I phoned shoosmiths on Friday. Said they'd accept payment by instalments and may consider a lump sum f&f settlement. Today, I've received by post, an income/expenditure form. Do I have to fill this in? Or can I write to them with an offer without the I/E form? Are they less likely to accept an offer without the forms? Seriously considering just bunging it all on credit cards to make them go away!!

I only have a copy of the charge for payment. I've never received anything with regards to the decree, only the original court paper telling me when the hearing would be.

Hi dx100uk, thanks for your reply. Definitely wasn't 5 years, so no SB. Coming to the conclusion I'm pretty stuffed and I'll have to contact them. Any advice about that? In the previous correspondence, they'd said they may accept a reduced sum. Do you think it's worth pushing for that? Amount is now £6.5k, which I totally can't afford in a lump sum. Also, they've added £1000+ interest!

Ah, I've just found saintalan's post on the same subject. Mine has been assigned to erudio too. The numbers now are adding up to around £1000 more than the figures given previously. Advice still appreciated.

Hi, I've followed the previous threads on erudio from earlier in the year. I received the same letters as many others between July and August, except mine were from shoosmiths solicitors rather than drysdens. After reading the advice on these pages, I decided to ignore the letters, they stopped after three. I have just had sheriff officers at my door serving me with a charge for payment of money within 14 days. My student loans were from 96,97 and 98. All old style loans. I deferred for a couple of years and then moved house and forgot about them. They traced me in 2002 and I was served with a court paper for March 2003. I never turned up for this hearing, although I did fill in the income/expenditure forms. I heard nothing afterwards, no letters, no requests for payment. My credit rating was pretty poor from other debts while at uni, I had a pretty basic bank account for a few years, managed to get a new account and credit cards no problem in 2006 and a mortgage approval in 2008. There's nothing on my credit record and I have an excellent credit score. I just wanted to let people know that, although it may be rare for these firms to enforce a ccj after 11+ years, it looks as though they can. Any advice appreciated, thanks.