Support NeoGAF

[Zeke]

Not sure my wife and 2 kids would go for that one

the said thing is there are people out there like that. One of my mom's co-workers is in her 40's is married with three kids and lives with her mother. She seems to be proud of it too.

 

[fobtastic]

So are we supposed to feel sorry for him if he ends up on the streets? I wonder what other debts he skipped out on...

 

[AlternativeUlster]

Wowsers, I left from work and this grew to 4 pages. I guess I need to start reading this whole thing and see how many people bash me. I am guessing like 80%.

 

[samus4ever]

Wowsers, I left from work and this grew to 4 pages. I guess I need to start reading this whole thing and see how many people bash me. I am guessing like 80%.

is panhandling considered work?

 

[AlternativeUlster]

This guy is badass. I'm just waiting until he admits to murder.

I haven't murdered anyone yet but I have knocked out some teeth my head before. It's the closest I have got.

They can not only garnish your wages, they can simply start liquidating everything you own as well. Have a nice car? They can take your car and auction it off, they can can get your credit cards cancelled, they can do a LOT of things to make your life miserable until you pay them back. Don't think about getting a tax return or anything else because they will have first dibbs on any discretionary money and if they decide to take you to court they can get every penny outside of what you actually need to survive until you pay your loans off.

I don't own a car and don't ever want one. The world is supposed to run out of oil not too long from now (I think I read from somewhere, we are on track to having no oil by 2018) and yeah, if I did have a car I would have insurance for I have been hit twice by two people without insurance and I probably should have sued them but I am that paranoid. I also have 3 warrants for my arrest (nothing too big, just traffic tickets.)

I think the only reason that they found me is because I have been at this job for a while and it makes 20k per year.

Hey, I did a shitload of campaign work too. Who'd you work for?

I worked for the Howard Dean campaign. Not directly for him but some labor group that endorsed him and had to be off the records payment so he couldn't be screwed with campaign funding or something like that. I could have explained it better back in 2004.

I am going to talk to my lawyer tomorrow about this but more than likely she is going to tell me that I should at least agree to pay the 54 dollars per month and then after a few delayed payments, move somewhere else and hope the money for my book comes in sooner.

Also, on the taxes part. I never really have to pay taxes for I never really made enough but will probably already have to. I already set-up a dummy address just in case there is no other way. I need to talk to her about this too.

 

[Kintaro]

Oh man, I needed a wonderful laugh and you have given it to me. Reminds me of person I know who moved to Taiwan to get away from his Student Loan. Might want to give that a shot. Of course, his family is harassed every single day by collectors asking for his whereabouts. They won't stop either. The minute he sets foot back in the country, he's fuckin' toast.

 

[Alfarif]

I'm at work, so this has got to be quick but... dude... run. Now. Don't think. RUN! You are Jason Bourne. You need to get away. GO!!!!

 

[xabre]

Imagine if there was this system where you didn't have to borrow anything from private banks and lenders at all and instead tuition fees were payed by the government. After you've graduated and are earning above a certain salary the government taxes you a modest amount out of your weekly wage (between 5 and 10%) until your tuition fees are repaid.

No interest. No debt. No credit risk.

Sound good?

 

[Alfarif]

sounds TOO good. What freedoms am I giving up?

 

[Alfarif]

is panhandling considered work?

The sad part is that there are some panhandlers that make more than anyone on this board. Talk about dedication. Drive to work in your brand new 2008 Nissan Rouge, park it 12 blocks from the job site, change out of your freshly pressed slacks, sweater vest, and dress shirt into your work attire, grab your collapsable shopping cart out of the back... and go to work.

 

[Matt]

Give the man a break. So he refuses to pay taxes, so he refuses to pay off loans, so he refuses to be a slave to the system. If he can get away with it, good for him, he's smart so he deserves to get away with it. Intelligence should be rewarded. If he can't and ends up in deep shit, why does anyone here care? Is he a relative? Does he owe YOU money?

Come on, just lay off, just because you conform with the system doesn't mean everybody else has to. This isn't a giant ant colony, we need rebels, rebels without a cause, to stir shit up from time to time. To keep things interesting.

