Moved out of UK, stuck with debt

Willvv

Hi, I'm very much struggling to find a solution to my situation. 

I've 22,000 gbp of personal debt in the UK (loans & credit cards) that I got myself into before the recession 2009. Was paying to creditors directly and when was no longer able to, was paying to everyone through Step Change DPM. 

In 2015, I left the UK. Sold house and all belongings. Made disastrous investment decisions, lost a lot of money. Living on savings.

Kept on paying the debt through Step Change until June 2019. The savings does not last, had to stop. Then Corona kicked off. Kept in touch with all creditors regularly, all debts were put on hold. 

Now creditors are saying that they will no longer be able to negotiate. My home country is Lithuania but I'm currently in Bulgaria. Living in the people's homes, doing some work in the exchange of food & shelter. 1,200 gbp in savings but no expenses. 

In 2019, I contacted authorities in the UK as well as in Bulgaria trying to find out if I can go bankrupt. UK says no because I'm no longer in UK. Bulgaria says we can't help because your debts are in the UK.  

Was also looking into Debt Relief but they say I need to be living in the UK for the last 3 years. 

I have no plans going back to the UK and I don't see my financial situation changing here anytime soon. 

So all those debts are basically stuck on me. Cant pay them, creditors will no longer negotiate, no way for me to make monthly payments. And I just don't know what else to do about this situation because after all these years of paying and negotiating, just make no sense to simply do nothing about it and have them sending me to court etc. 

Is there any solution to this situation, to write off those debts, please? 

Thanking in advance. 

DjangoUnchained

stop paying them? hardly likely to come to bulgaria to get you, however better see what the experts say.

Willvv

DjangoUnchained said:

stop paying them? hardly likely to come to bulgaria to get you, however better see what the experts say.

sounds like the easiest option for sure but I was paying them for so long + negotiating for the last 2 years, makes no sense to just disappear and leave it all hanging on me for the rest of my life. so definitely want to avoid this. I'm now calling solicitors also and seems like no one really can help... this is crazy. why cant they just offer those kinds of Debt Relief plans for such situations when individual is already abroad and have no plans coming back, everything would be solved nicely. 

sourcrates

It`s admirable that you want to pay down the debt, but it appears due to your circumstances, you can`t, there`s nothing else you can do.

It won`t be for the rest of your life, six years with no payment or written acknowledgement, they will all go statute barred anyway, unless legal action is taken.

They won`t show on your file in your country of residence, only on your UK file.

Consumer debt is almost never chased outside of the UK, just too time consuming and costly chasing down debtors.

Seriously if you can`t pay them, nothing will happen, and you`ll never hear from any of them again.

Willvv

sourcrates said:

It`s admirable that you want to pay down the debt, but it appears due to your circumstances, you can`t, there`s nothing else you can do.

It won`t be for the rest of your life, six years with no payment or written acknowledgement, they will all go statute barred anyway, unless legal action is taken.

They won`t show on your file in your country of residence, only on your UK file.

Consumer debt is almost never chased outside of the UK, just too time consuming and costly chasing down debtors.

Seriously if you can`t pay them, nothing will happen, and you`ll never hear from any of them again.

thank you so much!! I'm aware of the six years term but my biggest concern is, and as you mentioned, "unless legal action is taken". they sure can, even when I'm abroad, right? or is there a way to prevent them from taking legal action?

there's definitely no way I'm gonna be able to pay those debts and n plans going back to the UK, so should I just stop contacting & updating them?

If I'm to complete the questionnaires (my current situation based, over the phone wth them, as they're currently asking me to) would that re-start new 6 year term? or would a new 6 year term be re-started only and only if I make some payment to them?

not seeking for a legal advice here, it's all in my hands, I understand. just for an opinion based on your knowledge & experience, thanks

sourcrates

Obtaining a judgement is one thing, enforcing it in a foreign country is another thing entirely, it just doesn't happen where consumer debt is concerned.

First they have to find you, you could be anywhere in the world, where do you start looking ?

Can you see how the costs would soon mount up ?

Creditors just cannot afford the time, effort and disruption to chase small debts abroad, its simply not cost effective.

You have nothing to worry about friend.