Anyone in Financial Hell?

[glowing]

So, I have an idea; only because the creditors are calling me 100times a day now. Everytime a creditor calls to harrass you, call your representative. Once they get multiple phone calls from many, many people on their phones and v. mails, perhaps they'd do something about this financial mess they have helped to create. Personally, I'm going to start doing this. I was talking with my sis n' law. She is recently divorced. Their joint house is not selling (surprise, surprise). Both of them are not paying their c.c., and instead of her ex-hubby paying their old joing c.c., he's giving up and giving her an extra $210.00 of child support a month (which is still half the amount he should be paying).. He also said at the firestation where he worked, most of the phone calls coming in were from creditors looking for money. So, its not just one or two people.. its a mess of people.. people who are employed.. people who are saying F it, I've got more important things to pay for like milk and bread. For me, I could pay some of them; but I'm saving the extra under the bed for the rainy days...

[Pharaoh]

1. Save for rainy days! :o)

if your going belly up, why give em your last 20 bucks..................fuckem..

[glowing]

5. exactly my thoughts.. and I luck out a bit.. my hubby has the c.c. now.

they are low and manageable.. for years I held the credit.. so, now its his turn to be the responsible card carrying member of the family..

[madrchsod]

2. good idea but my reps

are all democrats-obama,durban,and the newly elected foster...they know what`s happening. durban still can`t get protection for those behind on their mortgages..to many cowards on the democratic side...

[glowing]

6. still, if you call them everytime a creditor calls you and everyone in

America does this.. it would jam the lines and it would tell them to get their heads out of their asses and do something to really stimulate the country.. Perhaps certain candidates would go on back to Washington and do their jobs.

[madrchsod]

15. ya you are right....good idea

[glowing]

29. pass it on.. is the idea.. they can't hide forever.. isn't that what the creditors

say about us?

[Lorien]

3. Get caller I.D, and if you do feel like answering

ask them if they know that they are calling a place of business (act as if you are self employed, and the number they've called is your work number). It's illegal for collection agencies to call people at their place of employment. Ex in-law shouldn't be getting calls at work either.

Works for me anyway. I'm still trying to dig my way out of medical debt, which may never happen. :-(

[glowing]

7. oh, they're calling my work as well..

I wrote each creditor a letter.. and told them to cancel the account. (I'm going to try bankrupcy).. the accounts need to be closed. I told them to do all and any correspondence throught mail.. SO... they call my work (which I can't monitor), my cell phone, my home phone. AND all of the banks have refused to "close" the account. So, now I am going to re-send the letters and certify them this time. They don't want to close them, so they can keep increasing the interest and not freezing the old interest.. I'm not stupid.

[grasswire]

9. if you ask them to stop calling, they must

It's the law. Tell them not to call you again. If they do, file a complaint.

[glowing]

11. I will.. Its not them I'm worried about.. I'm just calling on an action.. istead

of everyone having to feel embarrassed about their "private" financial matters.. be bold, be public, and make it over obvious to those asshats who represent us.

[IowaGirl]

22. Tell them you are considering bankruptcy and many companies will start negotiating. They know if

you declare bankruptcy, they will either get nothing or only a small fraction after being tied up forever. I've been in this situation and you can beat it. Hang in there!!

[glowing]

28. Actually, I'm trying some manifesting on this situation.. It'll be interesting

to see how the universe provides this time.. I know I shouldn't say this in a "serious" forum and should be in the spiritual group.. but so far.. its been incredibly successful for me in strange little ways.

[IowaGirl]

41. Okay, just don't ever deal with one of those debt....

consolidation groups. Take care.

[glowing]

42. Oh no, never.. they are horrible.

[Faygo Kid]

4. There are laws against harassment. Go to a Legal Services lawyer.

Also, you could write your creditors saying don't contact you anymore. Should you put them on notice, they have to stop.

That doesn't mean you don't owe it. You may need to work this out. Saving it under the bed for rainy days is not a solution, and it won't get better. This is your rainy day. Time to get help, and face it.

[glowing]

8. No, this is what people need to understand.. its a broken system that does not

work.. We need to create a new model of living for our future.. We need a system that promotes sustainability and promotes wealth through happiness and health rather than who has the most pieces of paper in their wallets. Everyone needs to understand this, grasp this.. and lets move forward.. and create a world that promotes a harmony of balance, rather than creating playgrounds for a few lucky at the top.

