CCJ Reduced settlement offer.

Bobby776

I have a CCJ on an account that I refuse to recognise. Someone took out a mobile contract in my name and ran up a bill. As I worked out of the country for long periods I never knew about the CCJ until a few years later. The CCJ is now obviously affecting my credit. It has been sold to another company who offered a reduced settlement. I am considering paying it to get my file clear but as its a reduced settlement and not the original company that got the CCJ at court can I still get a certificate of satisfaction if I pay the reduced amount? Thanks in advance.

fatbelly

That's a tough question. You could try making it part of the deal but it could be that the present owner doesn't know there is a ccj on it!

The easy answer is to ask when is it 6 years from the date of judgement? That's when the ccj entry will disappear anyway.

If you dispute a ccj that has appeared without your knowledge and without you having the opportunity to defend it then you should normally apply to have it set aside.

Arleen

If what you've said is true, that it wasn't you who signed the contract in the first place, then certainly don't let it go and reply back to the phone company that this is the case and that you will be making an application to have it set aside, and at the same time demanding return of court costs.
This should get enough of their attention to triple check their paperwork, but be ready to have to go to court to settle it, which is not scary and doesn't require legal knowledge. There is a basic guideline on national debt website https://www.nationaldebtline.org/EW/factsheets/Pages/howtosetasideacountycourtjudgment/settingasideaccj.aspx

I really would discourage just paying off the bill that you didn't take, let phone companies deal with their incompetence in checking credentials.

System

Why would you settle this?
I would be taking it up with the original pursuer and demand it's set aside.

National_Debtline

Hi Bobby


I have to agree with the above posters - if this isn't your debt then on principle you ought to be challenging it rather than settling it. You should of course take legal advice if intending to dispute a debt as you can end up liable for extra legal costs if you do so unsuccessfully.


On a separate note, paying the debt off now wouldn't "clear" your credit file altogether - it will change the CCJ's status to "satisfied/settled" but it would still be visible on there until six years from the date of the original judgment.


Dennis
@natdebtline

Marktheshark

A certificate of satisfaction will make no difference to credit ratings.
A CCJ is set after it is not paid within 14 days and until it drops off afyer 6 years, it is a CCJ, satisfied or not.

If this was not your contract, the mobile phone company are the victims of the fraud BY LAW not you.

File a N244 court form and apply for a new hearing and your full costs.

A third party interloper on a CCJ is also powerless to do anything but beg for the money.