Paragon Loans

[bristolmary]

Hi all

 

I'm after some urgent help please.

 

My ex partner and I took out a secured loan with Paragon a few years ago to cover some debts we had.

Then we split up and I took over the loan so that I could keep the house.

 

 

Everything was going fine, even when I lost my job in 2011 as I walked straight into another one so could keep up the monthly repayments.

 

 

Then in Feb 2012 I lost my job and couldn't make the payments, so I was making token payments each month of £10 or £20 depending on savings against the monthly due of £156.

 

I applied for help from DWP with my mortgage and my loan and at first they said no to to the loan

but then agreed to make payments to the loan but only of about £11 a week.

 

I have been suffering from depression for about 2 years and battled alcoholism on and off for nearly 10 years.

I've also been receiving bereavement counselling following the death of my mum in Nov 2011.

 

At first I used to talk to Paragon on the phone and I regularly completed their income/expenditure forms

and they seemed ok but acknowledged that my debt was increasing.

 

Unfortunatley recently I've buried my head in the sand over it and ignored their calls as I got more and more depressed about applying for lots of jobs

and not getting an interview or getting to the interview stage feeling pretty confident but then getting turned down.

 

Last week they sent me a letter saying that they may pass my account to a their field agent to call from Excel Counselling Services..

.I know that this is just a posh word for a bailiff!

 

 

Today he knocked at my door whilst I was out getting electric put on my key card and he put a note through the door.

The letter doesn't mentioned the amount that is outstanding but I think it's around £2k.

His note is all friendly about we need to talk about it or he'll have to tell Paragon he's not talked to me and I could risk losing my home.

 

Can I send him the following letter?

 

Dear Sirs,

Re: Account reference Paragon Personal Finance Ltd................

 

I refer to your visit dated 18th February 2013 informing me that your company has been instructed by Paragon Personal Finance Ltd to visit me,

in respect of arrears on the above mentioned account.

 

The purpose of this letter is to advise your company that I believe that my circumstances

fall within the category as contained within the National Standards for Enforcement Agents of “vulnerable situations”.

 

The reason for this is that not only am I a person who has suffered a bereavement in the family

with the death of my mother in November 2011, for which I am receiving counselling for.

 

I am also currently unemployed having lost my job and am in receipt of benefits.

I am also receiving treatment from my GP for depression and alcohol dependency.

 

Accordingly, I would like to request that you do not visit my property again as this would cause undue stress and anxiety.

 

Instead, I would like to request that you return this case back to Paragon Personal Finance Ltd.

 

I would be grateful if your office could confirm safe receipt of this letter, and confirmation that the case has been returned to Paragon Personal Finance Ltd.

 

I am copying this letter to Paragon Personal Finance Ltd.

 

Yours Faithfully

 

I was also going to send the letter to Paragon, along with another income and expenditure form

and a cheque for about £20 with an offer to keep paying £10 a month by dd.

Is that ok?

Should I be doing something else?

 

He says in his letter he's going to come back so I was hoping to get the letter in the post to him today to stop him calling again

as my Dad is coming to see me tomorrow and I really dont want him to get dragged into this

and I've recently started seeing someone who I really like and I'd be really embarrassed if he turned up whilst he was here.

 

Please help, I'm now sat in tears as I'm scared that I fought my ex really hard to get the house

and stop him taking it over with the woman he left me for, and now i'm scared I'm going to end up homeless.

 

I hope this all makes sense.

 

thanks

Mary

[i hate bailiffs]

Firstly there field agent or door stepper is not a bailiff and has no such powers

You do not need to talk to him or her

 

Loosing your home would be a long way off they would have to go to court and is a long drawn out process

All communication with them should be in writing keep off the phone

[bristolmary]

Hi all

 

Hope I've posted this in the right place.

 

My ex and I took out a Paragon secured loan a few years ago (before 2009) and we made the payment each month without fail.

 

 

My ex then left and Paragon happily transferred the loan to just my name as I was earning enough to cover it each month.

I then lost my job in Feb 2012, paid the minimum when I could.

The DWP are paying about £40 a month to them I should be paying £156 so each month is about £116 short.