[Faygo Kid]

12. You asked for advice with your situation.

All that's great, but it won't help you today. You need to take action, deal with this, then work towards the system for all that you seek. I don't disagree.

But for now, I hope you explore realistic alternatives to your own personal situation. That ain't it.

[glowing]

21. Yes, I do believe action in this manner would be effective.. in the mean

time, I'm not that worried.. I'm most likely, after sitting down with a laywer, filling bankrupcy.

[Breeze54]

10. Not according to the jackass that just PM'd me!

The leading question in the PM was in reference to an OP I made late last night about a bill... I PAID!

(Although I didn't pay it all off)

The question: "Why didn't you pay your whole bill so that company didn't have to call you three times in 48 hours then?"

:wtf: :grr:

:banghead:

I swear we have some real piece's of work here on DU. Some always pay their bills on time
and in full and just don't "get it" why others may not be able to do the same, it seems!

I guess I'll just turn my bills over to those f**king A-holes then!:sarcasm:

[glowing]

14. No, some are not at a place in their lives where they are ready to accept

that this whole thing called money and jobs is a complete fucking sham and it heards us into collective servitude and silence. How many CEO's of failing companies are losing their homes? They laugh at us.. call us stupid for working so hard.. I'm not sure when people will wake up and make them quake in their boots a bit?

[Breeze54]

20. Yeah and they act like they've NEVER been there....

If that is true, then they were born with silver spoons in their mouths and probably don't have Clue 1 about hardship.

and if not? Then they're high and mighty liars trying to pump up their own ego's at the lowly hourly workers expense!!

I say... Fuck them! :grr:

[DemoTex]

13. Pas moi, merci!

Zero debt other that a fixed-rate 15-year mortgage. Master-Cards = Zero. Visa = Zero. We use Amex and pay it off every month (interest = Zero). 2007 Volvo wagon = own outright. 2007 Prius = own outright. 1999 Subaru Outback wagon = own outright. Etc., etc., etc... And more than I feel comfortable talking about in the bank and in low-risk investments. We are lucky. But, still, we are boarding up for a financial storm. If you are not, you are a fool.

[glowing]

16. This is why I stopped paying out every dime for a high min payment..

then when they started doing that 30% interest and a huge payment.. I said forget it.. At the same time, this thread is more about action taken towards our no good congresscritters.. I think we should call them at least once a day for the many that call us.. Its time they start solving to work on the problem.

[DemoTex]

31. My union-plus credit card (ALPA-AFL/CIO) just raised the rates. Big time!

I called yesterday and canceled the card. They tap-danced: The new rate only applies to balances over XXXX over a time of XXXX, please stay with us!

NO! FUCK YOU!

[OwnedByFerrets]

47. What makes a person a FOOL if they are not in the

position that they CAN board up for the coming financial storm. Just because you were lucky enough or smart enough to be able to do that, doesnt automatically make those who cant FOOLS.:puke:

[Jed Dilligan]

17. Purgatory here. Not sure which way they're sending me when I get out.

[mac2]

18. We were harrassed over a previous land phone number

person's debt. We tried to them the person they were looking for no longer was at that number. They kept harrassing us because they make money for every call.

When we were at a local box store we saw where a person of a different name used our telephone number. We were familiar with that name since we've been getting phone calls for it for years. We asked it be removed from their records.

[DaveJ]

19. Good Luck to you...

Apparently states all have different 'statute of limitations' on open ended accounts (CCs) and FL looks like one of the lowest, 4 years (http://www.creditinfocenter.com/rebuild/statuteLimitations.shtml).

I do not know what happens after this time expires, but if these callers are too lazy to serve a court order now, I doubt they deserve payment. They are just lowlifes who have nothing offer society.

Credit cards are issued with the sole objective of RIPPING PEOPLE OFF. They should be illegal. I have no sympathy for these companies whatsoever.

[Holly_Hobby]

23. Send them a Cease & Desist letter

Send it certified, return receipt requested. It helped stop the calls to my 73 year old mother who can no longer afford to buy her psychiatric drugs and pay her doctor bills too.

