Stressed out wife needs help with Lowell and CapQuest

[billybob1974]

After hours of reading posts, I hope you don't mind if I start my own as I'm pulling my hair out ...

 

Long story short, I lost my job due to Chronic illness and have been out of work for a few years now. Trying not to go bankrupt as I don't want to lose the family home.

 

Wife took minimum wage job to help keep mortage up and live.

 

A bit behind with the mortgage but have spoken to Mortgage company and they are happy enough.

 

All our money goes to paying mortgage, food, electric, etc.

No social life whatsoever now.

Glad to see spring coming as been burning broken pallets to keep warm over winter.

CONSTANT letters phone calls from DCAs re credit card debts.

I am in no possition to pay at minute until health improves and can get back to work. (could be a few years yet)

 

Query is about my wife - she has 4 defaulted credit cards and a family member had offererd to try and help her with these as she is at her wits end with phone calls and nasty letters.

1. Goldfish (then Barclaycard, now Lowell Portfolio 1) 3400

2. Barclaycard (now Lowell Portfolio 1) 1500

3. Cap1 (now Capquest) 5600

4. MBNA (now HL Legal or Varde Investments) 1000

 

1 & 2: Lowell had offered 50% discount on both unsolicited.

Very limited amount available from family member so she wrote to Lowell in January offering 25% on each.

 

This was first contact she had made with them (we no longer answer our home phone as daily harrassment).

 

Offer refused but a counter offer of 15% reduction (ie 35% LESS) than previous came with refusal.

Had used template letter from your site here.

Where do we go from here?

 

Wife is in mimimum wage job and we are just surviving and no more, with nearly all her wages going to pay mortage.

I get sickness benefit which buys some food and we grow some of our own.

 

We have made same offer to 3 & 4 as that is all family member has to give, waiting a reply.

 

Any ideas?

 

We don't have anymore to give.

 

Doctor says financial stress is harming my recovery and making me more ill.

 

Any insight would be GREATLY appreciated,

 

Thanks

[BRIGADIER2JCS]

It may be worth you seeking a debt relief order (DRO)

on hardship grounds and your wifes illness.

Just cheh out DROs on google or other search engine.

See what you think and come back to us.

 

Welcome to CAG you will get all the help needed here.

[National Debtline]

Hi billybob

 

For more information on DROs as referred to by the Brigadier above you can read our fact sheet at

 

http://www.nationaldebtline.co.uk/england_wales/factsheet.php?page=37_debt_relief_orders

 

Searching for DROs on Google etc. can throw up a lot of sponsored results and links to fee-charging debt management companies, so tread carefully. You should NEVER have to pay fees to a company to set up a DRO for you - just the £90 fee to the Insolvency Service.

[billybob1974]

Thanks for the advice Brigadier and National Debtline .... BUT ... above link re DRO states "A DRO may be able to help you if you do not own your home"

 

We own our home (with a mortgage)

 

Any other avenues ?

[BRIGADIER2JCS]

Thanks for the advice Brigadier and National Debtline .... BUT ... above link re DRO states "A DRO may be able to help you if you do not own your home"

 

We own our home (with a mortgage)

 

Any other avenues ?

I'm going to flag your post to see what others can come up with to help you.

[cerberusalert]

Thread moved to the debt collection forum.

[cerberusalert]

Have there been any unfair charges added to these a/cs & did any of them have PPI?

[BRIGADIER2JCS]

Hi Cerbs, I was at loss as to what to

advise here, it is going to take some sorting

out.

[National Debtline]

Thanks for the advice Brigadier and National Debtline .... BUT ... above link re DRO states "A DRO may be able to help you if you do not own your home"

 

We own our home (with a mortgage)

 

Any other avenues ?

 

You're absolutely right, a DRO isn't an option for homeowners (regardless of if there is equity or not).

 

if you have time you could take a look at our My Money Steps system. It is very good at pointing people in the right direction:

 

https://www.mymoneysteps.org/

 

A quick point: If you, or your partner, are in receipt of Disability Living Allowance (DLA) you do not have to use it for the repayment of debt. You can keep it to one side to cover health-related costs. You can list it within the income section of the budget and then list it once again within the outgoings section - so it balances out.

 

Do you have equity in the property? If there is little or no equity there is the potential to consider bankruptcy without losing the house.

 

Your mortgage is a priority debt, we're pleased to see that you've already an arrangement in place to address the arrears.

 

Best wishes,

 

NDL.

[BRIGADIER2JCS]

Good to have NDL looking in here.

Thanks.

Brig.

[dx100uk]

popping in as alerted

 

right the two debts that have discount offers forget them

they'll never go near a court.

 

now what is left?

 

and have you checked these show on her cra file?

 

dx

[billybob1974]

popping in as alerted

 

right the two debts that have discount offers forget them

they'll never go near a court.

now what is left?

and have you checked these show on her cra file?

dx

 

Thanks fx, was reading some of your other posts and sent off £2 for a cra check this afternoon

 

When you say to forget the two with discounted offers, not sure what implications of that are? By sending F&F offer letter from templates does that extend the sb period or not? Letter not signed.

[dx100uk]

it matters not really

 

as if they are sb'ed then nothing can unbar them

 

if they are not, then it'll make no real ods

 

there is obv something wrong

either

 

mostly PPI/Penalty fees

or

paperwork errors

or

SB'ed

whichever, they'll go nowhere near a court for fears of counter claim.

 

unless you need to get the file 'clean' even if they do reply

i'd not take up the offer

 

dx

[Bazooka Boo]

For the criminal offence of harassment that Lowlifes like to commit send them this http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/content.php?493-Harassment-by-telephone-response-letter you can get "Proof of posting" from the PO counter which is free and is all you require to show that you have sent it and they will have ultimately received it.

 

Keep a diary of events regarding any further phonecalls, with a view of making a formal complaint to the OFT/TS and Ofcom.

 

Credit cards ARE NOT priority debts, so these will only ever attract the token payment of £1 a month until your financial situation improves, there is no discussion about this, they will accept it, they have no choice in the matter.

 

If the telephone harassment is getting tedious, then go through your phone providers malicious calls procedure, they may even change your number, which is done free in these circumstances.

 

Above all else, this is only of extreme importance to them, as they live a very shallow life where money to them is like oxygen to us, your health and keeping a roof over your head is a priority, these clowns come at the very very bottom.