A joke

[Patchie]

I have has depression on and off for over 40 years. I know how to cope with it but sometimes it can be too much. I have had experience a year or so ago where a visit from a bailiff sent me over the edge, I took a packing knife from my shop in front of him and walked away. I cut my left wrist several times though not too seriously came around to my senses and saw my doctor. The bailiff waited for my wife and daughter and charges for the time.
For my latest episode I saw High Court Collections from Market Rasen, even though these two jokers were from Ashford in Kent, a few months back over a debt. The debt wasn't a surprise but the way the company have dealt with it seems excessive. It got resolved badly. My wife was not too happy and my mental state at the time was rocky to say the least. I did get into my head that that was it with my wife, it wasn't but that was the way it seemed. I had told these two i did have mental health problems and seeing bailiffs or whatever they are was not helpful. They did manage to squeeze aŁ1000 from us - from my wife and my youngest son chipped in. My state of mind went and I went indoors, got a kitchen knife and walked off past these two men and stayed away for the night and the best part of the next day. Not a pleasant experience and could of ended badly. I did inform the company who had set this in motion what had happened and it got back to these two.
Last Thursday I was visited by these two again at my shop, which is the cause of most of my problems. To reduce tension I am in the process of closing the business. Not an easy decision but one I had to do. Anyway, one came into my shop and started talking loudly about things with one of my shop neighbours in the shop. He then started that he wanted money and so on. Managed to sort something out, not to my liking, but anything to get rid of him. He kept referring back to his partner who was sitting in a van - probably charged to me. He said that his partner wanted to see me. I met them outside my shop. The other man smiled and then opened his left hand and showed me a retractable stanley knife and asked if i needed to borrow it and obvious reference to the last time. It may of been his idea of a joke but it was not funny. He made a disparaging remark about our house having a new front door, that if we can afford that we can pay this. I explained that the door was paid for by money my wife had received from her late father just before he died at the end of May specifically for that purpose. The debt is on the business anyway not home so it is none of his business. Then he made a remark about my wife being frightening. She was not happy the day they called around previously - really it was the first time she has really lost it with me in thirty years of marriage - but it soon passed. She is a lower school teacher and as gentle as anything.
I got rid of both of them before i did something I regretted. I thought that certainly one of them had done wrong. I did some research and basically found out that he had. So far i have written to the Company and informed them of what I was doing so back off until things were sorted out. I have written to the Court Manager at Northampton Bulk Court explaining what had happened. I was also told by them not to talk to the company who started this - so i have written to them as well explaining what had happened and that is was under their name they were doing it. I have threatened with the OFT. Is there anything else that i can do?
I acknowledge i owe a debt. I have asked the company who started it that i will pay them what i owe as we have the funds - it is a little more complicated as they, as a publishing company, owe me money through royalties for my book. Their accountant is a bit too trigger happy. I expect that the MD will sort it out.
I am also wary of HCC as the fees they are asking for are bigger than the original debt. I want to hit them where ever I can how I can. I don;t see that they belong to a trade body which is another avenue of action so they seem a real bunch of cowboys. The Court I hope will not be happy.
So really that is my tale. That is what i have done. I just don't want to be alone in fighting this so amy suggestions what i can do let me know. I am currently fighting two developers who want to build retail parks in my town because they believe " the town needs a retail park". I also was at the forefront of fighting Tesco to a standstill so i am not frightened of taking these things on I just have not the skills or knowledge to fight this one. And I still battling depression but I will not let these people take advantage or take the mickey out of what is a serious illness which the collection industry actually contributes to.
Thanks for reading

Re: A joke

Please Please Please forget about fighting against a retail park and concentrate on your life whats more important?

:amen: to that wales01,,,sometimes in life we have to pass the gauntlets of battle to someone else as we have our own wars to concentrate on. I applauds patchies sentiments and the need to 'do' something against the developers but concentrating on them will NOT keep the wolf from the family door.
Patchie,,your wife and family are way way more important at the moment.I'm sorry to sound harsh but it's time to put them first.

[wales01man]

Re: A joke

Please Please Please forget about fighting against a retail park and concentrate on your life whats more important?

Re: A joke

Patchie - a while ago I sent you a prioritised list of taks to help you work through this. That list is still valid I believe.

While battling retail parks and sorting your son's roof may be kind of therapeutic for you, it won't sort out your problems. That's what you need to focus on.

Re: A joke

I would be inclined to sort my own life out first and deal with the other issues re your campaigns against developer when you have spare time..You can't chuck all your virtual balls in the air and deal with the ones you catch,thats daft.Sort your home business and personal life out first,the rest has to take it's place in the queue.Prioritise.

[Patchie]

Re: A joke

It is time for a deep breath and one foot over the precipice and get things sorted. It is where to start first - close the shop, find a job (not easy) sort the publishing out, sort out debts with no money, sort out accounts, help put up ceilings in my sons house, fight two developers over retail parks, compile information for a lawyer to write a letter to councillors telling them that retail parks are the wrong thing for my town I do the legwork he gets paid, sell my stock. sell my fixtures and fittings and take a lead role in the town's community forum. Or shall I just read a book?

[Hurricane Puffrose]

Re: A joke

Hey Patchie

sounds like you have a positive to work towards with the book publishing. Great news on that front!!

Re: A joke

I've replied on your other thread, here's a copy, I'll delete on the other thread.

Hello Patchie and welcome back, a very Happy New Year to you. So hun its new year so its a new start, yes you're feeling down, as you say you have five weeks to clear your shop, have you any idea where you will store the stock ? I was thinking maybe if you have one of those Big Yellow Self Storage type places near you, then how about you rent an area, clear the stock from the shops and store it in there. Then close the shop, walk away, we can formulate a letter to the creditors to inform them that you are no longer trading, after that its pretty simple, you just have any mail re-directed by the post office to the address of your choice, if and when you get letters you just send the bog standard reply that the business is no longer trading.
You can then concentrate on setting up your online shop/website, new name of course, then when you feel able start to list your stock on there and trade again.
I know its sounds harsh, that you are a man with morals, but this is business, its life and believe me there's others out there who would do the same and have no second thoughts about it, it goes on all the time, don't feel guilty hun, this is time for a fresh start, you will feel so much better for doing it.
Now have you told your wife and or family about all of this ? I would suggest that you at least let your wife know.

[Patchie]

Re: A joke

Right I am back. I am tired and apprehensive of the future but I want to sort these idiots out. I have the paperwork now what do you need?

Re: A joke

If they have genuine reason to believe it is on someone's property they can enter the premises I believe (PLODDER???????)

If there's nothing re business assets at your house, they can't lawfully touch you. The CCJ is in the name of the business I assume. Ideally dispose of all the business assets asap.

Re: A joke

Thats about it, close the business down, move the stuff out of the shop, store it in the garage if you have to, and hand the keys back, then breathe.

[Patchie]

Re: A joke

So if I move whatever I have left out of my house or store it on someone else's property they can't touch me? I only have a few weeks left if that in the shop.

Re: A joke

OK Patchie. They are trying to enforce a CCJ against your company, yes?

When you shut the company down by dissolving it or liquidating it, this debt will be written off. They cannot come after you personally for a company debt as long as you have no assets of the company at your house. This is one reason we're encouraging you to get this done!

[Patchie]

Re: A joke

So why are they coming from HCC or has this moved again to another company?

Re: A joke

http://thesheriffsoffice.com/