Rossendales Collect

kessik

This is kind of a company related question but I'm hoping somebody might have some ideas. Me and my husband had a building company franchise. After almost five years the franchisor withdrew all leads and basically cut us off. We had set up a limited company to run our franchise - this limited company subsequently ceased trading and we are currently working as hard as possible to repay our personal guarantee to the bank. We had to pay royalties to our franchisor and at the time of cessation we owed about £1500, according to the franchisor. However, they owed us money for work carried out and so, netted off the figure was maybe £250 all told (that we owed them).
About 6 months after our limited company ceased trading the franchisor instigated court proceedings against, not the company, but my husband personally for the £1500 royalties they claimed we owed. On the day of the court hearing the franchisor didn't show up so the case was struck out. We thought that was the end of it.

Over the last week two letters have arrived, addressed to my husband personally, from Rossendales Collect. The 'Client' is listed as a company with a name that is a variation of the franchisor's (I think the company changed its name after our involvement with them ended). The 'Outstanding Amount' is very much like the amount we owed in royalties to the original franchisor. These letters both say that the debt has ben passed to Rossendales by the above client. 'We are instructed that you have ignored previous requests for payment and we intend to recover your outstanding debt immediately. Unless you pay us the debt amount in full within 7 days or contact us immediately with your proposals recovery action will commence.' Dates on the letters are 12/8 and 16/8.

What does anybody else make of it? Any suggestions? Can a company pursue us a second time, under a different name? Wouldn't the outstanding debt be under the original company name? I haven't contacted Rossendales yet and don't know what to do next.

Thanks in advance folks.