14 years ago my stepfather went bankrupt and lost his business and they also took their house. The house was sold at a £30,000 shortfall, 15K of which was *supposed* to have been wiped out as part of the redundancy. The other 15K became my mums debt as she wasn't declared bankrupt. For 14 years my mum has been paying monthly instalments to clear her side of the debt. Up until a couple of years ago this wasn't a problem with Bradford and Bingley. Then all of a sudden they have started asking for the amount to be means tested annually. My mum co-operated and carried on paying her instalments without fail. They then began phoning asking for larger and larger amounts, asking them to take out loans to repay the full debt and even convincing them to put their current house on the market to repay the debt!! Thankfully, the house didn't sell and they removed it from the market. Bradford and Bingley then, out of the blue, started playing hardball and referred the case onto their solicitors who are now badgering my mum for ridiculous sums of money and have just recently took her to court. *We've* got her outstanding debt at approx £10,000, Bradford and Bingleys solicitors are trying for £68,000!!!! How can they possibly try for this amount?!?!!? She had a non-contracted agreement (but plenty of letters confirming the arrangement) that no interest would be added to the original 15K debt provided she never defaulted on a payment and she hasn't for 14 years! She has even been paying while going through the recent court case (the first hearing seemed to go in my mums favour but they're back in Dec and have been warned that if it isn't sorted prior to this the costs will spiral). B&B's solicitors have now told her they want the 14 years interest which is £38,000 in additon to the original £30,000 debt? We can't figure out where they have got £30,000 from, unless they have somehow re-instated my stepdads £15,000 debt that was supposed to have been wiped in the bankruptcy. (Can anyone tell me if they can do this) The latest offer she gave B&B is a lump sum payment of £5,000, half of what we know she owes. B&B rejected that and came back with "pay £80 a month for the rest of her life and they will claim £25,000 from the sale of her house when she's dead"!!! These people are sickening me to my very core and I'm looking for any help or advice you can offer her. The solicitor she is using is trying her best but not getting very far against a multi-national law firm, who just won't budge on these ridiculous sums of money! Also, it's more costs for a solicitor that my mum can't really afford in the first place. Sorry it's a bit long winded but we're getting very desperate and I'm worried about my mums health through it all. If you can help please do