4AM CALLS OVER HUBBY’S £250K DEBT

Dear Coleen

My husband owes £250,000 and can’t pay up. It’s from 18 months ago and the woman who was his partner in a business deal that fell through is demanding her cut.

She’s constantly come over to our house (driving from Scotland and breaking lockdown rules) because of this and has even sent letters demanding my husband pays up within two weeks. We even get phone calls at 4am.

The police say it’s not their issue at the moment and they’re too busy dealing with coronavirus-related things.

This is concerning me, as I had no idea he owed that much. We’re a couple in our 40s and have one teenage daughter.

I’m not sure what to do for the best. Can you help?

Coleen says

Well, I’m not a legal or financial expert, but I think your husband needs to get advice about where he stands in terms of paying this money and how to pay it if he owes it.

I imagine they would have signed a contract when this business deal was set up.

I think what you can do is encourage him to confront the problem now rather than burying his head in the sand. It’s not going to go away and I don’t think this woman is going to stop until something is worked out.

What’s concerning from a relationship point of view is you didn’t know your husband owed this money. I wonder why he kept the business deal a secret.

You need to ask him the question and insist on transparency from now on because the fallout from this deal is not just affecting him, it’s affecting you and your daughter, as well.

He may have been trying to protect you from worry by keeping this all to himself, but it’s backfired.

He must be honest with you from now on, so you are able to trust him again and support him.