Debt prevents travel outside Russia?

[jft 12]

My friend just informed me that her mother who she lives with has not paid her rent on time in quite a while and owes much money to the bank. She is concerned that because of her mother's debt that she won't be able to leave the country. Has anyone else faced this situation before? Would a parent's debt be automatically passed on to an adult child? Obviously this is important to answer this question long before we buy airline tickets and such (our current plan is to meet in a third country before trying for a US visa). I suppose that we really need to ask the Russian Federal Bailiffs' Service for the answer as to whether she is on the blacklist but any advice in this area would me most appreciated, especially if the answer the FBS gives is ever different than what is decided at the airport passport control.

[AmyWrites 593]

As I understand it's for the individual with debt, so I don't think it'll affect your friend.

My Russian hubby just said that basically no (he thinks, not sure), if the bank hasn't sued you, then it's okay since the government won't be aware of the debt.

Edited June 24, 2012 by AmyWrites

[jft 12]

The exact situation is that she moved back in with her mother and brother a year or two ago. However mom has been chronically late with the rent and owes quite a bit at this point. I don't think my friend is officially on the lease but could be as she grew up there and at some point after adulthood moved out and then back in. I really have no idea how rent and leases work in Russia so I can't offer any more details, sorry. The info about the court order matches what I read in the newspaper and I don't think there is one but I'm not 100% sure.

[Penguin_ie 5,993]

**** moving from Tourist visa to RUB forum for country specific answers ****

[jft 12]

**** moving from Tourist visa to RUB forum for country specific answers ****

Thanks! I wasn't sure where the appropriate location for this discussion was.

[BatmanUSA 105]

Hi..

I did ask my Fiance' who lives in Russia.

1) If debt is Legally hers, it could be a problem.

If debt is mother's, no problem for your girl.

Personally, from my perspective, sorry to say this, but you have to think about this...If she asks you to send money to pay mother's debt (I know she hasn't yet and I hope she does not), please be careful because this sounds like it could be the beginning of a scam.

[jft 12]

Personally, from my perspective, sorry to say this, but you have to think about this...If she asks you to send money to pay mother's debt (I know she hasn't yet and I hope she does not), please be careful because this sounds like it could be the beginning of a scam.

I've known her for over 10 years and have visited her several times at this point so I'm not worried about a scam but yes I think that's a good policy to follow even so. I'll visit her again rather than meet in a third country if the debt is a problem to her travelling.

[Rob_Lesya 4]

My friend just informed me that her mother who she lives with has not paid her rent on time in quite a while and owes much money to the bank. She is concerned that because of her mother's debt that she won't be able to leave the country. Has anyone else faced this situation before? Would a parent's debt be automatically passed on to an adult child? Obviously this is important to answer this question long before we buy airline tickets and such (our current plan is to meet in a third country before trying for a US visa). I suppose that we really need to ask the Russian Federal Bailiffs' Service for the answer as to whether she is on the blacklist but any advice in this area would me most appreciated, especially if the answer the FBS gives is ever different than what is decided at the airport passport control.

It shouldn't cause her any problems, but it's VERY easy to check. I don't have the URL with me here at work, but you can find the website of the Bailiff's Service and once on that site she (or you) can search to find out if the name is on the list or not.

When my wife came here a few years ago she was concerned that debts of her ex-husband might cause her problems, but it was easy enough to search the site and see that she wasn't listed. She still occasionally searches the site to make sure that her name hasn't popped up --- and it's also interesting what you can find out from there about some of your friends and relatives.

To answer your last point -- there might be an EXTREMELY remote chance that someone's name could pop up on the list between the time that they've searched and when they arrive at the airport, but passport control is using the same list that you're looking at on the site so if the name isn't on the list, you've got very little to worry about.

[jft 12]

It shouldn't cause her any problems, but it's VERY easy to check. I don't have the URL with me here at work, but you can find the website of the Bailiff's Service and once on that site she (or you) can search to find out if the name is on the list or not.

I checked the page http://www.en.fssprus.ru/iss/ip/ and she is on it unfortunately. Thanks for your help though. Now that I know I assume the only way she can get out of it is to pay it? Are there any other options?

Edited June 26, 2012 by jft

[baron555 934]

I checked the page http://www.en.fssprus.ru/iss/ip/ and she is on it unfortunately. Thanks for your help though. Now that I know I assume the only way she can get out of it is to pay it? Are there any other options?

How much money are we talking about? Everything in Russia can be taken care of with a little money given to the "right" person.

Can't your fiance help out on her own?

[jft 12]

I'd rather not get into details of the amount owed but it's more than she can afford to pay off without installments but not so much that it couldn't be paid off in several months. .

Edited June 27, 2012 by jft

[eekee 182]

I'd rather not get into details of the amount owed but it's more than she can afford to pay off without installments but not so much that it couldn't be paid off in several months. .

So have her do the installment thing, get her off the list, then concentrate on the visa process. In the meantime, meet her in Russia.

[baron555 934]

I'd rather not get into details of the amount owed but it's more than she can afford to pay off without installments but not so much that it couldn't be paid off in several months. .

Email the Embassy and see if this recorded debt would be a deterrent to them issuing a visa.

If not, then screw it. If so, then have her start paying.

[eekee 182]

Email the Embassy and see if this recorded debt would be a deterrent to them issuing a visa.

If not, then screw it. If so, then have her start paying.

Who cares what the embassy's policies are at this point? If she can't leave the country, going through the process of getting a visa would be a waste of time. The Russian passport control people won't say, "Well, if you have a visa to America, we'll just have to let you leave, then." Nope. The OP's ladyfriend has to take care of the debt stuff before they even think about her visiting somewhere, much less starting the immigration process.

[jft 12]

She'll work on saving up the money which will take a few months and in the mean time I'll visit her again instead.

Of course it makes no sense to get a K1 visa until the debt is paid because she's stuck in the country until then. We might apply at some point and if she's not paid up by the time the visa is issued I could take care of the rest. Of course I could pay the whole debt for her now but I am worried about how she would see me afterwards and it seems like the wrong thing to do to me unless it's blocking her coming to America.