Debt Collection for a freelancer

gwynnington

Can anyone help with some advice or recommendations for debt collection companies in the Herts area.

Freelancer with outstanding invoices from May/June for over £1,000 and all reasonable negotiations have failed. Client is being evasive, and not answering calls. I have tried the small claims court route before (and won), and the county court bailiff was unable to collect anything to settle the debt so got nothing - would rather not try this again.

Don't want to randomly pick a collections agency from google as not sure what service you will get. Thanks in advance if anyone has any experience of this.

gb12345

If a court bailiff couldn't collect anything do you really think a debt collection company will have any luck?

What was the reason the bailiffs couldn't collect? Also, is the client a Ltd company of a sole-trader?

gwynnington

I think the client is a PLC...

When i used the small claims court, this was for another client in 2007. I won, but when the court bailiff went in to pcik up stuff, the client stated that everything he had in the business was 'leased', so the bailift couldnt take anything (computers/car etc).

the bailiff when informing me that occurence, told me 'off the record', that in 70% of cases, the 'criminal' so to speak gets away with it. He said I would have been better off getting a cough 'collections agency' out of the yellow pages and getting them to do it, as the county court although 'official' had little weight in enforcing the outcome and therefore collecting your winnings.

Hence me asking the question. Im not willing to just 'let this go', and at over £1,000 if I dont get it, it will put the roof over my head at serious risk - i just wanted to enquire if anyone had got experience with this in the area, and could advise. Im just googling at the moment, and am in the dark as to whether the companies I am finding are just flashy websites covering up a group of thugs - would I know what i was signing up for?

I can't 'not try' to get the money and at least be hopeful that the honest party will win...but just becuase it hasnt worked before, a different approach may this time.

This is a new case.

gb12345

Do you really think that a collection agency is going to hold any sway with a Plc - they have no legal powers and if told to get lost have to do that. At best they will write a few letters and threaten court action, but they're unlikely to have any more luck in getting money than a court bailiff (the thug stuff won't work with a large company - they won't even get past security.

If it is a Plc then it is a large company, so a LBA followed by court action should see them pay up.

Failing that - buy a share in the company and turn up at the AGM and ask the board why they are not paying their debts .

dancingfairy

You could try going through the high court enforcement officers (HCO). You do have to have gone to court though andwon first.
Have you read the leaflet from the courts about enforcing judgement? If it is a regular person you can apply that they attend court for questioning, you can attach earnings, you can apply for a charging order on their property, you can apply to make them bankrupt etc etc. I'm not sure how it works though if the company is a limited company.
Have you tried going through the companies complaints procedure?
Have you sent a letter before action?
I don't know whether a local solicitor could help with enforcement options?
Best of Luck
df

makeyourdaddyproud

Search for knuckledusters on eBay.

Gas_Powered_Toothbrush

Then search for idiots on moneysavingexpert. There's one in the post above this one.