*Burns flag*

lol, this is not a "fight the man!" situation. He borrowed the money promising to pay it back. If he does not pay it back, he is a liar and a *****. If he was TRYING to pay it back and was having trouble, that would be one thing. But he's not, he's actively trying to run away from a situation he created under his own free will. There is nothing honorable or cool about that. It just makes him a criminal and a deadbeat.

 

[xabre]

But he's not, he's actively trying to run away from a situation he created under his own free will. There is nothing honorable or cool about that. It just makes him a criminal and a deadbeat.

Why do you care?

So some bank stands to lose a bit of money. Cry me a river.

 

[thetrin]

Alternative Ulster is financially irresponsible?! THIS IS TRULY NEWS TO ME.

 

[AlternativeUlster]

Alternative Ulster is financially irresponsible?! THIS IS TRULY NEWS TO ME.

You are awesome thetrin.

I hope when I tour this summer that I can buy some of my supporters some nice whiskey.

 

[tedtropy]

Jesus, do you have a single responsible bone in your body? People on a gaming forum really shouldn't need to tell you to grow up, but, well, there it is.

 

[Kung Fu Jedi]

I am going to talk to my lawyer tomorrow about this but more than likely she is going to tell me that I should at least agree to pay the 54 dollars per month and then after a few delayed payments, move somewhere else and hope the money for my book comes in sooner.

Also, on the taxes part. I never really have to pay taxes for I never really made enough but will probably already have to. I already set-up a dummy address just in case there is no other way. I need to talk to her about this too.

What the hell kind of lawyer would give you such advice? And if you can afford a lawyer, why not just pay the $54?

And now you've written a book? And you're expecting it to bring you in some cash? What di you write? The Idiot's Guide To Being A Deadbeat?

 

[avatar299]

Why do you care?

So some bank stands to lose a bit of money. Cry me a river.

Yes becuase banks losing money is a great thing, proven by history.

Pay the damn bills, dude

 

[Cauliflower of Love]

And now you've written a book? And you're expecting it to bring you in some cash? What di you write? The Idiot's Guide To Being A Deadbeat?

:lol

 

[Phobophile]

Try to do 3x the minimum amount if you can. Do everything in your power to pay this off. In fact, kill everything you don't need... newspaper, cellphone, cable tv, even internet. Get those cards out of the way so your Debt to Credit ratio looks better. It will help you in the long run and you'll even have the ability to do things with cash that you couldn't do before (because it was all going to your credit cards).

I can't imagine ditching my cell phone, especially since most twentysomethings don't have a landline and really their cell phone is their home phone. I need a phone for emergencies.

In all honesty, I really can do 3x min payments, but that would involve a huge lifestyle change. I have a 2 bedroom apartment, so if push came to shove, I could get a roommate but I can't get rid of my internet. Cable TV, sure but not internet. And I don't think I've ever read more than 3 newspapers in my life.

 

[Squirrel Killer]

I worked for the Howard Dean campaign. Not directly for him but some labor group that endorsed him and had to be off the records payment so he couldn't be screwed with campaign funding or something like that. I could have explained it better back in 2004.

I love campaigns, crap pay for long hours. Which group? I worked for one of the PIRG's back in '94 or so.

 

[WickedAngel]

The funniest part is that all the effort he is putting into avoiding paying school loans (Via accepting low-paying jobs) would likely have paid off this debt if it had been aimed positively.

Enjoy your life of debt-running. It's not just about owning a house or a car; credit scores are becoming important for everything. You likely won't even be able to rent a decent place because of what you're doing.

 

[Cloudy]

Why the fuck won't you just pay back your student loans?

/thread

Stop being a deadbeat! If you can't afford it, call the company and work out some payment plan. You just can't ignore it hoping it goes away. This is the mentality that's causing the economic mess we have right now :\

ps: Bad credit can hurt you when applying for jobs in the future too..

 

[Javaman]

I can't imagine ditching my cell phone, especially since most twentysomethings don't have a landline and really their cell phone is their home phone. I need a phone for emergencies.

