just wondering, after reading about similar stuff in the US forum,
what happens if you move to spain and leave your debts behind, unpaid?

has anyone done it? what happens if you do, do they catch you?

God only knows. How would it be if someone declared themselves bankrupt?

In the UK it is one way to escape excessive student debts without too serious consequences.

Why do you ask featherbum? you about to do just that then?

It used to be that you couldn't be traced and after a certain amount of time the debts would be written off.......................but it depends on who the money is owed to.

If its a credit card company many if not most operate in Spain and they never forget.


Don't forget that by and large banks and utilities will chase smaller amounts with more vigour than larger debts, people are more likely to pay back say £500 than £5000, and if they are successful at retrieving 10 lots of £500 it makes more sense than risking someone declaring bankruptcy or one of the other routs ahead for those who owe money.


Many UK banks for one also have large interests or are now owned by Spanish companies.


Its getting harder to piss off and say bugger it all these days, I even know of one person being chased for council tax in Spain!!!

Not meaning to encourage anyone but, I should think it would be very easy to simply vanish here! Especially if you settle in an inland area without many ex-pats.
No phone book (probably no phone either!), no Ato Z, no road names etc, even the utilities companies can't find you and you have to meet them somewhere, same goes for deliveries!
Tim

What are you like mr VT - you are a right bad influence

I read on another site a debt advisor saying that if you move out of the EU then they really have not got much chance of getting at you, even if they know where you are. they can threaten and cajole, but bottom line is that they are stuffed.

I dont know though about Spain, although I would guess that with all the treaties between Spain and the UK its more than likely that they could get you some way.

I bet you there's a fair amount of people that flee Spain back to the UK with debts though.

well i was thinking, when you go to spain you need to open bank accounts, give your name for bills etc etc, so wouldnt they find you that way?


but then if the do find you, then what happens? cause i read somewhere that they cant ccj you if you dont have an address in the uk. And that the debts get written off in 6 years...?

not that i am planning any of this....

They would probably sell your debt to a Spanish agency maybe?

Only if they knew you were in Spain!
As I have said in the past, we probably did it the wrong way, but we just upped and left, Didn't tell anyone! Even the ferry ticket was a 3 day return!(only as it was much cheaper than a single!)
Tim

How does this work - The lad will be off to Uni in a year or so.
I remember a lad on TV a couple of years ago who was doing it - is it simply a case of being unable to have any credit for a couple of years or are there longer term consequences??

depends on your morals, but nothing happens

what happens in the UK if you are in the same position, its only the weak people that I find worry about it.

It used to be very easy to start again, it still is in someways, but the goverment in the UK now data share with so many agencies its hard to start again, but not impossible.

I was specifically refering to the Student loan - i.e. a 21 year old wipes out a 30k debt, gets a job and rents a place for a few years, before embarking on the housing ladder?

Can't see any downside - and morals went south when they introduced tuition fees.

sorry should have been replying to the OP not yourself, was just tucking into a juicy steak and the thread caught my eye, and I rushed my reply

A very close family friend moved to the costas some years ago.

A very very long story short he got into a late payments (less than 500 quid) with a popular credit card you can obtain worldwide due to him being in hospital for 4 months having his leg amputated.

They sold the debt on after ONE missed payment and once he got back he was trying to organize payment when he noticed there was an unexplained amount of money to which they couldn't prove what it was there for.

Refused to pay anything until they sort it and said then he would pay in full, 3 months later nothing from them, 1 month later he moves to Spain and within 2 months gets a letter through the post threatening legal proceedings.

Called them up to bitch and said he will only pay what he owes and nothing else and they said they would turn up on his doorstep if he doesn't pay the full amount (illegal)

That was 2 years ago and nothing since, ok it was a small amount but they DID find him somehow and that was just for a small amount of money!