past debts.

The Come back with a warrant doormat. Ingenious? Whatever floats your boat I guess.
Debt collectors are bastards. I wonder how they sleep at night. But I guess it's just a job to them.
Preparing for this Shelter event on Wednesday has dragged up some very black times when we were penniless homeless and in masses of debt. And hounded.... My god mercilessly hounded by bailiffs and debt collectors.
Unless you know your rights, it's very hard to deal with these full on threatening men. If you've ever watched one of those bailiff programmes you'll have some idea... Except they really are 10 times worse.
Once a collector at the door was getting no where with me. What I didn't have he couldn't have. He left. Then returned 5 minutes later. Was that my car parked outside? It's just he noticed the drivers side tyre was flat, he was worried I'd drive off with the kids in the car and have an accident.
I was touched. What a nice man. Luckily I mentioned it to my debt advice lady later in the day. She was livid. It was a well known ploy to get someone to admit to owning a vehicle and then they'd clamp and take it later in the day.
The car was on hire purchase, it was the loan companies not mine. She phoned them and expressed her annoyance at the back handed tactics.
Then once in the temporary house, the bailiffs came for council tax. They banged so loud the kids screamed in fear. They said they'd be back in 30 minutes to take all the furniture unless I coughed up.
I phoned Shelter crying. They said to calm down, tell the men this was a furnished temp house. Not to let them in and Shelter would sort it.
Later in the year I was visited by someone from the local press. The debt agency horrified at the under handed council tactics or terrifying people asked us to give our story to help others in similar situations.
We did.I was embarrassed really, our pictures and story over the local press. Yes, they were hard times.
But if you find yourself in a similar situation, don't despair. There are great organisations out there who will help.
And don't forget. Never let the bastards in. If you refuse to open the door there is NOTHING they can do. Plus remember the car ruse thing.
There's no such thing as a nice bailiff.
You know what though? All those debts were eventually paid off. None were written off. There was no need for all that terror and stress.
Bastards.