This has racked up arrears of about £1,7000.

 

I must admit I kind of have ignored their phone calls as I know they want what I dont have.

I received a letter from a solcitor a week ago which I hadn't got around to posting about asking for help.

 

 

Today I get home from my work trail to find paperwork from Cheltenham Court...

.Paragaon have made a repossession order and I have to go to court on 16th May to argue why I should keep my home.

 

Please help me what can I do??

Is there anything I can do??

I can't lose my home as it's my everything.

I am trying to get a new job,

and have applied for a lot of them

but either dont get an interview or I dont get the job after inteview.

 

Is there anything I can do to stop the court action?

Up until recently I was on anti depressants and I really dont want to end up back on them and homeless.

 

Please I'm really panicking now that I'm going to have to tell my Dad that I'm in such a mess and in debt etc, he's going to go mad.

Please tell me what I need to try and do.

[ims21]

Hi

 

I have sent out an SOS for you to a couple of people who may be able to offer you some help.

 

Please bear with us......you have some time to try and sort this out.

[Lea_HTH]

If your dad can help you, then I suggest you suck up your pride and ask for help now.

 

Unfortunately, if affordability is an issue, the courts will have to consider possession. However, let's establish a few facts first as there may be other solutions.

 

How much was the original loan for? If it was under 25k, is it regulated under the Consumer Credit Act 1974? (You'll find that info on the loan document/terms and conditions.)

How much are the exact monthly payments, and how much exactly are the DWP paying?

How much exactly are the arrears? (You have written 17k, but I am presuming you mean 1.7k?)

How many years and months (exactly) are left on the loan?

How much is the property worth?

Are there other loans secured on the property, if yes, how much for and are you in arrears?

[bristolmary]

Hi all

 

Wondering if you can help me.

 

I have a house with a mortgage (Birmingham Midshires) and a secured loan (Paragon).

 

Last year Paragon took me to court to try and repossess my house as I fell into arrears.

 

I managed to get that deferred/suspended for about 6 mths as I’d found a job,

 

but then I lost the job when the company folded.

 

I then temped on and off and got benefits when I wasn’t.

 

The job centre people paid about £44 a month towards my loan (is £158 normally).

 

Then I was stupid enough to be put in prison on 24th Feb

…my dad rang them to inform them that I was in prison so couldn’t contact them.

 

I’ve now been released

 

to find a letter from a solicitors acting on their behalf saying that Paragon had instructed them to repossess my house

and that the bailiffs would tell me when to leave.

 

Does this mean they are actually coming to repossess or do I need to try and apply for a time order to allow me time to pay it off.

 

Typically right now I can’t find the letter I received and I’m panicking too much right now I think to find it.

 

What do I do?

 

I’m going to try and call CAB tomorrow to get an appointment but it’s making me ill right now thinking about it all!

 

Help me please, I really can’t lose my house,

 

I know I was stupid and ended up in prison but I’ve paid my time,

 

I’ve applied for jobs,

 

I had an interview on Friday which I am hopeful about and have one next week as well so I’m getting interviews etc.

 

Thanks in advance

Mary

[renegadeimp]

Hi. Ive flagged your post for admin attention. DOnt worry about repo just yet. Theres a procedure they must follow.

[caro]

Hi and sorry your post has been missed.

 

Have you had anything else from the court?

 

Is your mortgage in arrears too or just the loan with paragon?

[dx100uk]

and what PENATLY and Arrears or debt management or letters or phone call fees

have they levied on you

 

all can be reclaimed + the interest they have gathered.

 

dx

[bristolmary]

Hi all

 

Am seeking some urgent help.

 

 

I have a secured loan with Paragon Finance.

 

 

I fell into arrears in late 2012 and

 

 

in May 2013 they gained a suspended possession order.

 

 

Things were ok until last year when I lost my job.

 

 

They went to court in December (I didn’t know about this bit) and they gained an eviction order, which was dated Friday 13th February 2015.

 

 

I sought help from CAB who passed me to Gloucester Law Centre,

who said I needed to call this number as they couldn’t help but would be in court on the day for advice.

