www.iva.co.uk

Hi All

I have just found this site and wish I had found it earlier!!! I was hoping you would be able to give me a bit of advice.

My IVA was approved almost 2 years ago now. I thought that would be the end of my worries but it seems not!!! I use Blair Endersby as my IP and to be honest I think they are absolutely useless. They wrote to me about this time last year to do my 1st year Annual income & expenditure review. I needed to change some figures so wrote it on the form and sent it back to them - as ststed int he letter if there were any changes. They then claimed to have lost it so I had to redo it. They suggested a telephone appointment with my account manager to sort it all out and made a date for this. They never called. I then get a call from the accounts department telling me I was in arrears?!? I told them I was awaiting a telephone review as I didnt accept my payments should be going up and was waiting for someone to call me back to discuss. They rearranged another time for a telephone appointment for me. They never called!!! This went on and on and I never got this review last year even after having 3 arranged call dates and times with them plus other calls I made trying to sort it out but no one could ever help.

Now it has come to this years review and again nothing but problems. They seem to pick figures out of the air and in their first letter reckoned I owed them over £400 - i dont think so!!!

I really am at my wits end with this company. Over the last 2 years I have had threatening letters from them telling me I am in breach of my IVA for not forwarding information to them but had never received any letter asking for any information.

This is just one of the few problems I have had with them.

I think I am right in thinking I am unable to change companies now?? Also I am wondering if bankruptcy might now be the best option as I have no assets and I am living in rented accomodation. Not having to deal with Blair Endersby any more would be worth it!

Are there any future financial implications that would be easier after/during an IVA than being bankrupt? ie getting a mortgage

Is it worth trying to stick it out for the next 3 years 4 months and pay creditors back or go down the bankruptcy route and be free of it in a year??

Would I be allowed to get a joint mortgage at any time in the next few years going down either route??


Sorry for the length I got carried away once I started typing!!

I would have a chat with BE and tell then that unless you get some satisfaction from then you will fail your IVA and make yourself bankrupt. It sounds like they are giving you a terrible service.

If you go BR now it will stay with you on your credit file for 6 years,if you stick with the iva it should drop off your credit file 6 years after it started. Both will cause problems with getting a mortgage(larger deposit required and less lenders will to lend you money).

You cant change companies.

Hi Yorkie. Sorry to hear about your troubles and hopefully they can be resolved quickly. B&E do post on this site and may be able to help you if they pick up this thread.You could email your IP directly with your concerns and hopefully everything can be resolved.

You are right that it is very difficult to change IPs while in an IVA but it would be unnecessary if your problems can be sorted with B&E. Bankruptcy is certainly an option but you could receive a three year income payments order which is all that is left in your IVA.

As to future mortgages it is difficult as products change all the time but there does not appear to be much distinction between IVAs and bankruptcies when the companies make their decisions. If it was a joint mortgage application it may be better to put it in the other party's sole name until your credit file cleared up but a mortgage broker such as Welshboy who posts here could advise properly as and when the mortgage was needed.

Thanks for the advice.

What is the 3 year income payment order??

Blair Endersby have been the ones telling me that they may not pass my annual review and if that was the case my IVA would be classed as defaulted and they would pass me back to my creditors and I would be back at square 1. They also said they wouldnt declare me bankrupt.

My IP is aware of all the problems due to many lengthy calls with them and promise to call me back which I have chase it up again. They also ignore that I cannot talk when I am at work I have lost count of the times I have told them I can only talk after 3.30!!!

In bankruptcy you can be made to pay a percentage of your surplus for three years. It depends on where you live as different ORs have different views and guidelines but regardless is normally less than the amount paid into an IVA as the allowances are more generous.

Write or email your IP directly as you may have been dealing with the case manager or other staff and I am sure your complaints will be dealt with effectively.

Might mention it to them next time they ring - am waiting on a call back!!

I currently pay just over £200 a month

They dont have to make you bankrupt,you can do that yourself,so by telling you they wont make you bankrupt they are basically trying to scare you into sticking it out with them.

What a low down cheap tactic!!!

Yes thats the impression I got was that they were trying to scare me by telling me I would be back at square one and put back in touch with my creditors and have them chasing me again.

sian get some indpendent advice in bankruptcy, payment orders are not always implemented ,if it was it would be smaller than your monthly payments in your iva, your creditors and ip remaining dividends would be vastly reduced.

Hi Yorkie.

I too am with the same company & I completely understand how you feel & your concerns about them.
I do get letters asking for my husbands pay slips & I got a review form 2 months before my first review. Which was drastically wrong as I had a review done 4 months before. My main complaint with them is you dont get the same answer each time you ring & they dont confirm any changes that have been made in writing. They are quite stroppy on the phone - when they ring you, I have found.
Because of finding this site early in my IVA I started writing to them as well as phoning them & keeping a record of it all. And As I they never seem to confirm anything in writing, I send they a letter asking for confirmation of what was stated over the phone. I still never getting it in writing only re confirmed over the phone - which I dont trust 100%.
I too have recently had annual report sent to me which has gone to the creditors, which stated I had missed a payments but did not default my arrangement. I have never missed a payment. We also had a 11 month payslip review which stated all my husbands over time 50% part had been paid - no arrears there.
So I phoned them up to question the missed payment part & all I got was are you in arrears in overtime - NO! N then they said the review may of been carried out before a payment was in. I never paid my first payment before my creditors meeting but they added it & spread it over the first 3 months. I still had "admin fees" to pay before hand.
I don't know if this helps but you have to be on the ball with them when they are supposed to be looking after you & your creditors. I too have thought of bancruptcy due to an extremely low budget that they enforced & the thought of getting through the next 4 years with them.
But I am determined & so is my Husband to stick it out & hopefully get through this.

Sorry to keep on waffling.

The one thing I can commend them on is they did read my last letter regarding changes to my I&E. As my annual review which went to the creditors was spot on with what I put on my I&E in my letter - which was different to the one done in december due to moving house.
They also said on the phone when I questioned them about my missed payment which I had not, that "there is positively nothing wrong with your IVA". I have still had to amend my figures to fit my IVA agreement as being told the creditors would expect me to reduce my Outgoings to fit it. And its been very hard on the budget I have been set on & glad they accepted my increases - though they are not enough. I just hope they keep on the same track & continue too, with two little boys only getting bigger & the cost of living I hope they understand, if we could pay more then we would.

I am sorry that you have had problems getting in contact with us. Please contact us at IP@blairendersby.co.uk giving your account number or name and postcode and we will get back to you.