Post-college crisis
Question
I owe £3,500 to a college I attended last year. I didn't pay the money at the time because I was dealing with the death of a close friend. I still owe the college the money and now bailiffs have called at my parents' home.
Although I can pay most of the money now, it'll take time for me to pay the rest of it and I'm really worried about the whole thing. Is there a way I can pay my debt direct to the creditor (college) or the court, without having to incur the extra bailiff fines?
Answer
Unfortunately, there are no hard and fast rules about this kind of thing, so it's difficult to give you a straight answer.
It might be possible to negotiate with the college you attended. You can explain to them exactly how much you can pay immediately, and set out a payment plan for the remaining money. When you do this, make sure your offer is within your ability to pay. It might also help to send the college a break down of your income and expenditure.
Finally, in your letter you should also ask the college to stop the bailiffs calling at your parents as this is causing them distress. If you continue to have problems you may want to get face-to-face advice from your local CAB.
Updated: 01/03/2005
Question answered by CAB
