I made an offer to Northern Rock or should I say Mckeags their legal dept as full and final settlement, but as aspected they said they could not consider until I filled in the I&E form they sent yet again. If I fill in the form although I know its not recommended by this site and show that I am on low income would this help my case or would they find a way of using the info against me? Can anybody advise on what I should do next and how I should reply to them?

Thanks. Gary

-- gary ausley (gaz@pc-x.co.uk), October 28, 2002

Answers

An I&E form is a perfectly reasonable (in the eyes of the law) form to request you to fill in. If you are getting into deadlock then that may be the way forward. However, if you are on a low income seek professional advice first, they cannot force anything until you have met with council (solicitor). See Legal Service you could get it paid for you by the state.

-- Geoff Winters (Geoff-winters@supadooper.com), October 28, 2002.

Gary,

I would be very careful about filling in an I&E form, make sure you get (impartial) legal advice first,or you may inadvertently acknowledge the debt and start the limitation period running anew. Certainly don't sign anything which has ' I acknowledge the sum of xxxxx as being.....' Perhaps just a simple list of income and expenditure may be OK, but you MUST check this with a legal expert, be very careful too about the wording in any accompanying letter. It's also likely, I'm afraid, that you have acknowledged the debt by making them an offer. Have you put the building society to strict proof? Have you sent them a SARN?

Good Luck, Mark.

-- M Amos (idgroms@hotmail.com), October 29, 2002.