Feeling overwhelmed with BR process

Berterama · 16 January 2020 at 4:15PM

I'm not new to this forum, I've actually been around for 10 years or so, but have created a new account as, quite frankly, I'm so embarrassed by the situation myself and my husband find ourselves in and there are posters here who know us IRL.

Following advice from CAB and national debt helpline we have come to the conclusion that our only option open to us now is BR. We have gone through the expenditure sheet and we have more going out than coming in, it is unsustainable and we are in such a mess that there really isn't any other way out.

Looking into the process we are feeling so overwhelmed as it seems there are some logistics to sort before actually petitioning and we don't know where to start. Also, the fee is so massive that I really don't know how we are going to afford it, we don't have 14p to our name atm let alone £1400

Is there any knowledgeable posters that could help us unpick how we go about this? I have tried so many times to speak to a special case handler at national debt helpline but I've ended up having to end the call because I have been on hold for so long that I have had to leave to pick up my son from school and they won't talk to you whilst you are driving (I kid you not, I phoned at 12pm yesterday and spoke to someone within 5 minutes who then had to put me through to the specialist.....had to put the phone down at 2.45pm as I had to get to the school!)

jayzor · 16 January 2020 at 5:09PM

In terms of filling out the form online, it’s a pretty simple process, at least that is how i found it.

In regard to the initial fee to go bankrupt, you can stop paying any debts and put the money aside till you can afford to pay or look to some of the charities that may help towards paying the fee.

TheGardener · 16 January 2020 at 5:27PM

Sorry to hear you are having such a tough time.
The fee: As jayzor says - if you stop paying all debts now - would that free up any cash to pay the BR fees?
I sold anything I could on ebay to scrape my fee together
There are some chairites that can help with fees - I'm not knowledgable about who they are though so perhaps a someone else will be along to help with that one.
Can you post an SoA here? thats usually the best starting point. https://www.stoozing.com/soa.php

Berterama · 16 January 2020 at 6:06PM

We are stopping paying stuff this month but we need to buy 2 cars. We have 2 vehicles but both are on finance and will be repossessed and, living rurally, we simply cannot be without a vehicle. That's going to push things back anyway as we can only afford one car this month and then another next month and only then can we afford to pay the fees....again one first month then another the next month. Annoying as I can see light at the end of the tunnel but it's so many obstacles before we reach it.

Another question....one of the vans in question is a campervan and we've been told (not by anyone official, more of a bit of a wideboy) to strip valuable stuff and sell it to raise fee money. Will that cause unnecessary agro? I'm a straight laced person and it seems sneaky to me and I feel like the dishonesty will be used against me?

fatbelly · 16 January 2020 at 9:21PM

Berterama wrote: »

We are stopping paying stuff this month but we need to buy 2 cars. We have 2 vehicles but both are on finance and will be repossessed and, living rurally, we simply cannot be without a vehicle. That's going to push things back anyway as we can only afford one car this month and then another next month and only then can we afford to pay the fees....again one first month then another the next month. Annoying as I can see light at the end of the tunnel but it's so many obstacles before we reach it.

Another question....one of the vans in question is a campervan and we've been told (not by anyone official, more of a bit of a wideboy) to strip valuable stuff and sell it to raise fee money. Will that cause unnecessary agro? I'm a straight laced person and it seems sneaky to me and I feel like the dishonesty will be used against me?

I can sort of understand the advice as the finance company will incur a debt, which will be covered by your bankruptcy. If the debt is larger because you've reduced the value of the vehicle, it gets covered anyway.

But it does not sound like a great idea to me. What bits would you strip out and how much would you get?

Personally I wouldn't do it.

Berterama · 16 January 2020 at 9:31PM

what bits would you strip and how much would you get?

We could swap the wheels for steelies and get about £400 for them, the swivel base would fetch about £150 and the rock and roll bed about £600. The finance company have no idea what is in/on the van, it was listed as a panel Van. However I don't think my conscience would allow me to do it, it's a step too far I feel.

TheGardener · 16 January 2020 at 10:05PM

So are you saying the stuff in the van is what you have added - that those things were not in the van when you bought it? I dont think I would sweat too much about the wheels but stripping out the internal fittings might be a step to far as you say.

Berterama · 16 January 2020 at 11:13PM

We bought the van from a conversion place, when the finance was agreed it hadn't been converted. I'm not going to strip it though, I just don't think that's right.

TheGardener · 16 January 2020 at 11:41PM

Well I didint think I had anything worth selling but with nothing to lose I dug round the garage, shed, cupboard under the stairs, wardobe...even I was amazed how much stuff I found and with a bit of organisation and some good photos - sold almost all the stuff for just £10 quid short of the fees. The OR could see I'd got loads of paypal transactions on my banks statements but never commented. The value of the stuff I sold was between £1.50 and £80 so it was obvious I wasnt getting rid of valuable assets.
You can pay in instaments but you can't submit the application until the fee is paid.

sourcrates · 17 January 2020 at 12:14AM

I think I would lose my moral compass, and do what was right for me.

Berterama · 17 January 2020 at 7:56AM

think I would lose my moral compass, and do what was right for me.

My husband agrees with you, he says we've lost everything else, including our dignity. I'm a little more difficult to convince, it really doesn't sit easy with me, although looking at what we could potentially get by selling just 3 things off the van is making me question whether I should just man up and do it.

I honestly can't wait for this to be over now, yesterday I had a bailiff shout down the phone at me that if I'd paid my bills then I wouldn't have him knocking on my door...I feel so ashamed of where we're at

and yet he doesn't know how we got here, he just judged by his own standards.

Feeling overwhelmed with BR process

Comments

Categories

Get our FREE Weekly email full of deals & guides - and it’s spam-free