My Debt Won't GO Away

Queen24053

Can someone please help with options!

I have a debt that I am considering disputing. This Is because there is a difference of £5,962.92 between what the creditor bank says I owe and the amount the solicitors who have been representing the bank are demanding.

This involves a loan for £25,000 which I got in 2004, yes 2004, from a high street bank, ABC bank, (not real name). I had a few other debts as well from other lenders.

In 2005, I got into serious financial difficulties, couldn’t service my debts, and got entangled in a spiral of debts. The debts became unmanageable, as I started borrowing more to pay old debts. Before I knew it, my total debt was slightly over £80,000 with 8 lenders.

With help from the Citizens Advice Bureau, I negotiated reduced monthly payments, and interest was halted by all creditors. In 2007 ABC Bank engaged RS Solicitors (Not real name) to collect payments on their behalf. I was making monthly remittances to all creditors including RS Solicitors directly myself.

In 2010, due to pressure from RS Solicitors, constant demand letters and court threats, I got myself put on a Debt Management Plan with the Consumer Credit Cancelling Service (Now StepChange). Since then, I have been making monthly payments to all my creditors through StepChange.

Fast forward to August 2023, I received my annual loan statement from ABC bank showing that my loan for £25,000 was fully repaid. I have historical statements from ABC bank showing my loan payments until zero balance.

RS Solicitors sent me a conflicting statement showing that I still owed £5,962.92 in interest and other charges. All my creditors, including ABC bank never charged interest during this period.

RS Solicitors said that they got a CCJ in 2007 although they never enforced it, or put it on my credit record. When I asked for a copy, they said they did not have one as everything was done electronically. A CCJ may well have been registered against me because I vaguely recall completing some court forms although I cannot remember what the forms were about.I was overwhelmed with debts at the time.

I made inquiries with the HM Courts & Tribunal Services requesting for a copy of the CCJ. There was none at HM Court Records. I have also checked my credit file. There is no record of any CCJ on my credit file either.

I asked RS Solicitors why I should continue servicing the loan which was fully repaid. Their response was that they were just following bank instructions. When I called the ABC bank, they referred me back to RS Solicitors.

StepChange advised that I should challenge RS Solicitors and that they would freeze payments to RS Solicitors while I pursued the matter. I have been reluctant to do this on my own without legal advice.

I have repaid all my other debts. There only two remaining with a combined outstanding balance of £438.80. I hope to clear this as well in March/April 2024.

The situation with RS Solicitors is really stressing me. I am now retired and depending on a state pension. I would like to challenge RS Solicitors but I am not sure how to go about it, and I cannot afford a lawyer.

I thought my loan statement from ABC bank should mirror the solicitor’s records and vice versa. Or am I missing something here?

What are my options?

ditty1234

DMP mutual support thread part 13 !! Can I suggest you post on this forum, they have excellent advice from in particular from @sourcrates