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I started an IVA in June 2006 with Blair Endersby. Myself and husband tried to get a joint IVA but this was refused so they told me it would be just in my name. Therefore my husband sorted himself out a payment plan with a debt management company (who have been brilliant. The initial IVA amount was set at £209 a month but one creditor HFC loans asked for it to be set at £260, which was a struggled but I managed it. Then HFC also went after my husband saying that as the initial loan was in joint names he should be responsible. I spoke to BE who said HFC were getting paid by me through BE. HFC My hubbys debt management people then spoke to HFC and agreed that my hubby would take out a loan with HFC for the entire amount interest free over 10 yrs which he would pay through the management company. It took BE a year to remove HFC from my IVA and the payments were put back to £209 which all existing creditors were happy with. I had a letter in Oct 2010 saying they would like my payments to increase to £362 so I rang and said I couldnt manage that and the lady said to just keep paying £209 as before and they would keep the standing order as it was. My last payment was made in July 2011, and still I am not debt free! This is a complete nightmare. BE have been taken over by Grant Thornton who now say that because I didnt increase my payments in Oct 10 (despite the conversation with BE) I still owe £1500! A year has passed and I mustve rang at least once a month to see if my case has been closed as I am waiting for my certificate, yet they never returned my calls or emails. Today they tell me I have to pay the £1500 or will never get the closure certificate which I need to get on with my life. Please help as this has been a complete nightmare and I am at a loss of what I can do.

HI Angela.07 Welcome to the forum
Do you have anything in writing from BE to say your payments could continue at the lower rate. If not I fear you might just have to continue making payments until the arrears are paid. It will be the only way to get your IVA closed unless GT would be willing to accept payments made to date as total due which it sounds like they wont.

Unless you have something in writing and for your own sanity and to reduce your stress it might just be better to pay it and be able to put it behind you and get on with your life.

Hi

What a nightmare

As Peejayel has said if you have something to confirm the conversation then you should produce it and ask GT to close your case, otherwise work out a payment plan to clear the £1500 so that you can move on.

Regards

Hi, did you keep any letters or emails? Its really bad what has happened to you and I hope gt sort it out. Its ridiculous really. Did they say why they wanted it increased in the first place to 362? Its terrible you have ad to chase them for a year and now this :/

Hi, Thank you all for your replies. I will be digging out all my payslips from the year which they are now questioning, but as I havent had a pay rise in 5 years, I really cant understand it. I'm kind of resigning myself to having to pay it off as its my word against theirs, but would they be open to making a payment plan as there is no way I can pay it all in one go?

Sorry- had to register under aother name as it wouldnt let me post in here.

Hi, just put a letter in with the ayslips saying just that and what they said about not having to pay the higher payment. If you do have to pay it they should let you pay in instalments, but challenge it first. Hope it works out for you

Thank you, Gina> I will certainly try. I also received a letter today saying a company called EIC will be getting in touch to see if any money is due to me or my IVA from the amounts paid. I always understood this would happen at the end of the IVA, not when they are trying to get more money out of me? Any ideas?

Its a ppi firm. They see if you have been mis sold. It will take a whle to investigate and the monies will be released into your iva. The earlier on in your iva it happens the better so it doesn't hold up completion.

I do think that this firm need to take a relatively lenient line with their new clients as a result of the handover of cases. It is clear that there have been many mistakes in the handling of some of the cases prior to their involvement, and where there is doubt and a poor audit trail I would have thought it would be better to go with the client's recollections. If you are able to prove that you could only have afforded the lower sum over the period they say the arrears relate to, then this should be a simple matter to resolve and get the case closed. I feel for all parties involved in this sorry exercise.

Thanks Melanie. I've gone through bank statements online tonight and nothing has changed (except a decrease in child tax credit) so I will spend the weekend printing statements off and will ring them on Monday to see what figures they are basing the 'increase' on. I will keep you informed.
Thanks again

Angela sorry to hear of the problems you have been having just when you thought you had repaid your IVA good luck for Monday

Hope you can get this sorted - what a total nightmare!!

Good luck for Monday and let us know how you get on.

Good morning Angela.07

Thank you for your post above.

Please contact us in order that we can advise you as to what options may be available to you in relation to this matter. Ultimately, we as the current supervisor are having to place reliance on the work carried out by the former supervisor but we are not inflexible and will look at each case on its own merits.

We can be contacted on 0844 855 2166 or by email to ivacustomerservices@uk.gt.com - please put "IVA Forum" in the subject line.

We look forward to hearing from you.

Kind regards

Grant Thornton

You are having some serious problems here like others. Iwould report them to the OFT and ombudsman. That way it will get invetsigated straight away.
It seems all the IVA companies are trying to diddle us for as much money that they can ghet their hands on including ppi...

Hi,
I have emailled Grant Thornton as instructed. Unfortunately I cant ring them until Thursday as I am at work til then, but I will let you all know how I get on.
Thanks again