Page 81 - It's a Rum Life Book One "In the Beginning 1947 to 1960"

were using to store our harness after the burglary in 1992 when
we had lost all the good antique harness.
I had originally agreed to pay the portacabin owner so much
a month but now could not. I had also originally agreed to pay
them interest for the term of the ‘private’ finance. Now because
I was in arrears, they decided they would not wait for our
fortunes to improve and launched a court action to get all their
money at once.
I am quite good in court, (having by now had several chances
to practice); I explained all our circumstances and the terms of
our original agreement. The court made an order that we should
pay a fixed amount and at a rate we could afford. In the end we
were better off as we did not have to pay that interest. It took
about three years to pay them back through the courts, a year
longer than I had originally agreed and then would you believe
the original portacabin owners sent a bill for the interest!
I happily explained that they had brought the court action
and the court had decided that I should only pay the original
amount for the cabin. The interest they could whistle for. I was
jubilant although it took some time to cope with the ‘county
court’ stigma on my personal credit rating or rather lack of!
We also coped with the bank that held our mortgage and
again through another court they agreed to give us extra time to
pay. The court appointed a personal financial advisor which
helped enormously.
Ruth began paying the mortgage herself from her wages as
the local District Nursing sister and at the same time paying off
the creditors bit by bit the same way. This was all in her working
day after she had helped me “muck out” 15 heavy horses before
she started work!

“HEAVEN SENT” HEATING
I have moved away from the thread of this story again, but

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