[madamesilverspurs]

24. Check this out. . .

I was getting collection calls for a neighbor who died several years ago. Since he and I had the same last name the creditors assumed we were related, especially since we also had the same street address. Nevermind that his apartment number was different from mine. Eventually I gave them his "new" phone number and extension, which was the coroner's office and the case number.

Fast forward a couple of years, I'm now getting collection calls for his son. Said son was a minor at the time of his father's death, but would now be over 21. No forwarding number for him. Aggravating, to say the least.

[Breeze54]

25. I had that happen and I called the family... it turned out

that that phone number (of the deceased) was his business phone number and the widow apologized and said she had had it disconnected but she said she'd call the phone company and all his business clients and tell them not to use that number anymore and apparently she did, because the calls for him stopped. ;)

[FirstLight]

26. You know, my student loan is my biggest problem...

I still can't finish my BA, and went into default when I was married to an abusive ex...still trying to dig out of the hell, 4 years later and I have given up on paying anything back. I don't have a car payment, I don't have creditcards...just my student loan and some old small bills hanging on for the 6th or 7th year...

have more important things to use my money for...survival. milk, gas, utilities and rent...and that is about all I can afford.
we are scraping by, I am practically making payments on my rent at this point.

If, by some miracle, I get something back from the feds, or a child support windfall (ha!) I would actually spend it all on a solar generator and some supplies for building a greenhouse, etc... I would rather be prepared to keep us alive in a crisis (uh, like what is coming down the pike so very soon)

I never understood the stance of some on the economic threads who say "pay down your debt! fast, before the crash.."

I'd rather be ready to weather the Greater Storm, thank you.

[glowing]

27. That's the way I figure it.. and apparently a lot of others are planning for

as well.. Also.. I guess that old mentality of everyone else is doing it is helping to spread the seed of "who cares"..

[Breeze54]

30. I feel for you.... still digging out myself, after all these years.

:(

:hug:

But I didn't have student loans to worry about. I got grants.

But i also had a non-paying absentee parent and barely even

saw a dime for any of my kids in child support.

I co-signed a loan with that asshat and he defaulted on the payments

and left me hanging. Maybe you could consolidate all the bills and make

one payment arranged by

Consumer Credit Counseling and Debt Consolidation

Credit counseling, debt consolidation and credit card help through financial
education and debt management. Non profit credit counseling since 1991.

http://www.consumercredit.com/

[FirstLight]

34. Thanks for the info and the hugs

...but I guess my point is that I have realy given up on getting out form under it all..

I used to be one of those people who planned out my life a couple years in advance, now I have to go no further than this WEEK..or I get too frantic! If my income picks back up again, then maybe there wil be more of a glimmer of hope, but the economy being what it is even a thousand more a month seems like too much to wish for. (I made less than 10K last year, and I am supporting 3 kids. I don;t know how I do it either!)

So, like I said, payback really isn't a priority...survival IS.

[Breeze54]

36. I understand that feeling but

that group can keep them at bay!! Don't do what I did and ignore it.

In ten years or so, you'll wish you had done something.

I don't know the ages of your kids but I'm guessing they're minors still...

I was in the exact same boat as you and I know what it is to live hand to mouth.

It isn't fun but it's even worse when you get older...

... that's all I'm saying. (Pot-Kettle-Black, I know.) ;)

:hug:

[LWolf]

32. It's not looking pretty right now. n/t

[EFerrari]

33. I live pretty simply and don't have outstanding debt but

there hasn't been fulltime work coming in for over a year and a half. Not good. Nobody better get sick or spring a leak or need new brakes. :shrug:

[Cresent City Kid]

35. A different kind of hell

I guess I'm lucky I don't have problems with creditors, a by product of not qualifying for credit. My most recent financial hell began when I became one of the 80,000 people laid off in March. I worked for a survey company that got caught up in the housing debacle. They weren't just stuck with unsellable houses, they were stuck with unsellable subdivisions.

The fun began when I applied for unemployment, and my wife applied for food stamps. I've only lived in Texas since Katrina, so I had no idea how their state agencies work. For unemployment, they actually give you homework. You have to apply for 5 jobs per week and fill out a form detailing your job hunting. This has to be done during the time they are trying to find reasons to reject your claim. Even if you get approved, they hold the first week's check for a week. By the way, severence pay counts as salary so I'll have to wait 2 more weeks.

