Annoyed!!

[Sarah]

I am sorry but i feel like i need to have a rant and as not many people know about my IVA i thought the best place to do it would be here! The story is.....
I have been in a IVA since June last year and pay £429 a month, back in Feb i got a new job with a big pay rise so i rang up the company that is dealing with my IVA and asked them to send me out a new expenditure form as my mum put my rent up by £200 (and quite rightly as i am 24 and was only paying £150) So they sent me the form i completed it all and told them that i could now afford £607 so quite a big increase and more money for them. SO a good thing, I then heard nothing and phoned up concerned and they said it can take a while but i was worried about the fact that my rent had already gone up and when it came giving them my pay slips and they took 50% that they would not take this into account but they said they can see when i submitted the form so they would take this into account. another few weeks past and they sent me out a comparison form for me to sign with the old amounts and new amounts and i sent this back to them....... have not heard anything since......until this week when they sent me my annual review form and asked me to confirm that i still want to pay £429 the original amount!!!!!!! So i phoned them up and said i have submitted a new form to say i can pay more ages a go... they then went to say they have no record of this and i mentioned the name of the person that had been dealing with it so they said they would get her to call me back... and they didn't .... i phoned them to chase them today and this guy was claiming that i can't increase my payments until my annual review!!!!! I said this was rubbish and that i was advised to do this as soon as i had my pay rise ... he then could not understand that i had already filled out the forms and said that when i was originally told to do it they were under the understanding that I wanted to decrease my payments and i could not increase them yet... i then started to get angry and said so what was the point in sending me the comparison form to sign... he then decided to look back at the notes and could see that i had done this but still said that my rent increase since Feb would not be taken into account!!!!!!!!!!!! I then got even angrier and at this point he started to fob me off and said that he will have to get the person that is dealing with my review to give me a call back!
I am so Angry how can they say that i can’t increase my payments until my annual review! How stupid is that!!!!!! I am really really sorry to go on! but it has helped!

[MelanieGiles]

Oops - this does sound a complete muddle! What is stopping you sending cheques for the increased amount in the meantime? I am sure that your IP will bank them rather than returning them! Suggest you speak to the IP directly and get them to investigate the muddle you are saying you are experiencing.

Regards, Melanie Giles, Insolvency Practitioner for over 20 years.

For further details contact me at http://www.melaniegiles.com and view my IVA blog at: http://melaniegiles.blogs.iva.co.uk

[Sadsack]

It is exactly scenarios such as this one that really gets my blood boiling! Here we are, deep in debt, struggling to make payments, and offering more to effect the best return to our creditors when we are able.

Its when we go back and read previous postings and threads regarding dealings with IVA companies that we realise that sometimes not all is well!!!

I guess I am being rather pedantic, but why does it take 4 people to get a letter out? One to type it, another to stuff it in an envelope, another one to post it and yet another to make sure that everyone has done it!!!! And then charge the earth to do it! Why can we not speak to the person at the IVA company who knows your case and is dealing with it almost constantly without having to be continually told that "I will need to speak to the person who is familiar with your case". I have found that in my dealings with my IVA company, many questions I have posed to them have come back with the response "I am not sure about that, I will need to check."

In an ideal world, when we phone our IVA company, surely everything is computerised affording the person answering the phone to punch your name into the computer and up pops the name of your IP. They could then say - "My name is Jo Bloggs and I am not familiar with your case. Jo Soap is dealing with it and I will put you through to him/her." SIMPLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ok - I'll get off my soap box now!

Sue

Ho Hum! Think I'll bang my drum!

Read My Blog
http://sadsack.blogs.iva.co.uk/

[aguise]

Hi Sarah
Extra payments can be made at any time, I do this every month with overtime and dont have to bother with cheques they just put an extra debiot through. Cant believe you want to pay more money and they wont let you, if not you could get a whopping bill atr review. Unless they would like to give you in writing that they wont take it.

Ang

[Sarah]

Thanks guys.... Melaine my mum does not know that i am in an IVA and therefore when i got the big pay rise she increased my rent.. I have now been told that my mum can't do that... i explained that i am still offering to pay £200 extra into my IVA and they said the creditors may be more leaneant but its up to them... Does this sound right to you... Do you think they will reject it?

