struggling to make ends meet on a narrow boat

[handyman]

Hi everyone , I have just recieved back the results of my recent expenditure statement. My IP accepts all the normal household expenditure increases but not my mooring rent increase which has gone up from £150 to £200 a month. ( I live on a house boat on a private mooring ) My problem is that I cannot provide reciepts...for anything as it's all done by word of mouth or with a hand shake. My mooring fees are paid into our landlords ex wife's account. I suspect she has demanded more money from him and our mooring fees have gone up as a result!
The IP has excepted rises in LPG gas and electricity and red deisel which is for heating - again I cannot produce reciepts as these are payed off by other means.The only official reciepts I can produce are those from government agencies like British Waterways for licencing fees.
I'm Paying £500 a month into the IVA and I'm struggling to make ends meet living on a narrow boat so how you lot with a b***** mortgage manage I don't know.
Together with that Iv'e got a stroppy IP. He's someone Iv'e not worked with before. I'm on my third year. His company must be doing pretty well on IVA'S. They keep giving me different people to break in!!

[aguise]

Hi there Handyman
I am not a technical expert and as there is a meeting tonight the forum may be little slow to answer questions, but answers will come.
Do you have no proof of payment for the extra costs even bank transfers or statements. You should if not get some proof from now on. Tell the landlord you need a receipt for your own financial records.
This probably doesnt help but didnt want you to think no one was answering.

Ang

[carlmcmullen]

Post MOC is not my strong point and as aguise suggested Melanie or Ian will more than likely be along to confirm this.

I would suggest that a Bank transfer on your statment would be enough evidence, if not then you may want to get a contract or letter drawn up to confirm the fee's.

You are asking for a £50 reduction in your payment and normally the IVA proposal does allow your IP to reduce your IVA payment by up to 15% at there discrestion. This may mean you could possibly have to extend the IVA slighlty to make sure you meet the minimum dividend requirements.

Did your IP give you a good reason why they would not accept this increase as like u said they accepted the others without receipts

[MelanieGiles]

I have a client who also lives on a narrow boat, and have noticed large increases in costs in his case. I am also unfortunate to live out in the country where there is no piped gas, and have seen my LPG charges almost double over the last 2 years.

The discretion for the IP to reduce payments by up to 15% has only recently been introduced for new IVAs so as yours has been going for some time the IP will probably need to seek a formal variation of the IVA by the resolution of creditors at a newly convened meeting if you wish to seek a reduction in payments.

I did not, however, pick up from your post that you were actually looking for a reduction in payments, just that your IP was being enthusiastic about you producing receipts for expenditure. I don't think that his request is necessarily unreasonable, and you should be able to get receipts from your landlord if you are paying him fees. Why not write a letter confirming the amounts that you pay, and get your landlord to sign it?

[handyman]

Thank you for your replies.
Melanie your are correct in assuming I don't want a decrease in repayments. What I do want to avoid is an increase in payments as we are managing our outgoings at the moment.
The landlord letter is an idea but he's in Australia and is not the type of bloke who likes to acknowledge 'liability', if you get my meaning.
Anyway, I suppose I will have to write to the IP and ask him what he means by saying "your creditors might not accept the rent increase"
Perhaps he misinterpreted the increase statement as a possible demand by me to reduce payments. Perhaps, next time I do an expendeture review I might not be as honest about it as I should be.

Best Regards To all