Can anyone help?

[jaykay28]

Hi, can anyone help please?

 

i moved home about 4 years ago, with a lot of debts chading me, but ended up ill with the stress of it all. Since i moved, i have had no contact with any of them and i have now lost all track of what i owe, how much, who to etc... There were a few different credit tracing comanies on my back. I havent paid anything to any of them in around 5 years and i have not had any contact with any of them in about 4.5 yrs (maybe more)

 

I would like to get back on track but i don';t want to 'come out of hiding' in case they all start back at me the same way. I'm now working and just making ends meet with the bills etc.

 

A letter appeared today from a 'Swift Delivery' that asked me to call to arrange delivery. I was a bit dubious as it had no name on it, just an address so When i put the address though the net, it seems that it is really a compnay called ruthbridge ltd, a tracing and debt collection agency.

 

They don't yet know where i am, but i'm just worried that the fllod gates will open again. I know it's not the right thing to do, hiding away from it, but i really don't know how to start. Some of the debts may have been written off, but then i might end up with a massive bill which they want paid in full and i can't move again!

 

Any help or advice would be of use. I am sure that if this company find me, i'll be back where it all started, but i would really like to start the ball rolling and get back on track.

 

cheers Jay :confused:

[Tigs33]

Hi Jay and welcome,

 

I would suggest going to the citizens advice bureau and see if they can help you. If you do come out of "hiding" as such, you can ask some of the loan companies/debt collection agencies if they can provide a copy of your original signed agreement, I believe they can only chase you for debt where an original signed agreement exists. Once you have established the ones that have such agreements you can then arrange a payment plan and start paying off the debts. You will need to make sure you make arrangements that you can meet, give yourself some spare money each month in case of emergancies.

 

Do you have any idea how much the total owed could be??

 

Some of my debts are being handled by debt collection agencies and I have written to three asking them for proof of the debt, I do intend to stop paying any that do not have an agreement in force (this money I have been paying I will put to the other debts and pay them off quicker) One such debt, I am in dispute over, I believe there is about £13,000 outstanding, of which I pay about £200 per month to clear.

[callumsgran]

if it had no name on it you have no obligation to reply to it, let sleeping dogs lie for the moment and see what happens

[sues35]

HI Jay

 

First of all plz get yourself to the CAB with as much info on the debts as possible. There is one thing that debt will never do and that is go away. I know it all sems daunting at the moment, but really CAB can help and will do whats called and income / expenditure form. That will show what you have left from your wages each week/ month. They can the arrange to pay as little as 1 pound to each creditor till the debt is cleared, and in a lot of cases can cease interest / charges being placed on the debt. I have been in this situation years ago and knew i would not be able to pay, however im almost debt free all because i done this.

 

Youa re not alone, millions of us people have debt chasing after us, and it takes an adult to put it right, so dont be put off or scared it really is the best move. Onve you get the debts into place you can then look at the charges placed on them, and who knows you may even be able to get them reduced even further with our help

 

Sue xx

[jaykay28]

Thanks cillitbanger, i intend to for now but will need to :o :o :o

Tigs, i can't even remember how much they were for, i think there were a few £3k loans but the last i saw, the total amounts owed were for ovder £4.5k with all the added charges... this is what sent me over the edge. It was after this that i got behind with other stuff so i think the totals are around £15k or so. I really don't know for sure tho

[Tigs33]

Well I think you either play a waiting game with them and wait until the 6 years is up and they cannot touch the debt or you contact any of the companies and try and arrange a payment plan, they can only make you pay what you can afford, don't be intimidated by them, apart from going to court (that can normally work in your favour) they cannot make you pay what you can't afford.

 

I must admit I think I would be happier paying off the debts than trying to hide from them, my situation was having a terrible effect on my health. I set up a payment plan with most of my creditors about 5 years ago, my original debt was for about £50k in total, now I owe less than £25k and if some of these debt collection agencies cannot provide agreement I will owe about £6,000.

[jaykay28]

thanks tigs, i think i'll have a go with the CAB ans see if they can suggest how to start. I'll probably have to speak to you guys once i start as i'm sure i'll be even more confused.

 

Cheers for the advice x Jay

[Tigs33]

Excellent idea Jay, the Citizens Advice Bureau helped me so much, I can't recommend them highly enough, they were very understanding. Good luck and I hope you can get everything sorted.

[Movingon]

I can't really see how the CAB would be any more use than the fantastic people running this site and the huge amount of experience we have amassed here to be honest but that's just me...

 

If you do need any more help, please feel free to come back, but start a new thread in the "General Consumer Issues" forum; that's where you'll get your best help for this particular problem.

 

In any case, welcome to the forum, and I hope you manage to get things sorted...?

[jaykay28]

Thanks Stone, will start a thread as u suggest as i'm sure there must be others out there qho have been in similar situation in the past. Have called the CAB and I need to do all kinds of things before they will see me.

 

Thanks for the advice, nice to see there are people out there to help

[Tigs33]

I can't really see how the CAB would be any more use than the fantastic people running this site and the huge amount of experience we have amassed here to be honest but that's just me...

 

If you do need any more help, please feel free to come back, but start a new thread in the "General Consumer Issues" forum; that's where you'll get your best help for this particular problem.

 

In any case, welcome to the forum, and I hope you manage to get things sorted...?

 

I didn't say they would be more useful than the people on here, but in that sort of situation you really need to sit down with somebody and go through your options, also they help you fill in the forms. (all IMHO of course)

 

Also you have a person to go back to if you need to. Who is to say that this forum is going to be around for a long time?