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Advice if Facing Eviction and Tax Debt - The Bills.com Blog
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Advice if Facing Eviction and Tax Debt
Friday, Aug 22, 2008
Question: I am just having trouble getting back on my feet after bank overdraft problems. I am having immense problems trying to pay my bills. Today I found that my rent check bounced. I am a professional working in a moderately good paying job. How can I get back on my feet again. I also have income tax problems I can't seem to crawl out from under. It's really getting tough trying to sleep at night. Now the bank has cleaned out my account practically, and I have electric about to be shut off, a landlord who wants to evict me (I've always been on time with the rent except for one other time a check bounced). How do I get back on track where I can pay bills without worrying about making it to the next paycheck. I really need URGENT help. If I could find a loan to jumpstart me I would be better off.
Answer: You would be amazed at the number of Americans who find themselves in the exact situation you are currently experiencing. Due to circumstances totally out of their control, such as job loss, illness, or unexpected expenses, many of these people end up facing foreclosure, eviction, and other severe financial pitfalls. Luckily, there are several options to help you resolve your financial difficulties, allowing you to catch up on your debts and move on to a more secure financial future.The first thing I would advise you to do is to contact your landlord and your electric company to explain your financial difficulties and to work out a plan to bring your accounts current. Your landlord is much more likely to work with you to set out a plan to bring the delinquent rent current than he or she is to move forward with eviction; eviction is a time-consuming and expensive legal proceeding which most commercial property owners wish to avoid as much as possible. As long as you can commit to make your regular monthly rent payments going forward, plus a portion of the arrears, I suspect that your landlord will want to help you stay in your home. In addition, some property owners will allow delinquent
lessees to defer one month's rent to the end of the lease term if the tenant can show that she is able to make all monthly rent payments going forward. As I mentioned, eviction is an expensive and time-consuming process, which landlords generally wish to avoid, so I would be surprised if your landlord is not willing to work with you in preventing eviction. For more information about eviction and ways to prevent it and to mitigate its potential damage, I encourage you to visit www.larcc.org . As for your electrical bill, most utilities, especially essentials like water and electricity, are willing to work with their customers to keep their services active. You should contact your utility company as soon as possible to discuss your financial difficulties and to propose a repayment plan to bring your account current.
In regard to your tax problems, you should know that the IRS offers several programs for tax payers who are struggling to repay delinquent tax obligations. These programs include payment plans and settlements, also called offers-in-compromise, which can help someone like you who is struggling with outstanding tax debt to start repaying your obligation without placing undue stress on your finances. For example, if you can show the IRS that your tax obligation is, in all likelihood, very unlikely to be collected, the IRS may be willing to accept a very small percentage of what you actually owe to resolve your delinquent taxes. You must understand that the IRS has strict guidelines which govern these programs and determine who can qualify for what type of assistance.
I strongly encourage you to consult with a tax professional to help you determine what options are available
In regard to your tax problems, you should know that the IRS offers several programs for tax payers who are struggling to repay delinquent tax obligations. These programs include payment plans and settlements, also called offers-in-compromise, which can help someone like you who is struggling with outstanding tax debt to start repaying your obligation without placing undue stress on your finances. For example, if you can show the IRS that your tax obligation is, in all likelihood, very unlikely to be collected, the IRS may be willing to accept a very small percentage of what you actually owe to resolve your delinquent taxes. You must understand that the IRS has strict guidelines which govern these programs and determine who can qualify for what type of assistance.
I strongly encourage you to consult with a tax professional to help you determine what options are available
to you given your financial situation. To learn more about the options available to taxpayers like yourself, I strongly encourage you to visit the Bills.com IRS debt help page. If you submit your contact information to our website, we can have a tax professional contact you to discuss the details of your financial situation and help you determine what options are available to help you resolve your delinquent taxes.
You mention in your question that you think a loan would help you get back on your feet financially. Generally speaking, I discourage consumers who are already struggling with debt from incurring additional debt as a solution to their financial troubles. From my experience, I have found that borrowing money can often compound a consumers financial troubles rather than improve the situation. In addition, your credit rating may have suffered due to your recent financial struggles, which may make finding a loan difficult, and may significantly increase the interest rate you would be paying on the loan. However, if you feel that a loan will help you bring your debts current and get back on your feet, you may wish to visit www.Prosper.com, a website that connects potential lenders with potential borrowers, facilitating a peer-to-peer type of lending which can allow consumers with financial problems and less-than-perfect credit to obtain loans that conventional banks may otherwise refuse.
For more information for consumers struggling with debt, I encourage you to visit the Bills.com debt relief page. I wish you the best of luck in resolving your financial difficulties, and hope that the information I have provided helps you Find. Learn. Save.
Best,
Bill
www.bills.com/blog/
You mention in your question that you think a loan would help you get back on your feet financially. Generally speaking, I discourage consumers who are already struggling with debt from incurring additional debt as a solution to their financial troubles. From my experience, I have found that borrowing money can often compound a consumers financial troubles rather than improve the situation. In addition, your credit rating may have suffered due to your recent financial struggles, which may make finding a loan difficult, and may significantly increase the interest rate you would be paying on the loan. However, if you feel that a loan will help you bring your debts current and get back on your feet, you may wish to visit www.Prosper.com, a website that connects potential lenders with potential borrowers, facilitating a peer-to-peer type of lending which can allow consumers with financial problems and less-than-perfect credit to obtain loans that conventional banks may otherwise refuse.
For more information for consumers struggling with debt, I encourage you to visit the Bills.com debt relief page. I wish you the best of luck in resolving your financial difficulties, and hope that the information I have provided helps you Find. Learn. Save.
Best,
Bill
www.bills.com/blog/
Also, make sure to get a free financial health check-up with Bills IQ!
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