than you did before.

nomoneyprobs

loopy_lou1 wrote: »

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

Hi lou, glad to see your doing well and coping with life after B.r, I'd just like to tell you i've nominated this post for " post of the month " I think this post will be invaluable to people who are considering B.r, you showed that you'd gone from a woman at the depths of despair to a woman IN CONTROL, thats a fantastic achievement and I think everyone on this board is proud of you.

good luck for the future

Ian :beer:

loopy_lou1

Oh, there's always one isn't there. Life's on the up. Started my "healthy eating" today. I can't call it a diet because if I am hungry I will eat, just less and more healthily and no more fizzy drinks (my downfall). I today got an "unknown" call at work and then a call at home which was an 08?? no and then a missed call from "EOS Solutions" dealing with my Halifax account passed on from "Blair Oliver Scott" - I told these people THREE weeks ago I was bankrupt and they said they wanted it in writing - I told them that the OR would be dealing with my affairs from now on but they wouldn't take the number and said that the OR would have to contact them. As BR's know this process can take some time. I have now left them a message on their answerphone because they don't work after 8pm and if they call me again I will not be polite. All this FAFFING about can result in an error - such as a field collector coming to your house all for nothing. I am not paying to send them a letter because the OR has an obligation to me thus paying the £335 in informing my creditors of my Insolvency which up to now has not been done. The purpose of bankruptcy is to eradicate debt and to pass on all affairs to the OR to deal with. This is the only company that are being "awkward" and if I don't get success with an agent if they phone me again I will insist to talk to a manager - they have to take the information I am willingly providing regarding my bankruptcy and being difficult will result in work on their part and a HEADACHE to me. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.

Thank you Ian. That's very sweet of you. I am more determined and assertive now. I hope it stays because it feels better to be empowered.

I do appreciate all the support thank you

Love L x

nomoneyprobs

loopy_lou1 wrote: »

I am more determined and assertive now. I hope it stays because it feels better to be empowered.

:T Brilliant, thats a huge shift in your attitude from a few weeks ago.

As for the creditor, don't worry about them, they can't legally do anything to you, You don't owe them any money now, don't get worked up about them, They really aren't worth it, Just tell them your B.r details and the or details next time they phone and explain that your legally obliged not to enter into communication with them anymore and the or is to be contacted as they are dealing with it.

Ian :beer:

loopy_lou1

Thanks Ian. I did that but they're just awkward swines and if I don't get success this way I'll just phone my case clerk and give her the number to phone them. I am not dealing with this piffle anymore. It's no longer my worry I've had enough of that for the past 10 years.

Hope you get your ED sweetheart, how are you doing - you're at the 4 month mark now?

nomoneyprobs

loopy_lou1 wrote: »

Thanks Ian. I did that but they're just awkward swines and if I don't get success this way I'll just phone my case clerk and give her the number to phone them. I am not dealing with this piffle anymore. It's no longer my worry I've had enough of that for the past 10 years.

Hope you get your ED sweetheart, how are you doing - you're at the 4 month mark now?

thats the spirit !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm doing quite well ta, still have guilty / low days but thats to be expected I feel , they will subside as time goes on?

I'm 3 months in now, my healths improving and I'm looking into work, i've got a few offers but I REALLY don't know what I want to do:o I'm at a crossroads right now and I haven't decided which roads the best if any ?:rotfl:
as for the E.d, it'd be nice but i've not heared from the or and If I have to go the full 12months then maybe it'll be for the best

loopy_lou1

Oh the "GL days" I have them. Mind you, I am only just over a month into my BR. Saying that I've had so many people on here telling me that people have done much worse than us and that does alleviate the "Guilt and Low" slightly. Shop around for a job you love. I had a great job but as humans go it's never enough and look what happened to me. I moved to Manchester. Find out what you like and what you will shine at and go for it. At the moment I am tolerating my job. It's ok. I have to bite my tongue all day because I deal with complaints - I've even taken to automatically "apologising" at home now. LOL
An ED is likely for you if you didn't commit fraud and your case wasn't complex. I will keep everything crossed for you. After all, the OR's want to get rid of cases as soon as possible because we just create more work for them. The less we hear the better IMO. I wish mine would tell these creditors though. It's annoying to still be dealing with this nearly 5 weeks later. I suppose it's just time-consuming.

Looking back now - remember the wreck I was on the 11th December and how you so nicely offered to help me with court. I think we've both come a long way and it's just the beginning.

x

nomoneyprobs

I know your right in regard to the job, it's just taking time for me to know what I want, I know what I don't want anymore so thats a start!!

My e.d should be a formality, my debts where all consumer debts, I had no property etc BUT If I have to go the 12months then it might do me good, it will probably change my attitude even more than the B.r has and widen my horizons in the long run, I'm optimistic that I can find something positive out of going the full 12months if it happens.

I can definately remember how you felt before the B.r, I remember feeling very similar and wishing I had someone to hold my hand which was why I offered, but you did it yourself and proved to yourself you could do it.:cool:

Your right we have come a long way and as time goes on things will improve, We're like kids learning how to deal with money all over again but the good thing is now we know not what to do, we've just got to put it into practise!!!:j

x

loopy_lou1

Good for you Ian you go for it.

I phoned EOS on Tuesday and I was ready for a showdown but no - I got a nice helpful woman who took all my details. So that's all of them I think.

I've been good all week. I've gone from multiple cans of fizzy drinks and crisps to one can this week and I've drank lots of water and I feel a lot better for it. Money wise I STILL haven't opened a bank account and my old one hasn't been closed. It's only been 5 weeks though. 5 weeks? Already! I'll do it this weekend but I have had a letter about my pre-paid credit card and I just need to pop to the post office with my fee and I have one.

Oh I am liking 2008 so far. Also, I was commended at work yesterday - I customer phoned in to say that I was a star and very helpful. Nice when you get 70-100 calls a day to complain. A bit of job satisfaction.

Still no sign of me in the paper. A good thing I suppose - the longer it is the more able I'll be to handle it if I do see it. Maybe I never will (fingers crossed)

L x