 

A solicitor on the phone advice line advised me to put in an appeal (N244) which I did stating wanted to apply for time for

DWP to make payments towards this loan and for me to find a job.

 

 

I have written a letter for the judge tomorrow but I don’t know if this is enough or if I can/should any more information to it.

I’ve tried to explain everything in this.

 

 

Can anyone please check it and see if they can think of anything I can add to help my case?

 

 

I have applied for over 80 roles since the New Year have had a couple of interviews every week

and have one for this Friday and one for next Tuesday.

 

Any help is going to be very gratefully received.

 

 

I do though have a deadline of 8pm to enable me to print the letter before I go as I have no printer at home.

 

 

Please help me save my home of 12 years!

[SabreSheep]

How much are the arrears

 

How much have you been charged in penaty fees and interest on those penalty fees?

 

Will send an SOS for you

[bristolmary]

hi

 

The arrears are £3.9k they've charged me for late payments, a failed home visit and interest but not sure how much in total as not at home right now. They charged me £65 for a home visit I know that.

 

I've now secured another interview for tomorrow afternoon so it's not like i'm not trying to get work. it's been hard because of my problems last year as you can see in the letter. so that's one tomorrow, one friday and one on Tuesday all with practically immediate starts.

 

thank you x

[citizenB]

Have sent S.O.S for you.. someone will be with you soon as they can.

[citizenB]

You say they charged you for a home visit. Did they actually make the visit ?

[bristolmary]

Thanks for the SOS!

 

I don't know if they did as it was when I was in Bristol but pretty certian I recall coming home to a letter through the door.

[dx100uk]

five threads merged for history

 

 

dx

[Ell-enn]

Hi there, I think your letter is too long - you will only have around 10 minutes in the hearing to get your point across to the judge. Have you any indication as to when the DWP will make payment? do you have any documentation relating to the DPW claim ?

[dx100uk]

you need to stay with us this time

not make various threads throughout +2yrs and then never answer our questions or action the advise already given.

 

 

did you get the reclaiming of all the penalty/arrears/letters/home debt visits off the ground ?

 

 

dx

[bristolmary]

The DWP have said they'll do the backpayment this week and start with payments going forward and were going to write to me but as they send it all second class there was no guarantee i'd get it by tomorrow morning.

 

I'm trying to get across to the judge the past/history with this and that I am trying to gain employment. So not 100% sure how to shorten it or improve it. tbh I'm just panicking and learning a lesson now!

[bristolmary]

you need to stay with us this time

not make various threads throughout +2yrs and then never answer our questions or action the advise already given.

 

 

did you get the reclaiming of all the penalty/arrears/letters/home debt visits off the ground ?

 

 

dx

 

Yeah the DWP finally agreed with me about restarting as a rapid reclaim and are backdating it to April 2014 and sending me a letter in confirmation of this and are sending one to Paragon too, but no guarantee it'll be here by tomorrow. I'm not at home right now to check but heading home in about an hour. They're going to make a lump sum backpayment this week but I think it takes 3 days for their payments to appear and then are going to make payments going foward. i've now got another job interview tomorrow. All 3 interviews are for immediate starts as in the one tomorrow want someone to start on Monday.,

[caro]

Are you saying that the arrears that they are claiming include charges?

 

How much was the loan and how long is left on it?

[Ell-enn]

Can you ask the DWP to email confirmation of this so you can show it to the court ? If you tell them you are about to be evicted they should do it.

[bristolmary]

Are you saying that the arrears that they are claiming include charges?

 

How much was the loan and how long is left on it?

 

the loan was for £16 and over 15 years and they have added interest, late payment charges and home visits to my total in the last year

[bristolmary]

Can you ask the DWP to email confirmation of this so you can show it to the court ? If you tell them you are about to be evicted they should do it.

 

I asked and she said no as it's not a 'secure email' despite me saying on Monday I was in court on Thursday. I could try them again in the morning as i'm sat waiting and ask again

[Ell-enn]

Have a look at my guide here: http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?325527-CAG-guide-Are-you-facing-eviction-or-repossession it shows you how to set out a statement for court.

 

Do you know if the court has any duty legal advisors you can ask for help for the hearing ?