Should I contact old debt collection agency

Mister_C

A long time ago, maybe 15 years + I entered into a payment arrangement with Connaught Collections and was paying about £150 a month for three accounts they managed on behalf of Lloyds. The amounts were large, about £40-50k in aggregate for the three, if I remember. I have moved house many times so lost contact and no longer receive any letters from them. I did contact them about 5 years ago and confirmed amounts owed which were about £20,000 still so never gave them my new address and just carried on.

I searched for Connaught online but it looks like they don't exist so I searched the bank details I have been paying by standing order and Intrum came up.

I am in a much better position financially than I have been for a long time, so my question is should I contact Intrum and find out the balance and perhaps come to a deal on the remaining balances? Or could this end badly with them suddenly serving me with CCJ or enforcement action or demanding higher repayments?  Or should I just carry on paying a small amount each month and continue as normal but never knowing if I have cleared the debts or not?

Thanks everyone!

DE_612183

Have you checked your credit file?

stu12345_2

as you have been paying it isn't statute barred, intrum are accepting the money obviously, the only thing is they don't know your address. they probably own the debt now.

what would happen if they choose to no longer accept your monthly amounts and thought they were too small, they could get a ccj by default cos you never defended it cos you got letters sent to old address.

contact intrum and make an offer only after you have done a cca request, cos it's likely a debt that old the cca doesn't exist and the debt is not enforceable and you can then stop paying anything to it

fatbelly

I would stop paying and see who comes out of the woodwork and what balances they quote.

Then work out a strategy, if anyone writes.

Mister_C

DE_612183 said:

Have you checked your credit file?

The debt is long gone from my credit file 

fatbelly said:

I would stop paying and see who comes out of the woodwork and what balances they quote.

Then work out a strategy, if anyone writes.

I thought about that but worry they try contacting me at old address then manage to get a ccj

stu12345_2 said:

as you have been paying it isn't statute barred, intrum are accepting the money obviously, the only thing is they don't know your address. they probably own the debt now.

what would happen if they choose to no longer accept your monthly amounts and thought they were too small, they could get a ccj by default cos you never defended it cos you got letters sent to old address.

contact intrum and make an offer only after you have done a cca request, cos it's likely a debt that old the cca doesn't exist and the debt is not enforceable and you can then stop paying anything to it

Sounds like a sensible approach. Should I phone them or write? 

stu12345_2

write, then you get proof in a reply in writing , don't discuss things on phone, don't give them your phone number when you write to them 

thus they then  must write to you !!!

a cca request must be done in writing , post not email, with a £1 cheque or postal order enclosed 

sourcrates

They would do a search of your credit file and see your current address.

The legal process is a last resort, rather than a first response, it also makes life fair for both sides, as you get a chance to avert legal action as would they send an LBA first.

Stopping payment would simply re-start collection activity, nothing more.