[MelanieGiles]

Sarah

When you pay rent to your parents, it is always a little difficult to justify rent increases - and I can see the IP's point here to be honest. As your Mum does not know about your IVA, it would have been better to have remained silent about the payrise as well. I think that you should come clean with your Mum about your situation, and I am sure that she will be sympathetic and supportive.

Regards, Melanie Giles, Insolvency Practitioner for over 20 years.

For further details contact me at http://www.melaniegiles.com and view my IVA blog at: http://melaniegiles.blogs.iva.co.uk

[Sadsack]

Gosh Melanie!!!! Coming clean to MUM!!!!!! I have not seen my Mum for 2 years now and she arrives next week for a 6 week holiday and there is absolutely NO WAY that I could possibly tell her!!!!

Sarah, oh boy, I do not envy you! You have obviously got your reasons as to why you have not said anything to your Mum, (as I have)but whatever you choose to do, good luck.

Sue

Ho Hum! Think I'll bang my drum!

Read My Blog
http://sadsack.blogs.iva.co.uk/

[Skippy]

I remember telling my mum - I was terrified, but she was lovely. I went through the same thing again when I knew I was going to go BR, and again she was really understanding. She surprised me for a third time last night when I confessed I've got a tattoo (I've had it for 8 years but hadn't got around to telling her!) - she said that she's thought of having one! I nearly choked - she's 76!!! She was fine when I said I'm thinking of having another one as well - she never ceases to amaze me!

Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, today is the present - a gift to make the most of.

View my blog at http://skippy13.blogs.iva.co.uk/

[iva_squirrel]

This is a difficult situation sarah but I’m afraid I agree with Melanie. Maybe you should try to come clean with your mum, how bad can it be?

All the best,
Regards,

Michelle P.

[zoe]

Hi there
I agree with everyone.
I could not tell my husband, i thought he would leave me.
I eventually got myself under so much pressure in December and could not talk to anyone about it that i attempted to take my own life. Obviously he found out everything then, he was so supportive. Very angry at first but has been great. i wondered if i had told him before i would not have had so much of a problem.
I understand that this was very extreme and i am not for one minute suggesting that you would do this, but just trying to say it is never as bad as you think!
Zoe
xx

[alan1951]

Melanie,

If someone was living with their parents and in effect paying the 'market value' for the room, then wouldn't there be a justification for a rent increase if the rental values of rooms in the area increased??

I don't see why living with parents is any different to commercial renting.

Alan

[aguise]

I agree alan
Surely £150 is not enough for rent and if a big wage rise mum should be entitled to some more.

Ang

[freelili]

I didnt want to tell my mom I was in debt either, I was also worried about the rest of my family knowing. I kept making excuse after excuse about not going out with them, I almost lost touch completely. Then I just told her, I hadnt planned it she became annoyed with me after asking yet again to meet up, go for a meal. I just confessed, broke down and sobbed it all out. Within 24 hours the family rallied, I was really ashamed but, they were great. Mom said she would support me whatever I did, she offered me the money and I refused, my debt, my problem, I never wanted their money, just a way forward. Two months later my Mom died, it was not expected at all. I am sooo glad now that the family know as I would never have survived this time trying to pretend, like I was before.

Its really your decision to tell or not, however hard it is now, it feels soooo much better being honest and living honestly.

Whatever you decide to do, we will always be here with support.

Good luck

LILY

I believe that angels breathe and love will live on and never leave. I cherish all you gave me everyday.

[Skippy]

I agree about the rent Alan - surely it's not fair to expect our parents to let us live at home for virtually nothing? You really do need to tell your mum Sarah as 5 years is a long time to struggle on keeping something like this a secret. I'm sure your mum will surprise you - I got a 'look' and after that everything was fine. She even spoke to my uncle for me to make sure he gave me cash rather than a cheque for Christmas as I didn't like to ask!

Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, today is the present - a gift to make the most of.

View my blog at http://skippy13.blogs.iva.co.uk/

[freelili]

My brother always gives me vouchers.

Sarah, my own daughter will make mistakes, and if she deals with them as you have, I would be proud of her.

LILY

fly me up to where you are beyong the distant star, I will wish upon tonight, to see you smile, only for a while, to know youre there, a breath away is not too far, to where you are.