DEEDEE01

fraser

We paid off all ours, not because I have morals where financial institutes and big companies are concerned I don't and wouldn't worry for a second had I knocked them.

But like you wanted to leave a clean slate.

Geelong Gent

Depends if they paid for the pram or got it on interest free terms

About time people concentrated on their own finances rather than worry about others getting one over them. Each to their own - I'd rather sleep well at night.

DEEDEE01

Good on ya.

kar-kier

On the subject of civil debt, my ex buggered off out the country owing me £6k in child maintainence payments - CSA told me they wouldn't bother chasing him, and that to say goodbye to ever seeing that money again - now THAT is morally wrong!!

sonlymewalter

Yep.
Yep.

Centurion

Of course I am entitled to my own opinion. Moderation is a thankless and unpaid task carried out by a few long term active members of the forum who work behind the scenes dealing with spam, reported posts, duplicate trolling users and general thread admin.

My post was intended to keep this thread on track as to the legalities and practicalities of debt and the expat and not degenerate into the usual slanging match, as well as it being my own opinion. To be fair, its actually the best thread I've seen on that subject and to that end I would love to see it become a useful resource for the future and hope that it remains on track.

sonlymewalter

The thread has also included the legal and moral perspective which is great as the two are a real consideration

Maybe we should ask Bernard Madoff to be guest speaker

On a serious note: If the world needs to learn from recent economic events it is that the two issues need to be brought back in to line. Legal institutions need to realign the legal perspective with the moral and protect all parties concerned, including those who inadvertently find themselves in debt for whatever reason. I don't think there are many people for whatever reason that haven't found themselves in debt facing hard times at one time or another. Many people would like to see genuine hardship accounted for and those people looked after. It is "criminal" to allow genuine hardship cases to fall over when people really need the help. Conversely it is also hard to watch people shaft the system just because they can. If the finance world is to take the current situation seriously then all these factors are equally important and we can't ignore any of them.

Something needs to change, that's for sure. It's heartbreaking what's happened in the world today.

paulry

Sorry to read about that. Are you receiving any child support payments from him now?

perksy

Agree totally and a good post, however the change must start right at the top starting with the heads of the financial sector. How can Joe Public be educated on his finances when the financial instituations are shafting everyone knowing full well the government will help out should the occasion arise. Northern Rock anyone?

sonlymewalter

Spot on. Everyone, especially the financial heads of institutions.

The Government unfortunately had to help out Northern Rock otherwise the everyday person would have found themselves in the shit. Where the real problem lies is that NR should be made to pay back whatever it cost to keep it going and the bloody fat cat Directors who got it where it is should be made to pay back their big bonuses or else keep the business going with clear agreed benchmarks to ensure success, with limited payback for getting it back on track. They too should be made to pay back their debt to the government and society for bleeding the company dry with their bonus schemes based on non existent "real" asset building. They robbed the shareholders dry through talking up the shares. Let the robbing barstewards pay back and prove themselves their worth.

kar-kier

Not a sausage!!! My son is now 11, and this happened when he was 6, so not only is there £6k up to him being 6, but there is also another 5 years where I should have been getting paid!!

paulry

That's very annoying. The CSL (I think they've disbanded now) were only interested in recovering money that the state has had to pay you and your child/ren. My sister suffered a similar situation (she lives in Cape Town and he moved back to the UK). She engaged someone to sort it out for her. Now he has no say in the matter - it get's deducted directly from his pay and transferred to her in South Africa.

You'll never see the money that he's not paid you to date but you can potentially make sure that he coughs up from now until your son is 21. If you like I can find out who my sister engaged to sort it out - I know it was done in South Africa but the methods are probably the same. PM me if you want me to find out for you.

Regards,

Paul

Deancm

It sounds to me that you don't even know what theft is. Go and look it up but for your benefit theft is:

"To dishonestly appropriate property belonging to another with the intention to permanetly deprive."

In order to be convicted of a theft charge the prosecutor has to prove the following:

1. There is an act of dishonesty
2. There is property that belongs to someone else
3. Property has been appropriated
4. Intent to keep said property permanently

Deancm

That is rubbish. The debt gets written of as a bad debt and claimed against tax/insurance.