In all honesty, I really can do 3x min payments, but that would involve a huge lifestyle change. I have a 2 bedroom apartment, so if push came to shove, I could get a roommate but I can't get rid of my internet. Cable TV, sure but not internet. And I don't think I've ever read more than 3 newspapers in my life.

It's all about where your priorities lay. If you light a fire underneath yourself to get the debt paid off quicker you will be much better off in the long run. It's a pain in the butt at first, but once you get ahead of debt and pay cash for everything you can buy 20% more stuff. (Or what you would normally pay in interest) Better yet, you could buy just as much stuff AND save 20% for retirement.

 

[Alfarif]

I can't imagine ditching my cell phone, especially since most twentysomethings don't have a landline and really their cell phone is their home phone. I need a phone for emergencies.

In all honesty, I really can do 3x min payments, but that would involve a huge lifestyle change. I have a 2 bedroom apartment, so if push came to shove, I could get a roommate but I can't get rid of my internet. Cable TV, sure but not internet. And I don't think I've ever read more than 3 newspapers in my life.

Just throwing some ideas your way. I don't know exactly what you could kill or what's important to you so I have to generalize.

A few other things you can do is to grocery shop and kill eating out, if you don't already. Try getting on the internet and pulling up 2-3 grocery stores that are in your area. Get their weekly adds and go through them, writing down any really great deals on a sheet of paper. When you're done, write a list for the 2-3 stores, picking up all the low cost, non-brand name (or brand name if the deal is better) items you need. With a month of practice, you can cut the amount of money you spend eating by 75% or greater. Me and my fiancee usually buy 2-3 weeks worth of groceries (3 meals a day) for $115. And it's not ramens either.

Also, if you don't already, shop thrift stores for your clothing. To some people, this sounds "omg, no" but trust me... find stores that carry brands you like. The store I shop regularly has Abercrombie, Gap, Levis, etc for cheap. As in, 60-70$ jeans going for 3$. 20$+ shirts going for 1.50$... and half off of that on specially colored tag days. Doing something like this can cut your shopping expenses (for clothes) by a significant amount.

And if you enjoy watching movies, go to your local library to borrow them instead of buying them or renting them. If you do like to buy, though, go out of your way to find the greatest deals on them so you're not spending 10-15$ per.

The objective is just to have a great credit to debt ratio and to have it for a long time. You'll end up with a really great credit score because of it and getting loans will be so much easier for anyhing you want/need to do. That and you'll have money in your pocket for emergencies and won't need to rely on a credit card to do it for you.


And Javaman is correct... you can buy MORE when you don't use credit. Not only that, if you don't buy retail and don't spend money on things that are duplicated (why cable when most of the shows you'd watch anyway are on the internet connection you already use? And I'm not even talking torrents), you can buy even MORE.

 

[maynerd]

Pay your freakin debt you loser.

 

[Tim the Wiz]

Imagine if there was this system where you didn't have to borrow anything from private banks and lenders at all and instead tuition fees were payed by the government. After you've graduated and are earning above a certain salary the government taxes you a modest amount out of your weekly wage (between 5 and 10%) until your tuition fees are repaid.

No interest. No debt. No credit risk.

Sound good?

High-five! There's certainly some good things about this country.

And now you've written a book? And you're expecting it to bring you in some cash? What di you write? The Idiot's Guide To Being A Deadbeat?

:lol :lol

 

[fmcato]

http://www.violentacres.com/archives/32/drastic-measures

 

[Gaborn]

Stop being a deadbeat! If you can't afford it, call the company and work out some payment plan.

I think if he can afford a lawyer he can afford to pay back his student loans. Our dear friend here has simply decided he's Robin Hood, AND a member of the poor. What he's doing is simply theft and he's essentially unrepentant. He disgusts me personally.

 

[Matt]

Why do you care?

So some bank stands to lose a bit of money. Cry me a river.

I only care to the extent that I'm willing to write little messages on the internet denouncing his actions. And people not paying back their loans has far reaching effects for the entire economy, and that does effect me.

But, again, besides all that, there is nothing to like about this man or what he is doing. There is not a single positive aspect of it. He's a lair, he's stolen from banks and the U.S. government (which mean he has stolen from all of us), and he should be a man and own up to his responsibilities.

