Sorry, can't believe I missed out the killer line: "that money would be better offered to Cash Genie" Says it all really, particularly as they were reviving a thread that finished six weeks or so ago - quick search for Cash Genie by one of their supposed bright sparks? I'm in a bit of a PD mess myself and Cash Genie are the only firm who haven't responded to my repeated offers. I'm beginning to think I should let them take me to court so that I can enjoy the sight of the mythical QC. I'm expecting a wig made out of cotton wool balls and possibly a remaindered Asda Halloween witch's outfit as robes.

No wonder you're confused - it's a rubbish attempt to put people off defending their cases by Cash Genie. I like some of the artistic touches but most of them are clumsy and show a lack of awareness about the literacy levels of most posters here. (Not that there's anything fundamentally wrong with someone who has never been taught spelling and grammar properly but that post reads very much like a pretty stupid person doing an impersonation of how he thinks pretty stupid persons write... if that makes sense.( I hold my hands up to bad grammar myself there!) Just look at it: QC=nonsense - it's a civil case "just combatted every arguement I had prepared"=don't even bother trying " the rebutal (how is it spelt?)"=look at how ordinary and like the rest of you I am, I don't understand legal terms either. If you had seen the word 'rebuttal' several times in a court process, you'd probably have picked up the spelling. If not, and you were concerned about spelling, you'd probably spend 20 secs checking it online. But the term doesn't tend to come up very often in this kind of case anyway - somebody's been watching too many US law shows...

I agree doorstep collectors are probably unlikely but, just to share my own experience, I lived in a lot of fear under the threat of them showing up and my other half finding out. I eventually came clean to him and it wasn't pretty, he was understandably furious, but I'm still glad we had those conversations - honesty is important. I completely understand if your circumstances are different but I'd recommend biting the bullet if you can; I sleep a bit easier knowing I'm not alone in this mess. While I'm a massive fan of these message boards, I personally find the info on the National Debtline site a bit easier to navigate when it comes to info on the legal processes. I think the main thing is to repeatedly make your reasonable offer and include a financial statement so that they can see what you've got available. That way, even if they do take it to court - which is a risk to them as some charges might be denied - the judge is likely to look more favourably on your case as you have been the one making an effort to sort things out before court. Plus, court orders to pay can be varied at any time by filling in the relevant forms. Also, QQ might pay more attention if another organisation is involved. I know that CAB and other known sources of advice are overrun right now but many people aren't aware that Shelter - the housing charity - also does debt advice in certain areas and could possibly advocate on your behalf. It's usually only available if your income qualifies you for legal aid, but worth checking out the 'find an advice service near you' bit of their website in case they can help. They also do a lot of phone work via Community Legal Advice but, again, you need to be eligible for Legal Help/Legal Aid.

Good grief these threads are confusing... completely different responses from the various lenders in every one. For what it's worth, so far, the only one PD lender (of six - yes, I know, I went insane there, that was kind of the problem...) who has responded positively to my pro rata offer has been Payday Express, who have clearly been less than helpful to others round here. Offer was around 8 months, by the way. But I'll keep ploughing through it, persisting with the correct courses of action, and hopefully this horrible mess will one day be a distant memory, thanks to the help of the likes of the posters here - HUGE thanks to all who take the time to advise others.

Just to reiterate Ell-enn's point, I'd really get Shelter involved if you can. If you can't get through on the Helpline number, try searching their website for a local office - they don't have them in all areas but do have quite a few. They may not be able to offer the full service - they might need to check if you're eligible for Legal Aid funding - but they have loads of experience in dealing with situations like yours. Eviction warrants can be stayed, the lender doesn't seem to have followed the correct protocol, I'm not convinced the council has fulfilled its legal duties (they very often dodge them but it's hard to tell in this situation without all the facts)... it's all very complicated but I do think there might be a way through this minefield with some professional help. eta: forgot to say good luck! I'm really sorry you're having to go through this but please carry on fighting - there is a light at the end of the tunnel there somewhere.