On the 23rd of August, 2018, I was standing in a court room hoping to keep possession of the flat I rent. The hearing did not go as planned and the Judge has ordered that my daughter and I must leave the property, in 28 days.
Obviously, this hasn't just happened, overnight. I am not proud of ending up in this mess and I have no desire for it to continue any longer. We all have to hit rock-bottom sometimes, to realise what's at stake and what's important.
I am not here to cry about things and I'm certainly not here for charity. I simply want to give out a reality check and show people how easy it is to be sucked into a cycle of debt. Hopefully, I can also display how the authorities respond, when someone falls on hard times. I think my story is quite typical of how many folk struggle these days, therefore, I hope this may help to remove any misconceptions people have about "The poor" and the "homeless". Much of this is my own fault and I am trying to reverse this, but I have to add that I strongly suspect that I am caught in a trap, one that has been very, very, effective at making the rich, richer, and the poor, even poorer. Those who fall to the very bottom of the social ladder are the ones who depend on the state the most.
Keep you friends close and your enemies even closer
I am going to be posting a series of blogs as I go through the "official route" and show you exactly how the system works, what choices there are, and what help is given. My accounts of all this start from way back, when I was still with the mother of my Child. Therefore, I will try to write a couple of paragraphs on every post, giving you the backstory, to how I ended up in court last Thursday. I will also be writing about how I am feeling about the process and more importantly, what moves I am making to resolve the issue. Also, I will be updating you with what I am doing, presently, to rebuild the family home.
Many of you know I am not a fan of "Governments" and going to them for help is a last option for me. I already suspect what they are going to offer and it won't be pretty. I have every intention of digging myself out of this whole and not allowing the government to stick me in another one. Like I said, I know what's on offer and I have lived in those places before, they aren't fit for children, trust me.
I understand that beggars cannot be choosers, absolutely. I am not being ungrateful here, or snobbish, and if push comes to shove, I will not let pride see my daughter and I homeless(Not that it would ever come to that, but I'll explain about that later).
The whole reason I moved out of those "bad areas", in the first place, was because I wanted a "better life" for our child. It would be unfortunate to have to return. These places are filled with drugs, poverty and violence and that's no place for a young girl to call home. I don't think I'm any better than the folk already living in these places, I do understand why they feel so jaded. Nevertheless, this story is not about social dynamics, this is about the system itself.
I also have another reason for documenting this experience and that is where you all come in(No don't start groaning. I'm not about to list all my crypto wallets and get the begging tin out).
All I need from you folks is encouragement and maybe some advice, too.
I was given 28 days to find a new home and that was 3 days ago. The clock is most-definitely ticking and it is time to start getting busy. I have always had a plan in mind, to which, some part have worked out and others haven't.
With the Judge awarding the property back to the landlord, I am now switching to plan b. This involves jumping back into the rat-race, a thought that makes my skin crawl. Regardless, situations dictate and there isn't any room for manoeuvre. I have a few things lined up and I would like to document the progress, ie job interviews, property searching and my general mental state(that's where you come in).
So let's get this series started.
To begin, I will give the skeleton-plan and some other crucial details. Tomorrow I will begin the back story to how all this began.
I have 25-days, from today, before the property must be handed over(I have no intention of squatting)
As well as being evicted I have been ordered to repay the rent arrears, plus another £1000 in court costs and interest. This all totals around £5000.
I have a mountain of other debts, including council tax, water rates, electricity. These debts now total around £4000-£5000, of which most is made up of 'administration fees' and penalty charges. You will come to learn how this all began from an £80 council tax debt that snowballed out of control. Total debt is around £10,000.
I cannot afford to pay-off these debts anymore. I have tried for years to clear them, but my outgoings now far exceed my incoming and I have now given up trying.
My credit rating restricts me from any further credit(not that I want any more debt). I am planning to apply for bankruptcy and I have a meeting next week about this, which I will document for this series.
Once my debts are taken care of I can then support my daughter and I, while working part or full-time.
I am currently signed off sick with "depression & anxiety". I have no desire to remain off work and my daughter(11-years) is now much more independent, allowing me to increase my working hours.
I have a part-time job opportunity(Unskilled and minimum wage, but perfect hours and family business)
I can earn around £500 per week as a truck mechanic, so this option must be considered.
I have enough equipment and knowhow, to start my own business, within some form of mechanics. One idea is to become a trailer mechanic. The money is fantastic, but the responsibilities are massive(Maybe, not the best time for this kind of venture)
I love my time on steemit and I find the writing to be therapeutic, it has also opened my mind and allowed me to explore my creative side. I have invested a lot of time and effort on this site and there are people here I have huge respect for. Maybe, with the part-time job on the table, I could hold down a job and also keep up with my steemit profile, earning a supplementary "crypto-wage".
I am not going to get a glowing reference from my current landlord(Unless they aren't allowed to comment on arrears?)
If I am to gain a property on the private market, I am going to need to pay around 4 - 6 months rent, in advance.
My daughter and I, may, have to stay at my mum's house, if I can't find somewhere else in time. I have not had an official invitation to stay at my mum's and I get the feeling she would rather I didn't. My family is complicated and something I don't wish to discuss in detail. There are no big dramas, but lets just say that when a family splits up, it can have crazy effects years later.
I have car worth £300-£400(My driving licence has expired and the car is currently out of use). I also have around £600 in Steem and £400 in the bank).
Now you all know the bare-bones of the situation and I hope to start filling in the blanks and taking you on a very interesting journey. Hopefully this all ends in success and we will have something to celebrate in 25 days time. If that doesn't happen I have my family to rely on, so nobody will become homeless here. I don't want you to get the wrong impression about my situation, I am one of the lucky ones who has people to fall back on, many people do not.
Maybe, after I have explained my own journey, the next time you see someone living on the street, you might look at them differently and give a thought to how they got there. Being that this is being read by steemit members, my guess is that you already consider the plights of those less fortunate. Nevertheless, I will continue document my experience.
I hope you will all come back for the next post and I would love to hear your opinions and your own experiences of this kind of situation. Any upvotes and resteems are highly appreciated and I hope you all enjoy reading something from its source. Big love to you all on steemit.
PTYAY