 

[perryfarrell]

http://www.violentacres.com/archives/32/drastic-measures

Cool story.

 

[Manager]

http://www.violentacres.com/archives/32/drastic-measures

I agree, cool story. I've been reading his stuff tonight, but there's one thing I don't get.

http://www.violentacres.com/archives/153/improving-your-credit-score-for-dummies

Don’t Waste Time Paying Off the Extremely Old Bills

Now of all the advice I’ve given, this one should be the most thoroughly researched before put into practice. But sometimes, paying off an extremely old bill (Think more than 5 years old) does more harm to your credit than good.

For one thing, paying a bill doesn’t make a bad mark good. For another thing, it may be eventually falling off of your credit report anyway. Of course, the time it takes for something to fall off your credit report varies by the state you live in and exactly what kind of credit it was in the first place.

For example, an old gas bill might just naturally fall off your credit in 3 years….whether you paid the bill or not. But a tax lien will stay on your credit for-fucking-EVER if you don’t pay the bill.

Also, paying a bill that was just about to fall off your credit anyway may reset the clock. By that I mean you might have had a bill that was 6 and a half years old. If you leave it alone, it is due to fall off your report in 6 more months. However, if you pay the bill, they may just reset the clock and that negative mark may be stuck there for another 7 years. If that is the case, it’s best to ignore it and save some time and money in the process.

Keep in mind that even calling to inquire about an old bill may reset the clock, so be very, very careful to check the dates on old bills and compare them with your state laws before you make a phone call to the collection agency.

In America, you can just skip paying a bill for seven years and then it just falls off, and you're getting gas etc for free? I have no idea what she's talking about...

 

[Tarazet]

In America, you can just skip paying a bill for seven years and then it just falls off, and you're getting gas etc for free? I have no idea what she's talking about...

Yes to the first, no to the second. If you skip a utility bill they'll cut your service.

 

[Alfarif]

@Manager:

No, youd on't get gas for free. You have 2-3 months of not paying a utility before they cut it off (I know this from experience). Usually you have to pay it in full to even get it turned back on (or barter with them like I did and get it turned on for much less but make the full payment a month later).

What she is talking about is state credit laws... essentially, after 7 years, the government "forgives" you for being an idiot and screwing your credit over. It doesn't improve your score, it just means the negative mark "falls" off... or isn't visible. Many types of credit, however, don't just fall off and not all of them are guaranteed to fall off in 7 years. You have to do loads of research just to find out what will and won't fall off and how it will affect your financial future.

http://www.violentacres.com/archives/32/drastic-measures

Hey, I appreciate this. I like to read other people's experiences and this looks like it's a good read.

 

[DarkAngelYuna]

Wow, it must suck being such a loser already at your young age. Btw, an associates isn't considered a college education anymore.

 

[CrunchyB]

The sad part is that there are some panhandlers that make more than anyone on this board. Talk about dedication. Drive to work in your brand new 2008 Nissan Rouge, park it 12 blocks from the job site, change out of your freshly pressed slacks, sweater vest, and dress shirt into your work attire, grab your collapsable shopping cart out of the back... and go to work.

I'm pretty sure this is an urban myth. I don't suppose you personally know such a person?

 

[Tarazet]

I'm pretty sure this is an urban myth. I don't suppose you personally know such a person?

I've seen panhandlers who were way too clean to have been homeless more than a couple hours. The Bay Area is jampacked with them.. and San Francisco has triple anywhere else aside from maybe NYC.

 

[Javaman]

I agree, cool story. I've been reading his stuff tonight, but there's one thing I don't get.

http://www.violentacres.com/archives/153/improving-your-credit-score-for-dummies



In America, you can just skip paying a bill for seven years and then it just falls off, and you're getting gas etc for free? I have no idea what she's talking about...

Worse yet, even after something falls off the credit report, the creditor can still legally refresh it after the seven years is up if you still hadn't paid the debt. They just can legally collect it after a certain amount of years based on state laws.

 

[Tarazet]

Worse yet, even after something falls off the credit report, the creditor can still legally refresh it after the seven years is up if you still hadn't paid the debt. They just can legally collect it after a certain amount of years based on state laws.