Here's the pisser. To get food stamps in Texas, you have to work at least 20 hours a week. I'm not worried about it for myself, I'll be okay, but I just can't believe the unemployed can't get food stamps in this state. I guess they operate under the assumption that there's a job out there for everyone, something that I thought was disproven by the Great Depression.

I have to go now, I have to apply for 5 jobs, even though there aren't even 5 available jobs in my profession.

[Breeze54]

37. They do the same thing in Massachusetts's and

you can thank Bill Clinton for the Welfare Reform!! It also changed how FS are distributed
and if you work the 20 hours, they'll say you earn to much to qualify! It's the perfect GOP
RETHUG Catch 22!!! :grr:

Have I told you how MUCH I hate RepubliCONS lately!?! :grr:

Welcome to DU, Cresent City Kid! I'm glad that you didn't drown in Katrina. :(

[Cresent City Kid]

39. Thanks Breeze54

My Katrina experience was like a made-for-TV movie. If it makes you feel better, when Air Force One flew over my house in the aftermath, I flipped Bush the bird. It had to be him, there were no other planes in the sky.

[Breeze54]

40. Well, I hope when the MA Coast Guard (1st in N.O.) got there, that lent some relief...

:hug:

THE COAST GUARD’S KATRINA DOCUMENTATION PROJECT
by Scott Price, Deputy Coast Guard Historian
http://www.uscg.mil/History/katrina/karthistory.asp

Coast Guard

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Katrina_disaster_relief

A U.S. Coast Guard aircrewman searches for survivors in New Orleans in the aftermath of Katrina.


The Coast Guard responded by moving as many helicopters as it could to the affected areas, calling in aircraft from as far away as Cape Cod, Massachusetts. 500 USCG reservists were called to duty, and many of the hundreds of small boats in the fleet were sent to help. Coast Guard helicopters flew around-the-clock rescue missions. The Coast Guard was saving lives before any other federal agency - despite the fact that almost half the local Coast Guard personnel lost their own homes in the hurricane. They rescued or evacuated more than 33,500 people, six times as many as they saved in all of 2004. According to an article in TIME, in the famously decimated St. Bernard Parish, east of New Orleans, Sheriff Jack Stephens says the Coast Guard was the only federal agency to provide any significant assistance for a full week after the storm. With 39,400 active-duty personnel, the Coast Guard is tiny- but very effective.

:hug:

[leftofthedial]

38. got out of big debt when I got divorced two and a half years ago

but I haven't had a real paycheck in three years now.

I have NO money. Perpetually. I scrape and scramble and with my family's help, get by. It can't go on though.

[glowing]

43. So, I think we need to bombard congress with our problems.. the lines should

never be dead.. I'm going to really do this on my end.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

44. YOu could do this:

Use caller ID on your phone, see who it is, and unplug the phone during the call.

[DaveJ]

45. "Selective Call Blocking"

I'm not sure if major phone companies offer this -- they probably share the same financial interests of the collectors. I can see a big market for this service.

[OwnedByFerrets]

46. Im only in purgatory, but hell couldnt be far behind....

we are just barely hanging on and hoping that nothing big and bad happens.

[Greyhound]

48. Many people are just dropping out, once enough people do this the whole system will collapse.

Just say no. It sounds like bankruptcy might be in your future, once that's done just stop participating in the scheme. Don't allow your account balances to to get above just enough to pay the current crop of bills and save cash to get the durable goods you will need, such as a dependable vehicle.

If you show no visible assets, you remain judgment proof and they will mostly leave you alone. Download a standard drop dead letter and when the harassers call you, answer no questions, don't even confirm your identity, and ask for their name, title, and mailing address. Once you get that, mail them a letter with delivery confirmation (an extra $.50). Now you have evidence that your lawyer can use, should it go that far. Don't count on receiving any $$ since, ironically, these bottom feeders just gather a few judgments, declare bankruptcy, and re-open under a new name.

Strangely (not really), this strategy was completely ignored by the "bankruptcy reform bill" that was foisted on us by our "leadership".