# Credit card debt, living outside the state



## droid (28 Mar 2011)

My partner owes 2k on an AIB credit card.
We live in the UK now, but he's not working and not entitled to any UK jobseekers. His income really is "zero".

AIB threatened him with legal measures, so we replied with a MABs-template letter explaining his unemployment status, zero income and offering to provide a schedule of income & debts. There was no reply.

My question is : what will happen next?

Offering revised terms seems pointless given that he can't pay a cent. I'm not going to pay it, and we're not married in any case. Will they write it off?


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## UFC (28 Mar 2011)

droid said:


> Will they write it off?



Unlikely.

I'm assuming your partner will be able to pay it back at some stage in the future?


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## Lsquared (29 Mar 2011)

If I were in your shoes I would continue to make a small regular payment into the account on behalf of your partner as a sign of good faith. Im sure your partner will repay you when he is in a position to. Im assuming that at some point he will be able to earn again. Why dont the two of you sort out a payment and repayment plan between yourselves so that your partner does not have a black mark against his credit rating for what is a relatively small balance.


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## horusd (29 Mar 2011)

Lsquared said:


> If I were in your shoes I* would continue to make a small regular payment into the account on behalf of your partner as a sign of good faith. Im sure your partner will repay you when he is in a position to*. Im assuming that at some point he will be able to earn again. Why dont the two of you sort out a payment and repayment plan between yourselves so that your partner does not have a black mark against his credit rating for what is a relatively small balance.


 

I don't want to be overly sceptical but the OP's partner isn't paying a debt already incurred whatever the reason, and you cannot assume he will pay his partner back. The debt is his, and the OP is right not to pay it imo.As Shakespeare once said, "neither a borrower nor a lender be".  I always apply this motto to personal relationships.  It keeps them clean and helps them last.


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## Bronte (29 Mar 2011)

What will happen next?  

For a debt that small I reckon AIB will write it off and your boyfriend will not be able to get credit for some time as his ICB record will be marked.


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## droid (29 Mar 2011)

Lsquared said:


> If I were in your shoes I would continue to make a small regular payment into the account on behalf of your partner as a sign of good faith. Im sure your partner will repay you when he is in a position to. Im assuming that at some point he will be able to earn again. Why dont the two of you sort out a payment and repayment plan between yourselves so that your partner does not have a black mark against his credit rating for what is a relatively small balance.



I am reluctant to do this as I don't feel any responsibility for his debt (i.e. I have enough of my own). I have been covering our rent and living expenses, including joint medical/dental, for almost two years now and really cannot afford to pay off his debt.


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## Time (29 Mar 2011)

Then don't. You are not morally or legally obliged to pay.


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## johnnygman (29 Mar 2011)

It will of course be written off! This debt will be listed as uncollectable in due course and sold on to a debt collection agency at a massive loss. His ICB will be affected but if you intend living in the UK this may not have an impact loan approval in the UK when he is back in a position of emplyment/earning again unless English creditor checked ICB which is unlikely.


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## droid (6 May 2011)

Update

He recently received a phishing letter from some genealogy company looking to confirm his address, promptly followed by a letter from Global Debt Recovery Ltd (address in England).

Does this mean his debt has been sold to a pack of thugs, or is AIB just rattling his cage?


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## Time (6 May 2011)

Just sabre rattling.


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## droid (6 May 2011)

Update #2

The debt is still owned by AIB -- I've no idea why they resort to an English company for sending out Armageddon letters.

AIB say it's been charged-off as a bad debt since 11/2010 (reported to ICB) and referred (but not sold??) to GDR Ltd in 04/2012.

So... if the debt is already written-off should he resume making payments (to prevent it being "sold" to GDR) or can he now forget about it entirely?


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## sadie (6 May 2011)

Its been written off but sold to a debt collection agency. 

So the debt collection agency may now pursue you. 

This happened to me, but the other way around. Lived in London just after college. Ran up a small debt of 500 euros on a card (seemed huge at the time). Wrote them the 'I can't pay and I'm going home to Ireland' letter. No reply. 

Few weeks later in Dublin, a guy calls around to my front door on a Saturday morning asking for a payment!!!
So I arranged to pay the company installments every month because I didn't want someone turning up at the house like that looking for money off me.

So you will received badly written aggressive 'legal' letters. 
Then someone may call to your house (maybe they aren't allowed to do that in the UK, you should check this out). 
Their method is make your life hell with low grade harassment, until you just pay up to get them off your back.


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## Time (6 May 2011)

Same rules apply in the UK. Unless they own the debt there is nowt they can do expect refer it back to AIB if you won't pay them. AIB would have to take you to court to collect.


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## oldnick (6 May 2011)

just as a matter of interest since you mentioned it  - are you still paying the rent, living expences, medical etc  ?
Sorry, no relevance to the card debt, just wondering .


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