Help with Contractum please. ( international debt collection)

kremmen

Hi,

I have previously ignored a couple of letters sent on behalf of a Spanish municipality ( Ayuntamiento de Tarifa).

The letters now apper to come from Contractum international debt collection.

Assuming I ignore this letter am I likely to be taken to court for this ? (Currently outstanding £135.86).

Thanks

Paul

give_them_FA

Once things are put in the hands of "debt collectors" it generally means the original creditor has abandoned the claim and sold it on to some chancers to see if they can bully you into paying some unrecoverable "debt".

What is it for? And do you HONESTLY believe that someone is going to launch a claim in the Small Claims which will, so far as I can see, be impossible to substantiate with any evidence, over a trivial amount like this?

Or am I being too sanguine?

peter_the_piper

This is in effect a council ticket, is it really safe to ignore if you intend to go to Spain again?

HO87

I'd just bet that the original demands from came from Euro Parking Collection. Contractum Ltd are effectively an offshoot of EPC, have the same directors and are based at the same address. I'm guessing that they have simply moved the file to the next desk - in exactly the same way as Poxburghe Roxburghe do with Graham White, Solicitors.

It would be interesting if, in their letter, they declare the connection between them and EPC? PPC's have caught a cold in the past when operating their own debt collection businesses without declaring the connection. Some PPC's continue to do so - or at least have until recently - LDK Security/Ethical Debt Recovery and UKCPS/Court Proceedings Ltd.

As has been said the use of a debt collector is often exploited simply to ramp-up the pressure on the alleged debtor. I would suggest the fact that there is such a close relationship between EPC and Contractum would support that view.

Debt collectors have, of course, all of the legal powers....that you and I have. The best they can do is to ask.

give_them_FA

So that's cleared that up, then, Paul. The Big E it is.

I doubt if Interpol will be called in.

kremmen

Thanks all,
I have been back to Spain and not been jumped on . Infact I used same car hire company ( never again ).
So I will hold and await the next exciting installment.

Paul