Finally tackling old debts - advise needed
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cball93
Posts: 14 Forumite
Hello,
After years of ignoring letters and burying my head in the sand, i'm finally in a position to tackle my old debts. I would appreciate your advice on how to proceed, i do have quite a few old debts so please bare with me! In all honesty, i would prefer to pay back the least amount possible (or not at all), but i am open to full and final settlements.
1. Lloyds TSB overdraft of £1800. Default date on credit file is 20/09/2013. I have not had any letters in relation to this debt whatsoever. I currently bank with Natwest and just left the account as it is. This is the largest of my debts, do i wait until i receive correspondence about this, make contact myself or should i wait a year until it is statue barred?
2. Lowell - Orange phone bill of £230. Default date is 22/11/2013. I have just drafted up a 'prove it' letter. What do i need to look out for when they send me something back?
3. Lowell - E.on bill for £500. I have only just received notification from Lowell that E.on has sold the debt to them. I've sent a prove it letter and they have responded with a final bill from e.on showing the dates. I do owe this, but i was thinking about sending them a letter advising i vacated the property. Will this work? Also worth noting that this debt isn't present on my credit report, what reason could this be? If i was to pay this back, is it worth offering a lower amount?
4. Lowell Solicitors - O2 bill for £350. default date is 17/05/14. I had had a letter of claim from Lowell solicitors, so i have also drafted up a 'prove it' letter to send out. With this one, there are 2 entries on my credit report, for 2 different amounts but the same account opening and default date and they under 'O2 UK Ltd' (rather than Lowell, who im getting the letters from). The account number that relates to the letter from lowell is classed as a 'Telecommunications Supplier' on my credit report. And the other one is classed as an 'unsecured loan'. Whats the deal with the other one debt thats on my credit report, i havent had any correspondence about this? Or could it possibly be an error?
Any guidance or help is appreciated!
Thanks
After years of ignoring letters and burying my head in the sand, i'm finally in a position to tackle my old debts. I would appreciate your advice on how to proceed, i do have quite a few old debts so please bare with me! In all honesty, i would prefer to pay back the least amount possible (or not at all), but i am open to full and final settlements.
1. Lloyds TSB overdraft of £1800. Default date on credit file is 20/09/2013. I have not had any letters in relation to this debt whatsoever. I currently bank with Natwest and just left the account as it is. This is the largest of my debts, do i wait until i receive correspondence about this, make contact myself or should i wait a year until it is statue barred?
2. Lowell - Orange phone bill of £230. Default date is 22/11/2013. I have just drafted up a 'prove it' letter. What do i need to look out for when they send me something back?
3. Lowell - E.on bill for £500. I have only just received notification from Lowell that E.on has sold the debt to them. I've sent a prove it letter and they have responded with a final bill from e.on showing the dates. I do owe this, but i was thinking about sending them a letter advising i vacated the property. Will this work? Also worth noting that this debt isn't present on my credit report, what reason could this be? If i was to pay this back, is it worth offering a lower amount?
4. Lowell Solicitors - O2 bill for £350. default date is 17/05/14. I had had a letter of claim from Lowell solicitors, so i have also drafted up a 'prove it' letter to send out. With this one, there are 2 entries on my credit report, for 2 different amounts but the same account opening and default date and they under 'O2 UK Ltd' (rather than Lowell, who im getting the letters from). The account number that relates to the letter from lowell is classed as a 'Telecommunications Supplier' on my credit report. And the other one is classed as an 'unsecured loan'. Whats the deal with the other one debt thats on my credit report, i havent had any correspondence about this? Or could it possibly be an error?
Any guidance or help is appreciated!
Thanks
0
Comments
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1. Up to you. As long as they have your current address, you can watch out for an notice that they are applying for a CCJ before the 6 years is up.
2. They will send you a CCA if they have evidence.
3. If you believe the debt is not yours, send your evidence. The account may have dropped off your files, or not reported. Have you checked all three?
4. Each account should only be shown once.0 -
Hello,
After years of ignoring letters and burying my head in the sand, i'm finally in a position to tackle my old debts. I would appreciate your advice on how to proceed, i do have quite a few old debts so please bare with me! In all honesty, i would prefer to pay back the least amount possible (or not at all), but i am open to full and final settlements.
1. Lloyds TSB overdraft of £1800. Default date on credit file is 20/09/2013. I have not had any letters in relation to this debt whatsoever. I currently bank with Natwest and just left the account as it is. This is the largest of my debts, do i wait until i receive correspondence about this, make contact myself or should i wait a year until it is statue barred?
