Do we need to show our bank statements.?

[Narketta]

3 years ago DH and I were running a failing business which landed us us in a lot of debt. We have spent the last 3 years digging ourselves out of it and were finally able to see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Until friday when we received an electricity bill from Opus energy. They have billed us £937 for 9mths used over the period that we owned the business.

We have spoken to them and said we can pay £40 a month until May 2011, in May we will be able to increase it to £90 a month as we will have finished paying another debt.

They have said that £40 isn't enough and that we will have to fill in an income and expenditure form and also send them 3 months worth of bank statements and 2 months worth of wage slips.

I am not happy to send them bank statements because in the last few months we have been very careful with our spending because of christmas coming up and we also have a tumble dryer to pay for in Feb. So at the moment our accounts look healthy because of the excess cash that is needed to pay for these things, but if Opus see this extra money they are going to expect us to pay the amount in full.

I've been intouch with the CAB and they were a bit vague but didn't think that we had to show our bank statements as surely what happens in our accounts is between us and the bank.

Its not that we are unwilling to pay but we can't afford the whole £937 right now.

Does anyone know for sure where we stand on this?

you do not have to show them your bank statement. I would suggest you write to the company registered post and state you will pay the bill at £35 per month and then set up a Standing order with your bank to pay the money starting this month.

Then make sure you photocopy the letter and photocopy the standing order form form the bank.

Then you are paying - if they want to take furthe racton they will loook silly as you are already paying and byt the time they got soemthing liek this to court..well that could be 6 months and the court woudl view this dimmly as you are paying and owuld consider it a time waster.

No legal obligation to show private docuemtns to soem firm you owe money to - if they want to see the bank statement and ask again after setting up the SO, then write again and tell them to get a court order to see the statements

How can you show that you don't have enough money to pay if you do not show the statements?....to show reluctance to provide them doesn't help your case.

If your bank balance is healthier then maybe you can afford more than £40.....can you not be careful with your spending because of the amount you owe rather than what you would like to spend at Christmas?

I don't think you have to show them but maybe the company will be less accommodating also.

are you snowing balling your debt by the way?

Yes ivykaty everytime one finishes we pay more off any debts that are left. We thought that the one that ends in may was the last one until this new bill arrived on Friday. :(

Why have you only just received the bill OP? Sounds a bit rubbish of them...

Under NO circumstances send in your bank statement though, make the offer by letter, the worst that will happen is usually that your failure to pay may affect your credit rating (I would assume that this may have happened already, so not the biggest of your worries at the moment).

if Opus won't accept your £40 try and get their bank account and reference (they will usually do this if you tell them that you do not have a debit or credit card and want to make an online payment to them) that way you can pay by standing order, then you remain in charge of the payments and not them.

TBH a lot of debt companies just ask for a budget form for you to complete, event his is intrusive. Generally the nastier they are the less they have the power to actually do very much).

Good luck with it all...

After three years I would ask them for further details. It is likely to be the bill for the next tenants after you. Or it may be the Landlords responsibility.