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greenspun.com : LUSENET : Repossession : One Thread

update on shortfall claim. ihave recived a letter from dlc.i quote. you should be aware that the above outstanding debt will never be written off and we are most disappointed that you have either not responded at all to previous correspondance or not accepted the advice and options offered to help resolve this matter.your file is now being transferred to our debt surveillance programme where it will be subjected to regular review for up to seven years.we will instruct field agents or make whatever enquiries are deemed necessary in order to establish your current financial circumstances and or your whereabouts. hmmmmmm so does anybody know what will happen now?

-- alan lloyd (lloydxr3i@yahoo.co.uk), May 15, 2002

Answers

Good research by Pendle. Excellent!

I think this is a great letter to receive. I read it as saying:

"We can't bring a case against you right now because we think it would be unprofitable to do so. So we're going to pay somebody to keep what they can of a 24x7 eye on you in the hope that you buy a new car or that they can track you to your place of work."

I would look forward to being able to intimidate these watchers by photographing their faces and their car number plates, by recording phone calls and generally having some fun at their expense. They can also be engaged in long conversations where you feed them contradictory numbers for the *huge* inheritance you are about to get. You might even ask them to loan you £100 to pay for legal fees in fighting a relative who claims that the inheritance is all theirs...

What I'm saying is that this letter is desperate. It tells you that you've won. Now is the time to have some fun with the poor saps they are actually going to pay to "make enquiries" about you. There's no law against feeding crap to cold callers. Enjoy the opportunity.

Lee

-- Lee (repossession@home-repo.org), May 16, 2002.


I looked up 'debt surveillance program' on Google and a debt collection firm, Intrum Justitia have one such program....

"Debt Surveillance is a unique service from Intrum Justitia that helps you recover debts which would normally be written off as uncollectable.

We put details of the debt on our unique Debt Surveillance system. We then monitor the financial position of the debtor for five years. We do this through a series of letters, telephone calls and visits from our dedicated network of agents.

As soon as the debtor's circumstances have improved, we act swiftly to recover the debt.

The Debt Surveillance programme is available on a no-collect no-fee basis. You only pay commission on actual monies collected, with no hidden costs."

So from the looks of it, you might get letters from suspicious sources, and they will check your credit file on a regular basis to see if you've got any money.

I don't like the use of the word 'subjected' in the letter you received. It sounds like they are going to be looking at your details every day until you give in. Criminals subject their victims to torment and distress.... sounds like they want to do the same thing!!

Read through the rest of this website, especially the Do's and Don'ts and the sample letters and if there is anything you've not done, do it.

-- pendle (pendle_666@yahoo.co.uk), May 15, 2002.


I think that letter is tantamount to (a criminal) harassment threat. To state that someone is going to be put "under surveillance" is an invasion of their basic rights. You cannot do that unless a crime has been committed, or there are reasonable grounds to suggest that you will commit one . I would refer that letter to a solicitor for comment. In addition, the debt will be written off. There is a statute of limitations on all debts. Nasty people.

-- Too scared to say (iwasduped@yahoo.com), May 15, 2002.

what a pile of tosh!!

-- guess (locate1st@hotmail.com), May 22, 2002.

I have an identical letter to Alan's. Since I have never acknowledged the lenders claim as valid I consider the letter to be highly inaccurate in talking about a debt. I decided a long time ago that it was better to discuss matters with the organ grinder rather than with his monkey, if you get my drift. Since their previous letters (including one from Aplins) threatened legal action and were never acted on, I agree with Lee's summary of events.

-- Gordon Bennet (arsenewhinger@hotmail.com), May 22, 2002.


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