Possibly - but they could apply for a CCJ before SB and you'll then need to pay/contest it
2. Lowell - Orange phone bill of £230. Default date is 22/11/2013. I have just drafted up a 'prove it' letter. What do i need to look out for when they send me something back?
Proof the debt is yours - a signed agreement, something showing the account defaulted etc.
3. Lowell - E.on bill for £500. I have only just received notification from Lowell that E.on has sold the debt to them. I've sent a prove it letter and they have responded with a final bill from e.on showing the dates. I do owe this, but i was thinking about sending them a letter advising i vacated the property. Will this work? Also worth noting that this debt isn't present on my credit report, what reason could this be? If i was to pay this back, is it worth offering a lower amount?
Did you actually vacate the property or do you owe it?
4. Lowell Solicitors - O2 bill for £350. default date is 17/05/14. I had had a letter of claim from Lowell solicitors, so i have also drafted up a 'prove it' letter to send out. With this one, there are 2 entries on my credit report, for 2 different amounts but the same account opening and default date and they under 'O2 UK Ltd' (rather than Lowell, who im getting the letters from). The account number that relates to the letter from lowell is classed as a 'Telecommunications Supplier' on my credit report. And the other one is classed as an 'unsecured loan'. Whats the deal with the other one debt thats on my credit report, i havent had any correspondence about this? Or could it possibly be an error?
The original debt with O2 will be there with a default date, but the amount will be zero and the status will be settled/satisfied. The debt with Lowell will be listed with the original default date from O2, and the amount owed, and the account marked as opened/defaulted.
Any guidance or help is appreciated!
Thanks
As above...0 -
With o2, the contracts where you pay a set amount for your tariff and a set amount for your handset, they report the handset finance (as that's what it is) as an unsecured loan - hope that helps
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3. EoN - if it's just a bill and no details of how it's made up - from meter readings and dates when you actually lived at the property - then raise a dispute.
A bill without details of what it was for and how it was arrived at could be a problem for the collectors.0 -
Thank you - that would make sense. So Lowell are just chasing me for the tariff then. Is it unusual they're not chasing me for the handset debt? I've not had anything of anyone relating to this in particular.0
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E.on - i think i do owe the amount. Are utility bills generally negotiable? If i say i vacated the property, but cant prove it. Is it up to them to prove i lived in the property?
Re my lloyds debt, on my credit report my old address is listed against it, so that could be why ive not had anything. But my updated address is on my report, so surely they could find me? My worry is that if i don't receive anything at all and as CCJ shows up on my report.0 -
Was it a rental? They could ask for copies of tenancy agreements.
RE Lloyds - it's not up to them to find you - you are responsible for updating your creditors when you move.
The CCJ will be issued to that address as well, and if you contest it and say you weren't at that address the courts will ask you why you didn't update Lloyds.
So you can make contact with Lloyds and update your address - but they will then start chasing you.0 -
It was rental yes. I'm thinking of just saying i wasn't in the property at the time of the alleged electric bill but i don't have any proof due to how long ago it was. If they can't prove that i was there then surely they can't enforce this?
Good to know re Lloyds. Say if i didn't get in touch with them, and a CCJ did appear on my report (i check this monthly). At this point, can it be reversed if i pay the debt in full? I don't want to shoot myself in the foot if nothing does end up happening with it, with the amount being a hefty sum and not long before it becomes statue barred.0 -
If you don't pay Lloyd's and it gets to a CCJ, if you pay the CCJ in full within 1 month of the judgement date it's removed from your files.
Or, you could take the plunge and contact Lloyds now, and offer a settlement to clear the account down - it will then come off your report 6 years from the default date still.
Note this will count as acknowledging the debt and will reset their 6 year clock internally.0 -
E.on - i think i do owe the amount. Are utility bills generally negotiable? If i say i vacated the property, but cant prove it. Is it up to them to prove i lived in the property?
Welcome to the forum,
No, utilities are not negotiable - they are billed according to your usage. If you use it, you pay for it.
You can dispute it and if have the right to take it to the Energy Ombudsman but I think you need to prepare your case not just try saying anything to get out of it. Do you have any records of meter readings/previous bills/confirmation of moving property etc?I’m a Forum Ambassador and I support the Forum Team on the Budgeting & Bank Accounts, Credit Cards, Credit File & Ratings and Energy boards. If you need any help on these boards, do let me know. Please note that Ambassadors are not moderators. Any posts you spot in breach of the Forum Rules should be reported via the report button, or by emailing forumteam@moneysavingexpert.com. All views are my own and not the official line of MoneySavingExpert.
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Just be better than you were yesterday.0
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