bigdaveaus

Hello Everyone

My situation is this, i have been living in the UK for the past 9 years.
I am an Australian citizen and have recently gotten Permanent Residence for my wife and her three daughters, I don't see a future for any of our children here and have decided to move the whole family to Australia.

We have some debt and i wanted to find out that should we struggle to make repayments on our debts from the UK once abroad, how hard can creditors come after you once you are living in another country.

Can they chase and enforce payments.

Do they automatically get CCJ's to stop debts becoming statute barred.
How should i go about taking to the CC company in terms of telling them where i'm going and so on.

I have been told to just go and not give them any information about our whereabouts and cut all communication with them.

Personally i would rather make payments from abroad for what i owe but i just need to know what my options are should a situation arise where i am unable to make payments on a regular basis.

My wife and i have every intention of paying our debts but things can and do get very hard for a young family now days, i've seen it happen all to often to the people around us.

I owe just under 5,000 pounds on a UK credit card.

But our combined debt is around the 15,000 mark.

All debts were made over a 9 year period and none of of it was made living outside our means, i have never seen anything like it in my life.

When i lived in Australia neither myself or anyone i knew could get into so much debt simply through everyday living costs.

Thanks For Reading.

verystormy

bigdaveaus

Thank you for taking the time to respond, my research has lead me to a similar answer however all the posts on the subject have been from between 2009 - 2014 so not too current.

As for coming back i am actually Australian and the wife and kids have all been to Australia on multiple holidays to visit my family.

As for coming back to the UK my wife knows i would not, my father is 72 and her father far younger so.

Thanks again.

carcajou

Can someone chime in with what personal bankruptcy laws are like in the UK?

If OP was American, I would advise that - after arriving permanently in Australia - to call the company, tell them you have migrated out of the country, offer negotiations on a payment plan and threaten to declare bankruptcy if they refuse. They would probably panic and accept, rather than throw the dice on getting nothing in a bankruptcy filing or pennies in a court-ordered payment plan.

Maybe it would also work in the UK.

Defaulting is not a crime. It will cause serious complications on major purchases down the track but that may not follow you to Australia.

christmasoompa

I don't see how you can know that for sure. What if your wife hates living there? What if (God forbid), you passed away and she wanted to return to the UK to be near friends/family? Definitely don't burn bridges IMO.

If you can afford the thousands (possibly even tens of thousands) it'll cost to emigrate, then I'm sure you can afford to pay a small monthly sum (which you can always increase if you find yourself more flush).

teza

from previous experience, they can sell the debt to Aussie agency, Dunn & Bradstreet are specialized in getting their money back after buying overseas debt. it will not be forgotten.

Pollyana

Never say never.
And bear in mind that debtors may even chase relatives if they can track them down and harrass them for your whereabouts.

Not worth going through the hassle of bankruptcy for that amount, approach each of the companies as soon as you have moved, tell them your new circumstances, and make arrangements to pay the debts off gradually. Most will freeze the interest, especially as you would be out of the country, leaving you just capital to repay.

But be aware also that migration is massively expensive these days, even for an Aussie returning home. You may already have a plan, but if not, consider how you will raise £20-30k to move and get started here if you cannot cover your current debts.

bigdaveaus

I know for sure i myself will not be returning, my wife on the other hand will be making trips back and forth with the kids for family holidays.

As for the thousands and possibly tens of thousands, It's already been taken care of and all we had to do was provide all our documentation and proof of an ongoing relationship which was easy.

We have been together for way more than the required time frame and we also have a little boy together so i got my wife and three step daughters all Permanent Residence within the space of about 12 months.

Their Visa's have been granted and they need to all arrive in Australia no later than the 20th of Oct this year.

All flights have been booked and paid for.

bigdaveaus

Thank You, you been quite helpful

bigdaveaus

It's not that expensive for me, reason being i have a fully furnished home to go to when i arrive back home, my family own a couple of houses and so we will be living on one of those so there is no worry about rent deposit and having something to get started with.

The Visa's for the family have all been done and dusted, they were granted about 5 months ago already and we arranged with our case officer for an extended entry date for wife and three step daughters so they could attend their father's wedding.

My son got his Aussie citizenship through me which literally took 8 days.

My plan is to take one of my dad's mates spots on a gas rig scaff team or some of the other FIFO work im able to get through mates i grew up with who are all on the mines.

im going over in a couple of weeks to set life up and to get work rolling and then my wife and kids will fly over in Oct. (sad to be apart for so long but hey if it contributes to a better future for them then its worth it).

Now given the work i have lined up, making payments on debts in uk should be a breeze given the fact i wont have any other costs whilst i am working.

carcajou

I don't think you understand what was being spoken of with the cost Not the visas. That's the cheap part of this whole thing.

It's about how everything down to the napkin holders and candles will need to be re-purchased. The initial cost of setting up is enormous and will be even moreso with children. That's what a lot of people neglect or don't think about. It will be even more pronounced if you don't immediately find jobs.

How long, on your savings, can you hold out without a job? Citizen or not, with small savings and no job, you may find it difficult to find a place to rent.

Unless you have a relative you will be living with, who is happy to financially support you in the first year.

carcajou

Please disregard the earlier post. Your post at 9:36 addresses this, which I could not see as I was typing.

bigdaveaus

Yeah see had i been fresh off the boat this would have been a completely different conversation entirely.

But because i have lived there so long and have all my family there it is easier for me.

For instance i don't have to buy beds and things because my two sisters left all their goods at our family home when they moved off with their fiance's and so on.

My neighbour moved to Thailand with his other half and gave me the contents of his home lock stock and barrel, bran new appliances which still have all the stickers and such on it lol it was incredible.

I asked him are you sure ? do you not want to flog it?

His reply was "Nah mate can't be F$*#ked" lol typical attitude where i live.

But again these are blue collar blokes who have all worked hard and can afford to do stuff like that.

Rather unique position i am in so with so many people who removed a lot of the obstacles facing new comers.

Pollyana

Speaking as someone who came over with virtually nothing,had to fight to get a basic job, yet made arrangements at once to pay something off my debts as soon as I could.......

If you really do have everything in place, no expenditure needed to start your new life, AND you have a a FIFO job organised - why on earth do you thing you shouldn't be paying off the debts?

bigdaveaus

I absolutely do believe in paying my debts, I hope for the best but plan for the worst.

I wanted to know how to talk to them should I find myself in a position where I may have to arrange a payment plan etc.

And also what and how they do to chase you, i merely wanted to find out if there was a way they could ruin any future attempts at purchasing a home for my family.

While I have work opportunities open to me i still need to get my safety courses renewed and do one or two new ones depending on which route I choose to go for example confined spaces for the mines etc.

thanks again for your reply