A recent court ruling provided clarity around exactly how and when an individual may exit debt review, but there is still a lot of confusion around the debt review process.
I have recently paid off my car and some credit I had, but I still have four outstanding debts and my salary has increased by 50% over what I was getting before I went on debt review. Will I now be able to exit debt review because I can now afford to pay my remaining debts?
Answer
If your debt review has been approved by a Magistrates court, then you have no option but to complete your repayments. Only once all your debts are repaid as per the court order, can you exit debt review. There is a good possibility that your debt counsellor negotiated a better interest rate for you under debt review, so it is an advantage to settle your debts under debt review. Ask your debt counsellor to increase your repayments based on your new affordability so that you can settle the debts as soon as possible.
My wife has been under debt review for around two years now. The debt counsellor is saying that I must also be under debt review because we are married under community of property. They are saying the people who assisted my wife made a mistake by not including me under debt review. Is this correct? I don’t want to be under debt review.
Answer
What many people do not realise is that if you are married under Community of Property (COP) both spouses must be under debt review as the debt forms part of both estates. If your wife applied for debt review, the debt counsellor is supposed to include you in the debt review process. This is often an area of contention between spouses – especially if one has been managing their money carefully.
However, you need to remember that you are 100 percent liable for your wife’s debt under COP. In theory a creditor could go after your income and assets if your wife defaults.
According to debt counsellor Russell Dickerson, in this specific case, if the debt counsellor did not place you both under debt review at the time of application, it is the error of the debt counsellor. Dickerson says the two options are either that you enter debt review, or you go back to court and attempt to rescind the order, as the original order is incorrect.
I have recently completed my debt review process and was promised my clearance certificate. The debt counsellor ignores my calls, and emails – when she does communicate back, she always changes the date for issuing the clearance. I am sick and tired of this process. She issued me with a screenshot of the DHS system being updated and a draft of a clearance certificate, not signed, not certified. How long should it take to receive a clearance certificate.
Answer
Section 71 of the National Credit Act deals with the issuing of clearance certificates. It states that the debt counsellor must within 7 days after the consumer paid up all the debt that formed the subject of the debt review, alternatively all other debt except a mortgage bond, issue a clearance certificate to such consumer.
If the debt counsellor refuses to do so, the consumer may apply to the National Consumer Tribunal for an order that such clearance certificate be issued.
I went under debt review in 2014, 2016 I decided to start paying my creditors directly as I was not happy with the process, trying contacting my counsellor but she ignored my calls and emails. I then went ahead and paid all my creditors and settled my debts. 2020 I made contact with debt counsellor for a clearance certificate, she agreed to give me one, then went silent, tried contacting her she ignored my calls and email. I approached the NCR to complain, I didn’t get any luck with them after 5months of talks with NCR about this they told me to transfer to another debt counsellor who would help with issuing the clearance certificate. I would like to find out if there is another way of getting this sorted without transferring to another counsellor, because now my concern is what if I transfer and go through the same ups and downs with a new counsellor. All my debts are up to date, and I have all paid up letters
I applied for debt review 2011 within a month I realized that I can manage my accounts up to now.
debt councilor never act on my behalf since in terms of paying to them and to escalate my monies to creditors
Now I’m left with 2 accounts and according to Credit check I’m still under debt review
I tried to get assist from the these debt councilors I was advised to pay a fee of R1800 which I did and I was told after 4-6weeks I will be rescinded but to my surprise I’m told that GOV has dismissed the councilors to do so until the final payment
so what happens then if I want to finalise what I owe and now having another new car which is not listed under my debt councilors?
You have to settle all accounts under debt review to get a clearance certificate
Hi I have applied for dept review 2days ago and signed all papers so is possible that I can cancel the application
you can try but it does depend on the debt counsellor. Some are better than others – make sure you do it in writing and have proof