Solicitor Letters for UAE Debts

4UNMe

Hello I am new to this forum and need a help from you.

I have received a letter from the UK solicitor J&P.

It is regarding credit card debts from Dubai. I left Dubai in 2014 but trying to repay the amount 2 more years from 2016.

However, it was impossible to repay after leaving GCC countries.

J&P gave me the 30 days to reply. I don't know what to do. I checked similar situations from a few websites but answers are all different.

I don't have any assets and income at the moment due to health problems I am in other country now.

Lawyers are advised that I must reply their letter to prevent further actions taken.

Kindly advise me.

Thanks,

WillPS

I am not a lawyer - you need specialist advice.

AIUI personal debts from outside the UK/EU are not normally enforceable in UK courts - I did read a case on here a few years back where Amex (I think?) somehow transferred a debt successfully. 

Have you heard nothing about this debt since 2016? If yes, the debt should also be statute barred in terms of any possible UK action.

Of course there is nothing to stop a creditor chasing payment even if they acknowledge they have no means of enforcing repayment; the debt won't disappear.

Another bit of advice I remember reading is be very careful about travelling internationally if you have a debt overseas. Even if you don't travel to the country/economic area deliberately flights can be diverted, and unpaid debts can lead to imprisonment.

4UNMe

WillPS, Thank you very much for your comments, and it helps me a lot.

Even if it is "Statute barred," it won't help much as you mentioned, and I agree as well.

The letters I received, it seems "Letter of Claim" . Which I can not simply ignore as per the advice in other forums.

Not sure what to do.......
I have to stop them to keep send a letter to the address where my son live but I cannot tell them that I am in other country due to health problems. Because they might enforce me to share where I live now.

I feel really shame on me, after all these years working in GCC never thought about consequences and end up with panic disorder to blame myself.

fatbelly

Give National Debtline a call.

It's going to be statute barred under England/Wales legislation and I don't see why you shouldn't let them know that any claim will be defended on that basis

WillPS

Sorry to hear about your health, I think it's important you get to the stage you can live with this confidently. Please get some legal advice to help you with this.

If I'm understanding correctly, the solicitor is sending mail to an address you no longer live at, but your son does? If that's the case, just return it to sender as 'addressee no longer at this address'. It would probably help if your son knew about this debt. You can assure him there is absolutely 0 chance that this debt will fall on him to pay.

4UNMe

fatbelly said:

Give National Debtline a call.

It's going to be statute barred under England/Wales legislation and I don't see why you shouldn't let them know that any claim will be defended on that basis

Fatbelly, Thanks for your advise.
But I was trying to contact them such as step change and citizen advice but my IP is overseas it could not get through. I sent them an email today so let me update once they reply.

4UNMe

WillPS said:

Sorry to hear about your health, I think it's important you get to the stage you can live with this confidently. Please get some legal advice to help you with this.

If I'm understanding correctly, the solicitor is sending mail to an address you no longer live at, but your son does? If that's the case, just return it to sender as 'addressee no longer at this address'. It would probably help if your son knew about this debt. You can assure him there is absolutely 0 chance that this debt will fall on him to pay.

Thanks WillPS, I am trying to calm but it is not easy....
My son already opened the letters but still it will work? 
Thanks

MattMattMattUK

WillPS said:

I am not a lawyer - you need specialist advice.

AIUI personal debts from outside the UK/EU are not normally enforceable in UK courts - I did read a case on here a few years back where Amex (I think?) somehow transferred a debt successfully. 

Have you heard nothing about this debt since 2016? If yes, the debt should also be statute barred.

Of course there is nothing to stop a creditor chasing payment even if they acknowledge they have no means of enforcing repayment; the debt won't disappear.

Another bit of advice I remember reading is be very careful about travelling internationally if you have a debt overseas. Even if you don't travel to the country/economic area deliberately flights can be diverted, and unpaid debts can lead to imprisonment.

They will not be statute barred under UAE law, there debts are for life, if one cannot pay then one is jailed. That being said they will be unenforceable in the UK, but it would also mean that one cannot travel to any middle eastern countries again and potentially any country with extradition treaties with the UAE, which includes multiple EU countries. 

