Help, we moved overseas and now it's gone seriously t$ts up.

Fanfanwoo

My partners uk contract ended in Dec 17 due to company being sold. We tried to start couple of our own businesses using money we'd saved but to no avail (also whilst applying for regular jobs, harder than you would think as a white male in 40's..!!)

In Nov 18 my partner got an offer of contract in Asia so we decided to move our life as nothing was happening here and carrying on in uk meant we would run out of money fast without an income (our rent was 3k p/m)
He went first I followed few months later - moving all our stuff including pets.

Now it's gone wrong he no longer has the contract due to awful things i cant talk about but it's to do with corruption in the country. We've been absolutely shafted so to speak and he's trying to deal with it through the embassy/ lawyers.

Anyway the issue is we now are on very little money and I have card debts in the UK which have never been an issue. I have 950+ credit score, never missed any payments on anything ever but I can no longer make these at all.
We both have never defaulted on anything and been model tenants.

We used my cards before the move to pay for various costs of moving etc - nothing material/ personal or frivolous, knowing this new job was highly paid and all would be well... agggghhhh!!! Will this look bad?? I also had 30k of my mum's savings she wanted in the UK as she lives overseas, I can prove it's not mine and i never touched it, transferred it back to het before I left.

We have no assets apart from our furniture which we've had years and I've even sold my engagement ring, I think BR is my only option?

I can't find anything here about being overseas and filing for BR, can anyone help me please?
We can't move back as a. What's the point and to what?and b. Couldn't afford it anyway.

I don't want to drag my partner into my financial issues as he has enough on his plate trying to get work but any advice would be grately received.
It's a big mess :-(

Clouds88

Hey I am not as knowledgable as the others but I think you can only apply for bankruptcy if you live in the UK. I think you should talk your options through with one of the free debt charities.

fatbelly

It's complicated. I think Debt Doctor would be best placed to ask the relevant questions. However, as a starter:

You can declare yourself bankrupt in England or Wales if you live outside the EU or in Denmark.
You can’t declare yourself bankrupt in England or Wales if you live somewhere else in the EU, Scotlandor Northern Ireland.

That may well change over the next few weeks

Fanfanwoo

Thank you is Debt Doctor someone on here or something else? I tried a search but didn't get much?
Thank you again

Voyager2002

There are bodies like Step Change that do not charge: check out the debt-related boards on this forum.


As I understand your post, you have credit card debt in the UK that you will no longer be able to service. That is not a good reason for declaring bankruptcy (which is quite expensive). My suggestion is that you contact the card companies saying that you can no longer make the payments; that you have left the EU and have no assets there; and request them to freeze all interest and accept payments of (say) one pound per month until things improve for you. Quite probably the card companies will agree, since there is really not much else that they can do.


I have to say, your post did leave me wondering whether you still have visas allowing you to live and work in this Asian country, even without the contract. I can only think of one country in the world that would allow this (Cambodia), and then only so long as you keep paying for visa extensions. I would really hate to be self-employed in Cambodia, and would not waste a penny on lawyers there...

TheGardener

If you live outside of the European Union, you can only make yourself bankrupt in England or Wales if you have lived or carried on a business in England or Wales at any time in the three years before you apply for bankruptcy.

Take the time to read as much on this forum as possible to minimise the impacts - close joint accounts and open your own basic accounts etc.

Annie35

Maybe the 1st question is how would going bankrupt actually improve your situation?

Realistically if you default your credit card payments but you live abroad.... so what? What difference does it make to you TODAY if you go BR.

Defaulting payments give you time, which maybe better spent sorting your immediate problem of where to live/employment etc.

As advised above you could ask them to hold the interest & to make reduced payments. You could ask to borrow moving funds from your mum to come back or move to her country, you could look for work yourself, you have options & you have time. BR is never the 1st step

debt_doctor

Hi,

The gardener has elaborated on who can go bankrupt in England & Wales and under what rules.
It seems that you are not returning to England - Is that correct?

As has been said already, I'm not sure if bankruptcy is appropriate for a £30k credit card in the uk when you live in Asia - hardly likely to chase you to Asia!
Maybe setting up a nominal payment plan might be appropriate.

DD

debt_doctor

This should help......

https://www.nationaldebtline.org/EW/factsheets/Pages/bankruptcyandforeignissues/bankruptcyabroad.aspx

DD

Fanfanwoo

Thank you for your comments I will do the research I guess I just panicked.
I've never been in this situation before so it's all a bit ailen to me

TheGardener

Fanfanwoo wrote: »

Thank you for your comments I will do the research I guess I just panicked.
I've never been in this situation before so it's all a bit alien to me

That's where most of us started too