How long does it normally take for repossession and when do they start chasing you for the shortfall (about #25 000) and what advice can you give me? After explaining my personal situation with regards to the property and trying to evict my ex for two years, with huge solicitors bills mounting, the Halifax were not interested one little bit and just wanted their money, I handed the keys in in May, signed the voluntary possession form in September after the first court date when I became aware of such a form (back dated it to May). It then went to court again in October and an order for possession was granted. The Halifax solicitors then threatened eviction and to persuse the order for possession with a warrant in November. I have spoken to their solicitors saying that they need to hurry up and sell the property as it is getting vandalised and therefore losing value, I enforced this with a fax. They seemed to be confused and said that the property had tenants in it, I corrected them on this and said no tenants were in there. (I understand that you can't make a voluntary possession with someone still in it, so I forgot to mention that I had found out that my ex-girlfriend had broken in and was squatting there). Meantime the council are chasing me for council tax and the Halifax have recently said I am still responsible for the property. I have had no correspondence from the Halifax and no advice. I have offered to pay back the shortfall in reasonable instalments, should I have done that? Any advice I would be grateful, is this a normal case where a person wants their property repossessed quickly and it seems to be a dragged out slow process?

-- Charmaine Milne (C.Milne@aol.com), November 24, 1998