Being chased for a statute-barred debt by Property Debt Collection Ltd for Moreland / MW Freeholds

eddddy

ripofflondon said:

Am wondering about paying the amount shown on the ''Application for Payment' to Moreland direct - if I did that (and stated it was under dispute) would that extinguish the right of PDC to come after me? 

If the Administration Charges on PDC's bill are legitimate - it would be illogical not to pay them.

As I've been saying, you should pay now and then challenge them later.

If you leave, say, £900 unpaid - you can still be taken to court. And the legal costs would be the same for £900 unpaid as for £2000 unpaid.

There's probably no point in just paying part of the charges.

ripofflondon

Right, just come off the phone with Thompsons Solicitors - as part of my UNISON membership I get a free 30 minute legal advice call.  

So - this is what they said.
- The 12 year time limit because it's a service charge arising from a lease is correct
- The admin fees are enforceable if the original debt is enforceable and this would need to be decided by a court / tribunal / ombudsman.
- I should contact the Trading Standards dept of the local council for Moreland's area and complain that I am being harassed for a debt that's in dispute - the dispute should be resolved by a court / tribunal / ombudsman before debt collectors being called in.
- Unreasonable for Moreland to keep adding these £75 admin charges without taking legal action (something I maybe should have mentioned earlier but didn't is that every monthly 'Application For Payment' has a different number of lines on it for these £75 admin charges - sometimes the total amount they say is due is as little as £900-odd, others it's as high as £1100 and various figures in between)
- I should book in my appointment with the LAS (do you have any experience of whether they are likely to be quicker / more forthcoming if I click on the 'seek written advice' option?)
- I should do likewise with the Property Ombudsman. 
- With PDC I should contact them and say 'I have today had legal advice and have been advised to contact the Property Ombudsman and the LAS and their earliest appointment is not till 10 April' - this would make PDC look unreasonable if they start instructing solicitors / any debt collection proceedings before 10 April.  

Any thoughts?  I suspect it will be Eddddy who responds but anyone else also welcome to weigh in!