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Debt tribunal
I am supposed to attend a tribunal concerning debt. If I continue to avoid this, what can the authorities do. (I have no fixed address or assets). I am too old to be employed and a bit too young to qualify for a pension. Done several years working in Belgium, and rather more years in UK, no longer with a Belgian residence card. Advice?
No fixed address or assets or residence card?
How do you manage that?
Seems that you have two options, become legally resident and sort out your debts, or leave.
Sorry to be so negative.
Go and get it over with. Better to know what you are facing than having to be on the run or in hiding the rest of your days. It might not be as bad as you think. They may be able to work out something so that your debt is decreased and a payment schedule is organized.
The bailiffs or 'huissier de justice' will take whatever they can until the debt, plus expenses etc is paid.
They can take direct from any income earned, if you are working or they can even take any overseas assets.
Your best advice would come from a notaire!
I don't KNOW what can the authorities do if you continue to avoid this but I can be reasonably confident that ignoring them will eventually make them do something. They are 'the authorities' and they don't like being ignored.
They certainly could throw you out of Belgium and block any attempt at a return. On the other hand, they no longer jail people for being in debt.
As they have organised this tribunal and informed you of it, they clearly are able to find you if they need to.
On balance, attending has got to be better than not unless you are planning to leave the country permanently.
The bottom line is that someone wants their money and if something can be arranged that achieves that, they will get off your back.
If they cannot find you now, they will find you at some time in the future. Unless you keep on hiding, and never claim a pension in Belgium. When they find you, will also be liable for all the expenses they have incurred, and those will rise every time there is a court date, a huissier will try & serve papers (at the last known address I guess) and whatever else. Not being present at court is also in your disadvantage. Since you know about the court date, there is somehow a trail leading to you...
