2 x CCJ's with Lowell

[davejh666]

Hi all,

 

I have 2 separate CCJ's with Lowell. I have had these now for 1.5 years and 6 months respectively.

I admitted to the debts when the claim form from the court came through and filled in an income and expenditure form for both claims.

Made and offer of £20 per month for the first debt and then £5 for the second debt.

Both of these were accepted and I have been paying them via direct debit without missing a payment.

 

Unfortunately my mother passed away a year ago and we have now sold her house.

I am now in a position to pay off some debts.

I would like if possible to pay these 2 debts off.

 

Before I contact Lowell though does anyone have any experience or knowledge regarding reaching a settlement figure for CCJ's?

Is it possible?

Is it likely?

 

I would like to pay them off, but if they want the full amount I won't be able to afford it.

With what I owe for both debts I will be paying them for the next 12 years or so. 

 

Any knowledge or help that anyone can give would be much appreciated.

[dx100uk]

why did you admit the CCJ debts?

what were they?

 

as for you other debts?

what are they 

are they enforceable if paying a DCA?

 

dx

 

[davejh666]

Hi,

 

I admitted the debts as I took out the money/credit. They were both for credit cards that I used that I stopped paying. To be honest I knew I couldn't afford to pay them back when I took the money but felt I had no choice due to circumstances at the time. When the debt collectors letters from Lowell came through I ignored them all hoping they would go away. I had more pressing matters at the time with my mother, and buried my head in the sand. So when the claim from the court came through I filled it in honestly.

 

The other 'debts' are for car finance that I took out in October. I wrote my car off (the car was bought and paid for in cash so no outstanding finance) and needed to get another. With the amount of travelling I do I needed a reliable car so took out £7500 in finance. Obviously up to date with it and got the settlement figure from them. They will settle for £7200, which is a no brainer for me as the total cost of finance if I pay for the full 5 years is £14,800 so I save a lot of money by repaying this early.

 

My only other 'debt' is to my step-mother and my father. My Mum lived in Spain and she became very ill very quickly and I needed to get her home, was hoping to get her treated in the UK but her condition was too far gone. However, none of the airlines would fly her due to her condition so I had to get her a private medical plane to re-patriate her. The money I needed for this I borrowed from my Step-Mum. They get paid back before anyone else.

 

Not sure what you mean by a DCA?

 

Thanks.

[dx100uk]

Lowell are a DCA a debt collection agency / debt buyer.

 

might be best to actually ring them and go in low with a very low figure p'haps <50%

 

 

[davejh666]

35 minutes ago, dx100uk said:

Lowell are a DCA a debt collection agency / debt buyer.

 

might be best to actually ring them and go in low with a very low figure p'haps <50%

 

 

Ah okay, yes I see now.

 

It is okay to do this then? I need to make sure that if they accept anything that the CCJ gets marked as paid? As I said I have no real issue with continuing to pay each month but it does feel like a noose around my neck and if I can get rid of them then I will be much happier, just I know I can't afford to pay the full amounts.

 

I will come back here if they do agree to anything to find out what I should do next. Thanks.

[fkofilee]

Wonder if you could ask about setting the CCJ aside and removed from your CRA at your cost if you pay in full.

There is no requirement for that to happen but deffo worth a chat if you want to do that...

[dcahater76]

Speaking from past experience you could do as DX100 states offer them a low full and Final payment about 50% as a starting point if they accept this it is imperative that you apply to the county court for a certificate of satisfaction for both debts effectively if later they either sell the debt on or try to collect the rest of the debt that will stop them in their tracks.

[London1971]

Words like 'noose around your neck'  'feeling happier' etc are understandable (I've been in your situation so I know) but objectively do not make any sense.  It's not like Lowell are sitting around swearing behind your back about how you haven't paid them yet. You offered them an affordable sum, they accepted!  You are just a number on a Spreadsheet to them.

 

You are asking for advice?  All that money you are preparing to throw at Lowell to settle your CCJ's is a waste. It won't make any difference to your Creditworthiness, and it will make you poorer.  Keep your money somewhere safe like a savings account or an ISA to be used in case life deals you a bad card again. Don't buy into the nonsense that you need 7.5 k to buy a reliable car, I never spend more than 1 k on wheels. currently have an 05 Focus that I paid 900 quid for. Most reliable car I ever owned!

