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Marstons on behalf of the legal aid agency. Please help

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  • Marstons on behalf of the legal aid agency. Please help

    Hi,

    this is is my first post. I was just wondering if anyone could help me.

    Ill try try to be as detailed as possible.


    In January 2011 I was convicted of attempting to remove money from the country on behalf of someone else and sentenced to 150 hours community service and a 10 month suspended sentence after pleading guilty.

    When I was arrested I was unemployed and had to get a legal aid lawyer. I informed them I was unemployed after losing my job when I was arrested and my solicitor said I wouldn't have to pay any legal aid. He came to my partners flat where I was living with loads of forms and asked me loads of questions. He asked how much equity was in the flat and I said about £10000 but that although we lived together the flat was solely hers. He said don't worry you won't have anything to pay.

    After the case I was called by Rossendales and told I owed £4000. I said there must be a mistake as I was unemployed and couldn't afford anywhere near that amount.

    Later they told me it was £13000 but they would accept £4000. I told them to contact my solicitor as he told me I would have nothing to pay.

    I was bombarded by phone calls and texts and the worry and stress lent to the break up of my partner and I attempted suicide. I buried my head in the sand and ignored it and thought the problem had gone away.

    In august I received a letter from marstons saying that a bailiff would be attending my mums home where I am staying.

    I managed to set up a payment plan for £200 a month but being self employed I lost my job 4 weeks ago. I found a new job immediately.

    I called marstons and rearranged the payment plan but didn't realise I was working a month in hand. Consequently when I got paid I only got two weeks money to last a month.
    I also got the dates mixed up and thought I was due to pay on the 15th. It turns out it was the 10th.

    I've called them today to try to rearrange the plan but they said they don't tolerate missed payments and now the balance is due in full. With bailiffs fees it's close to £5000.

    After my outgoings I'm left with around £350 a month.
    My credit rating is 0 .

    Marstons have told me I need to get family and friends to lend me at least half the balance to be able to rearrange a payment plan.

    I have a 4 month old daughter and a fiancée,
    I am finally trying to sort my life out but if it wasn't for those two I'd probably top myself.

    Can anyone give me any advice as to how I can ask them to allow me to pay monthly?
    I've been terrible with money in the past but just want to get everything sorted out for my family. And provide for them.
    Is bankruptcy an option?

    I also don't want to put my mum through the fear of bailiffs.

    sorry for the garbled message
    Last edited by Kati; 18th November 2014, 12:43:PM.
    Tags: None

  • #2
    Re: Marstons on behalf of the legal aid agency. Please help

    I forgot to add that over the course of a year between mid 2011/2012 I tried contacting my solicitor to discuss the matter with him and was constantly told he was out of the office or in a meeting and never returned my voicemails or answered his mobile to me.

    Comment


    • #3
      Re: Marstons on behalf of the legal aid agency. Please help

      Hi Tony, welcome to LB
      I'm sure you will get lots of advice from the knowledgeable Beagles!

      K x
      Debt is like any other trap, easy enough to get into, but hard enough to get out of.

      It doesn't matter where your journey begins, so long as you begin it...

      recte agens confido

      ~~~~~

      Any advice I provide is given without liability, if you are unsure please seek professional legal guidance.

      I can be emailed if you need my help loading pictures/documents to your thread. My email address is Kati@legalbeagles.info
      But please include a link to your thread so I know who you are.

      Specialist advice can be sought via our sister site JustBeagle

      Comment


      • #4
        Re: Marstons on behalf of the legal aid agency. Please help

        Originally posted by Kati View Post
        Hi Tony, welcome to LB I'm sure you will get lots of advice from the knowledgeable Beagles!K x
        Thank you Kati. I'll try to elaborate and give more details when I get home.

        Comment


        • #5
          Re: Marstons on behalf of the legal aid agency. Please help

          Has there been any form of court order made regarding the alleged legal aid costs? Did the " bailiff " show any kind of court order to you?
          Had been contacted by any other party in regard to this matter.

          It is totally out of order for the bailiff to demand you borrow money to pay this!

          Comment


          • #6
            Re: Marstons on behalf of the legal aid agency. Please help

            When you do post back could you provide details of the amount of fees charged by the bailiff company.

            Comment


            • #7
              Re: Marstons on behalf of the legal aid agency. Please help

              Hi all,

              i need to to dig the paperwork out, (i moved house last week) but it's aroind £495 for bailiffs fees in total each time

              Comment


              • #8
                Re: Marstons on behalf of the legal aid agency. Please help

                I think there has been a court order. Again I need to dig the paperwork out

                Comment


                • #9
                  Re: Marstons on behalf of the legal aid agency. Please help

                  Originally posted by TonyL View Post
                  I think there has been a court order. Again I need to dig the paperwork out
                  It would appear the solicitor who dealt with this originally holds all the answers. You need to write to him/her (send the letter recorded/signed for post) outline your query and request an explanarion, within your letter stipulate a time frame that you see to be acceptable to provide the information you seek ie; 10 working days from the date of the letter. I say write as that will give you a paper trail to what could follow.

                  Next send a copy of that letter along with an explanation (as you have given in your post above) to the acting court and request all enforcement be put on hold until you get a response from the solicitor, copy everything to Marstons to keep them in the loop.

                  If the solicitor fails to respond or you don't get any satisfactory explantion the next step will be to send them a subject access request (SAR) but we can deal with that if and when the need arises.

                  As you appear to have moved house several times is it possible you never received the original summons and subsequently did not have an oportunity to defend.? If that is a yes, then you might have grounds to appeal the Judgment by applying for set aside.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Re: Marstons on behalf of the legal aid agency. Please help

                    Thanks Pepsie,

                    ill get get onto that straight after work. I received a letter saying that I had to pay the legal aid, sent from Croydon crown court but it never mentioned me attending and defending a case. I had a £500 court fine included in my sentence but I paid that back in 2011.

                    Im im afraid I've always been very unorganised but I'm ready to start changing. I'll find all the paperwork tonight and post them on here

                    regards

                    Tony

                    Comment

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