MattMattMattUK

4UNMe said:

fatbelly said:

Give National Debtline a call.

It's going to be statute barred under England/Wales legislation and I don't see why you shouldn't let them know that any claim will be defended on that basis

Fatbelly, Thanks for your advise.
But I was trying to contact them such as step change and citizen advice but my IP is overseas it could not get through. I sent them an email today so let me update once they reply.

What country are you currently in and what citizenship do you have? The country in which you reside may have an extradition treaty with the UAE and whilst they may not extradite their own citizens they may extradite those of other countries. 

4UNMe

MattMattMattUK said:

WillPS said:

I am not a lawyer - you need specialist advice.

AIUI personal debts from outside the UK/EU are not normally enforceable in UK courts - I did read a case on here a few years back where Amex (I think?) somehow transferred a debt successfully. 

Have you heard nothing about this debt since 2016? If yes, the debt should also be statute barred.

Of course there is nothing to stop a creditor chasing payment even if they acknowledge they have no means of enforcing repayment; the debt won't disappear.

Another bit of advice I remember reading is be very careful about travelling internationally if you have a debt overseas. Even if you don't travel to the country/economic area deliberately flights can be diverted, and unpaid debts can lead to imprisonment.

They will not be statute barred under UAE law, there debts are for life, if one cannot pay then one is jailed. That being said they will be unenforceable in the UK, but it would also mean that one cannot travel to any middle eastern countries again and potentially any country with extradition treaties with the UAE, which includes multiple EU countries. 

Thanks Matt for your comments. But I did not money laundering or criminal offenses.
And I am not escaping intentionally to avoid. Just my situation is now being very difficult to survive mentally and physically.

The Convention on the Extradition of Crime is a bit harsh for me. But travelling UAE or GCC countries are defiantly impossible that I know.

I'm UK citizen and I'm in the process of treating my health problems.

MattMattMattUK

4UNMe said:

MattMattMattUK said:

WillPS said:

I am not a lawyer - you need specialist advice.

AIUI personal debts from outside the UK/EU are not normally enforceable in UK courts - I did read a case on here a few years back where Amex (I think?) somehow transferred a debt successfully. 

Have you heard nothing about this debt since 2016? If yes, the debt should also be statute barred.

Of course there is nothing to stop a creditor chasing payment even if they acknowledge they have no means of enforcing repayment; the debt won't disappear.

Another bit of advice I remember reading is be very careful about travelling internationally if you have a debt overseas. Even if you don't travel to the country/economic area deliberately flights can be diverted, and unpaid debts can lead to imprisonment.

They will not be statute barred under UAE law, there debts are for life, if one cannot pay then one is jailed. That being said they will be unenforceable in the UK, but it would also mean that one cannot travel to any middle eastern countries again and potentially any country with extradition treaties with the UAE, which includes multiple EU countries. 

Thanks Matt for your comments. But I did not money laundering or criminal offenses.

In the UAE non-payment of debts is a criminal offence, not a civil matter, which is different to how it is in the West. 

4UNMe said:

And I am not escaping intentionally to avoid. Just my situation is now being very difficult to survive mentally and physically.

I understand that, the thing with the UAE and most other middle eastern legal systems is that they are very unforgiving, brutally in many cases. They do not differentiate between unable and unwilling and they will always side with the local citizen or business over an international one.

4UNMe said:

The Convention on the Extradition of Crime is a bit harsh for me. But travelling UAE or GCC countries are defiantly impossible that I know.

I'm UK citizen and I'm in the process of treating my health problems.

Have you checked the country you are in does not have an extradition treaty with the UAE, or if they do checked if debt is excluded from the extraditable offences, eg. many will only include offences which are crimes in the host country, so you could not be extradited for debt, but then that may also be prosecuted a fraud which makes things more complicated. Remember that if you are in the UK you could not be extradited and the UK government can protect you, if you are in a third country that becomes much more difficult.