kiwinow

So if someone dies aren't the next of kin liable for their debts? I always assumed that if my OH dies I would be responsible for paying off his personal debt.

I don't know about UK but I noticed a few months ago at a NZ international airport that they had signs up everywhere warning that trying to leave the country with debt may result in your not being allowed to leave. It didn't say what kind of debt or how much, and I don't know at what point they check that. Certainly students leave with massive student loans in the hope of earning UK money to pay them off. I suppose it must be large credit debt or tax owing.

If you leave credit card debt though how long before it would be written off, I wonder, or does it just keep accruing interest and sit there forever to bite you when you come back?

oliver1982

Depending on the balance, they might sell it on to an agency. First of all through their in-house 'pretend' agency and then to a real one. They often sell them in bulk for amounts much less than the actual balance. Some of the debts deemed to be dead losses are sold for a couple of £.

To recover it through the courts they first need a judgement in the UK against you, but for this they need a UK address. If they are informed that you have definitely left the country then they are unable to obtain one (but they can use your last known address if not informed otherwise) ... and NO, I haven't done this - It was my job. But you asked, so there's the answer.

lainey70

[QUOTE=kiwinow;6869391]So if someone dies aren't the next of kin liable for their debts? I always assumed that if my OH dies I would be responsible for paying off his personal debt.

I don't know about UK but I noticed a few months ago at a NZ international airport that they had signs up everywhere warning that trying to leave the country with debt may result in your not being allowed to leave. It didn't say what kind of debt or how much, and I don't know at what point they check that. Certainly students leave with massive student loans in the hope of earning UK money to pay them off. I suppose it must be large credit debt or tax owing.

If you leave credit card debt though how long before it would be written off, I wonder, or does it just keep accruing interest and sit there forever to bite you when you come back?[/QUOTE

It was 7 years, but I dont know if it has changed . Once it is moved on to a debt collectors the interest stops.

Three Legs

Bludgers ...

Thieves ...

Wrong 'uns ...

Call them what you will ...

Not the sort of people I'd like to associate with. It's one thing thinking it, but another doing it ...

It takes a certain mentality to pull a stunt like this and the upbringing of the individual has a huge influence on their actions.

Now can anyone lend me 20 cents for the meter?

3

Thydney

[QUOTE=lainey70;6881599] It's six for it to be removed from the records of CCJ but 7 years for your 'credit report'

Mikeyc

[QUOTE=Thydney;6882151] In Australia it's 5 years, 7 years if it's down as a skip.

Mikey

daviec33

Not the best of starts to a new life downunder by sneaking outta the UK leaving a ton of debt. I think it would be much better to leave knowing you can arrive back if required with no hassles.

These actions have a terrible way of catching up on you sometimes....

I like to think of it as the law of reciprocity!.

At the same time though....Judge not lest ye judged. :-p.

Personally I'm looking forward to arriving in Australia with a clean slate right across the board, no debts, no worries!.

Just my twopenny worth!

fisher lass

I was good friends with a person who had decided to move abroad in Europe. She asked if she could use my address just until she was sorted - Big mistake!!

She moved 6 years ago and even now I am geting letters for her from collection people. In total it amounts to £30K - bank loans, credit cards, catalogue. I know its illeagal to open the letters but I have tried to get the letters stopped by giving them her address but its not happened.

I know she comes back and forth to visit people and I am waiting to hear that at some point she has been arrested at the airport. It is bound to get her eventually.

Thydney

You don't get arrested for debt or imprisoned

Nice Guy

As I have said before, call me old fashioned but I have always believed honesty was and still is the best policy.

What is proposed is abhorrent and a beastly thing to do.

In the end as well 'we' all pay for their dreadful behaviour.

Simply terrible to even think of such a thing.

Mikeyc

Why would she be arrested? being in debt is not a crime! Also, Immigration/custom's etc having nothing at all to do with your credit file!

Mikey

fisher lass

She has no intention of paying it back!! Surely that is an offence - theft!

Thats the reason she left the UK.

The reason I mentioned this is a few years ago a friend of my husband worked abroad and one of the times he came home he was arrested at the airport, coming out of arrivals, for not paying child maintanence.

Just a thought

Mikeyc

Because child maintenance is different.

It’s like you can go to jail for not paying a fine of just 200 pounds, yet you cannot be arrested for not paying back a debt of say 50 grand!

The reason is, technically it’s not theft – your friend didn’t technically steel the money, the bank gave it to her. Bad lending, not theft.

That’s how people get away with it.

Mikey

Thydney

I suppose if she took it out without ever intending to repay it it would be fraud but they'd have a hell of a job proving it.

Mikeyc

Exactly.

It’s easy to do in cases where not a single payment has been made, but if they have made at least 1 payment then it’s very very hard to prove they took it without the intention of paying.

Mikey