Hi I am looking for a bit of advice please. My wife and I have had our house repossessed (8weeks ago) as we were in arrears with our mortgage. We also have joint debt of £420k, which is approx 90% business related (long story). My wife managed to secure a new job on the day of our house repossession and we fortunately managed to rent a house from a private landlord. My wifes salary just covers all our outgoings and I am desperatley trying to find work. I am ex-forces (22yrs in the RAF) and cannot claim any benefits at all because I receive £520 a month military pension(disgraceful). We have no option but to go bankrupt and the Royal British Legion are helping us with the process etc My questions are as follows: I understand that any money left over after our normal living expenses will be taken by the OR. But, my wife has been told that she will be promoted before xmas and that she will receive a car allowance. Firstly, I have no idea how we will be able to lease or buy a car unless we save the monthly allowance. Does anyone know how the OR will look at this as it's is part of the employment contract that if an employee receives a vehicle allowance then the vehicle has to be less than so many years old etc? Will she be better off not accepting the promotion? Would be a shame as its a great job? Any advice would be greatly received. Thank you

I have recently returned to the UK and have approx £3k debt on my credit cards over in Dubai, I have explained that I am now having to declare bankruptcy in this country and is there anything that I should do on their behalf i.e. include the debt in my paperwork!! All they keep saying is call this number to make a payment!! Going round in circles !!!

Thanks for your reply ScarletPimpernel, if I remember correctly, through the red mist, I was told that my pension took me above the threshold for housing allowance and because I was not receiving housing allowance I was not eligable for job seekers allowance or vice versa ? I will double check though with the agencies above, thank you. Hopefully won't need any benefits if my wife or I get work soon ;-)

Hi I just wanted to ask if anyone has had the same problem as myself. I left the forces in 2002 after serving 22years, I ran my own business for 8 years but the recession took hold and I could not carry on any longer due to cashflow etc. I managed to get paid employment until the company went bankrupt about 16 months later and I am now unemployed. When I first lost my job I went to the job centre and registered etc, however, when I explained that after 22years of service I was now in receipt of a military pension, £540 per month, I was informed that I was not entitled to claim a penny. No job seekers allowance, no assistance with rent etc, nothing. Surely there must be a way around this as we just simply cannot survive on this amount of money. I am married and have one dependant child. We are living with my in laws at the moment which is far from perfect. Please don't get me wrong, both my wife and I are looking for work as we always have done but there just seems to be nothing about at the moment. Can anyone offer any advice please?

Yes I understand why they would think that. If I LY it were true, I wouldn't be In this mess if it were The plan was to go out there to earn the money but the company that I joined have not been very honest and upfront with me to say the least. I am owed thousands, but that's another story!!

Yes I can see why they do not beleive every letter that they receive, but I even sent them my telephone number foor Dubai, all they had to do was call me to prove that I am living there. I would have have paid for the phone call, after all it would be far cheaper to do that than be expected to ay £200 for a visit when they had been told that I did not live there. But I suppose that woud have taken a bit of common sense from someone eh?

I agree (as much as I despise them) that bailiffs cannot be expected to work for nothing BUT to still attend a property when the have been informed by letter, telephone and email that I no longer live there, knowing I will not be there and then expect me to pay for their "jolly boys" outing in my opinion is out of order? Admin fees yes, attendance fee NO.

Marstons still came to my ex-wives house even after they were informed that I no longer lived there. Then they asked for the attendance fee which I begrudge paying 100%. If I have to then I will pay the admin fee but not the attendance fee. Am I being unreasonable ?

Thanks TT

Just wanted to let you know that I have managed to pay the remaining £100 of my fine online this evening, despite being told by the courts and Marstons that I could not. I will be arguing the costs (£300) with Marstons as they were informed that I no longer live at my wife's address before they decided to turn up and deliver a letter. Why should I pay £300 just because they decided to turn up at the wrong address? am I in the wrong for thinking like this?

My ex-wife had previously told 2 seperate debt collection agents that we were no longer living together and that I had moved away. Each one then left her alone. But when the debt was handed to Marstons they have ignored hers and my communications with them and just seem to be bulldozing their way ahead, which seems par for the course after reading many posts regarding them on here!!!

I have got my div number now, so will attempt to pay online. Once I have done this will they still harass my ex-wife at her house ( my old address) for the fees? Or do I write and tell Marstons I have paid my fine and then just argue the £300 fee with them?

Thank you, I will do that now

Hi Thanks for your replies. Apparently a distress warrant has been issued, but, I have not received a copy and neither has my ex-wife? I have just tried paying online as advised but it is asking for a Division Number (three figures) apparently this is on the original fine letter which I no longer have. I have the reference number though. I am staying in Cambridgeshire at friends at the moment but I do not know if Peterborough or any other local courts have any collection machines available, I will try and find out but I guess that they may also require the Division number!!! It sems that everyone in the court system wants to protect Marstons!!

Hi ploddertom I am just in the process of preparing mine and my ex-wifes case for the 5th Aug and was wondering if you advise that I should also include the following points that you mentioned earlier? i.e. a - you cannot afford the fees demanded b - the levy the enforcement officer has taken contains a lot of items that are needed to satisfy my basic living needs c - the Officer is threatening to remove items for sale despite having only made 1 visit 7 months ago Many thanks for your avice so far ;-)