'admitted the debt' so I really really need to hope that since the debt collection agency have been in touch with him about this matter, the last couple of weeks, he hasn't admitted liability for this debt?????

no, he bought the flat before they met. got together with her, rented it to her sister, fool, who never paid the rent and defaulted. he would never buy a house for or with her during their marriage, despite her nagging him senseless, probably because of this debt.

Guys thank you, thank you, I will be getting back with facts as soon as i can but cant see that being before tomorrow night, (stupid 24 hour time trial) but will definitely be getting back. Thank you for your wisdom, kind words and help so far....

'Technically a CCJ never becomes statute barred, however if it hasn't been enforced within six years they would have to apply to a court to do so......... permission is very rarely if ever given'. really????

thank you for those calming words but im afraid my day is completely shot now. i once had a bank debt of a few pounds when i went od before my giro cleared, can you guess by the lingo that we are talking very early 80s?? well lovely Barclays bank gave me £70 worth of charges and i never went od again, not even now when i have agreed od etc etc. debt terrifies me. Even my (yes mine not ours) mortgage scares me, even though by most standards its tiny. so thank you for trying but this part of deepest darkest Dorset is closed for business today due to extreme terrification. i cant even get to talk to him face to face til next weekend as he works away all week and is currently enjoying himself on a bike ride somewhere in Wales.

Ccj...aaagghh!!!!!

So, for him to say in the letter..... when the last, if any payment, on the mortgage (?) or just the debt for the mortgage (?) was made and the date (or approximate date) the last communication, if any, was ? and to change the six years to twelve? What if he has spoken to them in the last two weeks about this????? I think this is highly unlikely knowing how busy he has been of late and how he will ignore things that are unpleasant,( well i'm hoping like h*** he hasn't) in the letter they say ' we have failed to receive your contact or proposals for the repayment of the balance outstanding' so it wouls seem he hasn't been in touch. I am feeling so sick about this, but thank you guys for responding so swiftly. they are threatening to 'revert to our client, (the Halifax) for their specific instructions concerning the issuing of proceedings in this matter' is this just trying to frighten us, or rather specifically me? (its working!)

12 years??? well i know he was in the flat in 1991, but don't know exactly when he 'handed back the keys' but i'm thinking say 1995? i will be grilling him over this when i next see him, believe me! He has not made any payments and as i said very much kept his head down. so if the house was handed back in 1995 that would make the debt 16 years old. He has told me he has been aware that the company are chasing this debt for a couple of weeks now so i dont think he has actually talked to anyone. ..so what do you recommend we do .... . Please????

Hi there, I am at my wits end as today my husbands 18 year old mortgage debt has landed on our doormat! I opened the letter from a debt collection agency thinking it was a receipt for a small parking fine, that has been paid recently, to find they are now chasing my husband in regard to a mortgage arrears debt form the early '90's! As i understand it he got into difficulties after letting his flat out to his ex wife's sister, who then didn't pay the rent, so he 'handed the keys back' and then kept a low profile i guess. That marriage ended in 2000. thank god, and we were reunited in 2004 (we first met in the '80's) I knew then that he had lost his flat that way but we heard nothing of it and got on with our lives. This year he incurred a parking fine for not paying the correct fee for 24 hours, some technicality on what consists of 24 hours and ignored it!!! i was beside myself that he could do that and eventually managed to get him to pay the fine, debt worries me witless, and assumed the letter was a hard confirmation of the payment made through paypal.. ..now this! I was sick after i opened the letter, I really really hate debt! What can i / we do????? I thought if you handed the keys back to a mortgage company you were giving them the house, ie the money??? PLEASE, PLEASE can someone help us?????