Debt Collectors Practices

jamesd

One thing for your daughter to watch out for is that a charge may be made fore each visit. She should dispute any charges that are made for visits after the one where you told him that she no longer lives there.

Hanky_Panky

Gordon_Hose wrote: »

Debt Collectors have to give sufficient notice, along with a time and a date they will be calling. They never do this, they just turn up unannounced.

If they don't leave when requested they are trespassing.

If they step foot on your land without authorisation then they are trespassing, and under Common Law the landowner has the right to remove them, or have them removed.

Actually they always do this. It's part of their normal letter strategy that states something like 'failure to respond may result in a represenative calling at your home blah, blah, blah' or words to that effect.

It's been debated on here previously and I don't think anyone agreed. There was even mention of how you cannot restrict someones access to you without a court ordrer etc including denying them the right to call you. Most importantly though are the debt collection guidleines quoted above which clearly state the circumstances that collectors can visit and what they must do if it's not convenient etc. So as the oft seem to agree that these visits can take place I would like to see an individual challenge this in court and see if they get anywhere.

jamesd

Hanky Panky, there are two aspects, first this from the OFT guidelines:

2.12 Examples of unfair practices are: ...
d. entering a property uninvited

Second the right to notify someone that you have withdrawn their common law right of access across your property to get to your door and ring your doorbell, a technique that is used sometimes for TV licensing visitors, who will honour such a withdrawing of permission, at least until or if they decide to use court action.

You don't need a court order to deny someone permission to cross your land. You'll find that shops quite often deny known shop lifters or troublemakers access to the store.

For debt collection this won't work with a bailiff who has been authorised by a court to act. Others can stick to letters.