First time I've heard of this.

 

[chubigans]

I don't own a car and don't ever want one. The world is supposed to run out of oil not too long from now (I think I read from somewhere, we are on track to having no oil by 2018) and yeah, if I did have a car I would have insurance for I have been hit twice by two people without insurance and I probably should have sued them but I am that paranoid. I also have 3 warrants for my arrest (nothing too big, just traffic tickets.)

This thread is starting to make more and more sense to me.

 

[MC Safety]

I am going to talk to my lawyer tomorrow about this but more than likely she is going to tell me that I should at least agree to pay the 54 dollars per month and then after a few delayed payments, move somewhere else and hope the money for my book comes in sooner.

Also, on the taxes part. I never really have to pay taxes for I never really made enough but will probably already have to. I already set-up a dummy address just in case there is no other way. I need to talk to her about this too.

I hope your lawyer likes working pro bono.

You're a joke poster, right?

 

[Juice]

Subscribing to this thread to remind myself that it wins my vote for Most-Can't-Put-It-Down Thread of 2007.

See AlternativeUlster, you still can win at something!

 

[WickedAngel]

I've seen panhandlers who were way too clean to have been homeless more than a couple hours. The Bay Area is jampacked with them.. and San Francisco has triple anywhere else aside from maybe NYC.

Likewise.

With good placement and a convincing con, panhandlers can easily make several times over minimum wage simply by begging.

 

[Javaman]

First time I've heard of this.

"They just can legally collect it after a certain amount of years based on state laws."

This should actually say can only legally collect it until a certain amount of years have passed based on state laws."

The whole bankruptcy disappearing after 10 years doesn't help people very much either. Sure it doesn't effect the credit score any more but if a creditors asks someone if they have ever declared bankruptcy in the past and the borrower lies, even decades after the bankruptcy, they could face legal action.

 

[DarkAngelYuna]

"They just can legally collect it after a certain amount of years based on state laws."

This should actually say can only legally collect it until a certain amount of years have passed based on state laws."

The whole bankruptcy disappearing after 10 years doesn't help people very much either. Sure it doesn't effect the credit score any more but if a creditors asks someone if they have ever declared bankruptcy in the past and the borrower lies, even decades after the bankruptcy, they could face legal action.

Unless its changed in the past few years you can't even put school loans on a bankruptcy. It won't get rid of them =]

 

[WrathOfOtaibah]

When the OP said that he paid attention to Alex Jones, everything fit together.

Is the owner of your student loan lenders Jewish? Is he an active supporter of the NAU?

 

[Captain Glanton]

When the OP said that he paid attention to Alex Jones, everything fit together.

Is the owner of your student loan lenders Jewish? Is he an active supporter of the NAU?

Did the loan money have the Mystical Eye on the back?

 

[RiZ III]

..Well its already been said, but you have to pay back the monies. Its only $54 a month.. less than a price of a game. I'm paying close to a grand a month =/ Are you in the states btw .. ? Well, at this point this sounds like a joke.. but whatever.

 

[Timedog]

I'm glad I waited til I was past 23 to start school so I now have an AAS degree, where I got paid to go to school full time with financial aid. I'm now getting a 2 year AA transfer degree, and am getting paid around 4k a year to go to school after tuition is paid. Then I'm going to transfer to a public school, where I will likely pay very very little tuition.

In Washington after you're 23, your parents income is not reflected on your financial aid amount.

 

[perryfarrell]

With good placement and a convincing con, panhandlers can easily make several times over minimum wage simply by begging.

Hmm, when threads reach this conspiratorial level of 'people who look bad off actually have it better than you,' I know it's time to raise eyebrows.

What in God's name moves you to say things like that? Is it to relieve any guilt towards people who are worse off than you? It baffles the mind.

 

[Javaman]

Unless its changed in the past few years you can't even put school loans on a bankruptcy. It won't get rid of them =]

You're right. He probably can't get out of the taxes either if he's convicted with tax evasion. He's pretty much up shit creek unless he does something about it. RUN FOREST RUN!