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need legal advice

need legal advice

Old Oct 16th 2006, 2:18 pm
  #1  
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Default need legal advice

guys

My wife left the Uk moving back the the U.S. She left her unpaid loan in the U.K and she is now getting letters to her in the U.S saying they are going to pass to a collection agency. My question is , if she has left the country will they be able to collect the debt ?
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Old Oct 16th 2006, 2:33 pm
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Default Re: need legal advice

Originally Posted by stepowell
guys

My wife left the Uk moving back the the U.S. She left her unpaid loan in the U.K and she is now getting letters to her in the U.S saying they are going to pass to a collection agency. My question is , if she has left the country will they be able to collect the debt ?
probably.
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Old Oct 16th 2006, 2:39 pm
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Default Re: need legal advice

Originally Posted by stepowell
guys

My wife left the Uk moving back the the U.S. She left her unpaid loan in the U.K and she is now getting letters to her in the U.S saying they are going to pass to a collection agency. My question is , if she has left the country will they be able to collect the debt ?
Doesn't she want to pay it?

Why shouldn't she?
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Old Oct 16th 2006, 2:50 pm
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Default Re: need legal advice

Originally Posted by stepowell
guys

My wife left the Uk moving back the the U.S. She left her unpaid loan in the U.K and she is now getting letters to her in the U.S saying they are going to pass to a collection agency. My question is , if she has left the country will they be able to collect the debt ?

If you really need legal advice - go get a lawyer. Is a genuine oversight or a deliberate attempt to avoid paying the debt?
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Old Oct 16th 2006, 2:51 pm
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Default Re: need legal advice

Originally Posted by stepowell
guys

My wife left the Uk moving back the the U.S. She left her unpaid loan in the U.K and she is now getting letters to her in the U.S saying they are going to pass to a collection agency. My question is , if she has left the country will they be able to collect the debt ?
Do a search on here for lots of threads on the subject. I have seen people say they have just stopped paying uk debts with no side effects but I have also seen people say they have had US collection agencies coming after sub 100 GBP debts. As with anything legal relating on here your best bet would be to talk to a lawyer.
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Old Oct 16th 2006, 2:55 pm
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Default Re: need legal advice

Originally Posted by stepowell
guys

My wife left the Uk moving back the the U.S. She left her unpaid loan in the U.K and she is now getting letters to her in the U.S saying they are going to pass to a collection agency. My question is , if she has left the country will they be able to collect the debt ?
It depends to be honest, i used to work for a debt collection management agency in the UK and some people who moved abroad we gave up on as there was no way we could collect the debt... a lot of people used to run up shit loads of debts, get out lots of loans and run off to spain and live happily ever after.
I know there is a loop hole in the law also but honestly dont know enough to give you solid advice...

is it worth it though? always thinking that you are going to have people running after you for this money? the stress would drive me nutty.

Also when/if she goes back she will be screwed.

definetly see a lawyer though like everyone else has said
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Old Oct 16th 2006, 3:03 pm
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Default Re: need legal advice

she has no intention of returning to the U.K so im unsure if a debt collection agency in the Uk could pass or sell the debt to a U.S agency

Originally Posted by sugarcoated
It depends to be honest, i used to work for a debt collection management agency in the UK and some people who moved abroad we gave up on as there was no way we could collect the debt... a lot of people used to run up shit loads of debts, get out lots of loans and run off to spain and live happily ever after.
I know there is a loop hole in the law also but honestly dont know enough to give you solid advice...

is it worth it though? always thinking that you are going to have people running after you for this money? the stress would drive me nutty.

Also when/if she goes back she will be screwed.

definetly see a lawyer though like everyone else has said
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Old Oct 16th 2006, 3:06 pm
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Default Re: need legal advice

There are internation debt recovery companies in the US who will collcect on behalf of UK insititutions.

I had a credit card from the bank I worked at in the UK, that I thought I had paid off, but had not, when I moved here. A collection agency sent me a letter explaining this and soI paid it off straightaway, rather than fight it, as it was legitimate debt.

They can come after you as long as they have correct contact information for you.
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Old Oct 16th 2006, 3:08 pm
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Default Re: need legal advice

Originally Posted by stepowell
guys

My wife left the Uk moving back the the U.S. She left her unpaid loan in the U.K and she is now getting letters to her in the U.S saying they are going to pass to a collection agency. My question is , if she has left the country will they be able to collect the debt ?

Hopefully!!!
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Old Oct 16th 2006, 3:29 pm
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Default Re: need legal advice

Originally Posted by stepowell
she has no intention of returning to the U.K so im unsure if a debt collection agency in the Uk could pass or sell the debt to a U.S agency

So she is deliberately not paying this in the hopes that she can steal the money and live happily ever after?
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Old Oct 16th 2006, 3:33 pm
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Default Re: need legal advice

Originally Posted by stepowell
she has no intention of returning to the U.K
sometimes the choice isn't made for her.

Britt Eklund and Peter Sellers daughter was just deported back.........rare I know.....but shit happens
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Old Oct 16th 2006, 3:39 pm
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Default Re: need legal advice

the fact that they have the address already means that they can have it followed up...
if they didnt have her address it would be a completely different story.

Basically companies sell debts to debt collection agencys.. so if its been sold to an American debt collection agency then they will do their absolute best to get that money because you now owe THEM and not the original loan company..

so, if the american company has the debt then yes... she will have to pay it.

I know there is a law in the UK where even if someone turns round and says that they can only afford to pay ten pounds a month then thats all they have to pay.. they do take into consideration wages etc.

i dont know if that stands in the USA though...

If it was a huge amount she is obviously more likely to be hounded for it rather than a small amount, but i also assume that if it has chased her internationally then it is a pretty large amount...

try and talk to someone and see if you can pay a tiny amount monthly.. i cant see it vanishing anytime soon..

sorry for such a long post.
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Old Oct 16th 2006, 3:42 pm
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Default Re: need legal advice

Originally Posted by stepowell
she has no intention of returning to the U.K so im unsure if a debt collection agency in the Uk could pass or sell the debt to a U.S agency
Does she have a career? A background check can (and did in my case) include a UK credit check as well as other checks.

Why shouldnt she pay the debt that she has run up? Doesnt she find the idea of dishonestly avoiding this at the very least uncomfortable? Rhetorical questions really as I gather that avoiding paying the debt is the consideration.
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Old Oct 16th 2006, 4:28 pm
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Default Re: need legal advice

Originally Posted by stepowell
guys

My wife left the Uk moving back the the U.S. She left her unpaid loan in the U.K and she is now getting letters to her in the U.S saying they are going to pass to a collection agency. My question is , if she has left the country will they be able to collect the debt ?
Wow, I should have just run up a load of credit cards and legged it....
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Old Oct 16th 2006, 4:28 pm
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Default Re: need legal advice

Originally Posted by stepowell
she has no intention of returning to the U.K so im unsure if a debt collection agency in the Uk could pass or sell the debt to a U.S agency
Right. Thats a definite maybe for sure. 5 yrs down the road and she decides she misses chocolate and beer too much to stay and tries to get a bank acct. Bingo.

Are there "statutes of limitations" on stuff like this in the UK, like you find in the US? She could go on the lamb until the heat is off.
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