 

Your CCJ's will disappear off your credit file within 5 years whether you pay them off in full, or give them a fiver a month until eternity.  So don't go flushing your cash down the loo.

 

 

 

 

[AndyOrch]

Are the judgments secured against your property ? joint debts or single named debts ?   Joint mortgage or in your name only ?

 

Andy

[davejh666]

4 hours ago, London1971 said:

Words like 'noose around your neck'  'feeling happier' etc are understandable (I've been in your situation so I know) but objectively do not make any sense.  It's not like Lowell are sitting around swearing behind your back about how you haven't paid them yet. You offered them an affordable sum, they accepted!  You are just a number on a Spreadsheet to them.

 

You are asking for advice?  All that money you are preparing to throw at Lowell to settle your CCJ's is a waste. It won't make any difference to your Creditworthiness, and it will make you poorer.  Keep your money somewhere safe like a savings account or an ISA to be used in case life deals you a bad card again. Don't buy into the nonsense that you need 7.5 k to buy a reliable car, I never spend more than 1 k on wheels. currently have an 05 Focus that I paid 900 quid for. Most reliable car I ever owned!

 

Your CCJ's will disappear off your credit file within 5 years whether you pay them off in full, or give them a fiver a month until eternity.  So don't go flushing your cash down the loo.

 

 

 

 

I know what you mean about it not making any sense. I guess I would just feel happier being debt free, knowing that no matter what may happen in the future I don't owe anyone anything.

 

With regards to the car - again you are correct. The car I wrote off I had for 4 years nearly and it cost me £350 when I bought it, never needed anything other than tyres and a battery. Being honest again though I am a petrol head and love my cars and bikes. However, for the last 7 or 8 years I have not been able to afford to buy what I would have liked. Neither the wife nor I had good paying jobs and raising our children and giving them what they needed was far more important. We have both worked hard, especially my wife who went to night school, to improve ourselves and now find ourselves in a better financial position. Knowing that the house sale was imminent and needing to get the car I took the plunge and took finance out knowing that I would pay it off within 6 months.

 

So, can I just check. Even if the CCJ isn't fully paid off within 5 years (which they won't), they are still removed from my credit file? 

 

Thanks for the advice.

[davejh666]

3 hours ago, Andyorch said:

Are the judgments secured against your property ? joint debts or single named debts ?   Joint mortgage or in your name only ?

 

Andy

 Hi Andy,

 

No the judgements are not secured against anything. We don't own our house, we rent from the local housing association.

 

Just my debts, wife doesn't owe anything.

 

Thanks.

[AndyOrch]

 

Quote

So, can I just check. Even if the CCJ isn't fully paid off within 5 years (which they won't), they are still removed from my credit file? 

 

 

Can only show for a max 6 years....paid or unpaid

[London1971]

5 hours ago, davejh666 said:

I know what you mean about it not making any sense. I guess I would just feel happier being debt free, knowing that no matter what may happen in the future I don't owe anyone anything.

 

With regards to the car - again you are correct. The car I wrote off I had for 4 years nearly and it cost me £350 when I bought it, never needed anything other than tyres and a battery. Being honest again though I am a petrol head and love my cars and bikes. However, for the last 7 or 8 years I have not been able to afford to buy what I would have liked. Neither the wife nor I had good paying jobs and raising our children and giving them what they needed was far more important. We have both worked hard, especially my wife who went to night school, to improve ourselves and now find ourselves in a better financial position. Knowing that the house sale was imminent and needing to get the car I took the plunge and took finance out knowing that I would pay it off within 6 months.

 

So, can I just check. Even if the CCJ isn't fully paid off within 5 years (which they won't), they are still removed from my credit file? 

 

Thanks for the advice.

 

Petrol head here too, I used to drive a PCP payment Car that was worth a years Salary, that I could barely afford. Now my fortunes have changed for the better and I drive a paid for car that cost a week's salary. I never thought that would happen.

 

Yeah and just to confirm CCJ's disappear from your Credit File on their 6th Anniversary whether you pay them or not. Once they have fallen off your file they are invisible to Banks, Credit Card company's, Mortgage companies etc, and your credit will improve.

 

Just because they have disappeared from view does not mean you don't owe the money anymore. However it becomes incredibly difficult for the Creditor to enforce. In fact it's nearly impossible for them.