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Received a court claim - what do I do ?

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  • Received a court claim - what do I do ?

    What should I do when I receive a claim form?


    Do not ignore it - act quickly.

    You have only a limited time in which to reply to the claim. You must acknowledge the claim to the court within 14 days of service (the date you received the form).

    If you do nothing, it could result in judgment being entered against you without further notice, on the claimants terms.

    The claim should arrive by post and should be on a stamped court form called an N1.

    The claim form will look similar to this




    Do you recognise the Claimant ?

    Do you have a debt with the Claimant ?

    Does your knowledge of the debt correspond with the details on the claim form (amount, account numbers, etc)



    We recommend you make a post in the forum detailing the particulars of claim and the date of service of the form and any other information that you feel is relevant.

    If you don't recognise the claimant or there are poor particulars of claim with no supporting information then you can ask for more information. Post on the forum with as much information as possible.


    A ‘Response Pack’ will be sent with the claim form or with the particulars of claim (if they were served separately). It contains all the forms you will need to reply to the claim.

    You have a number of choices:

    • pay the amount claimed;

    • admit all or part of the claim or liability for the claim, and ask the claimant for time to pay, or offer to settle the claim in some other way;

    • dispute (‘defend’) the claim;

    • dispute the claim and offer to sort the matter out without going to a court hearing.

    If the claim is for a fixed amount of money (a ‘specified amount’), the response pack will contain:

    • Form N9 (acknowledgment of service);
    • Form N9A (admission form); and
    • Form N9B (defence form).


    If the claim is not for a fixed amount of money (an ‘unspecified amount’), you will receive a Form N9, Form N9C (admission form) and Form N9D (defence form)

    Before you complete any of the forms you should read the notes for defendant attached to the claim form.

    ACKNOWLEDGING A CLAIM

    You need to ACKNOWLEDGE the claim within 14 days of service, otherwise the claimant may get Judgment by Default. (see below)

    First check the section of the claim form headed ‘Particulars of Claim’.

    If the words ‘particulars of claim to follow’ are written in this section, you should not reply until you receive them (this should be within 14 days of receiving the claim form).

    If the ‘particulars of claim’ section is completed or indicates that the particulars of claim are attached, you must reply within 14 days of the date you received it (the ‘date of service’). You can do this online at Welcome - HMCS Money Claim Online or by post. Remember to post your reply at least 2 days before the end of the 14 day period if you are sending it by post.


    To acknowledge the claim online at the Money Claim Online Service you are required to register for an account with the UK Government Gateway.

    1: Visit Welcome - HMCS Money Claim Online

    2: Click '' I am a Defendant ''

    3: On the right hand side you need to LOG IN using your Claim Number off the N1 form, and the password which is also shown on the N1 form.

    4: Click on ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF SERVICE

    5: Select Acknowledge with intent to defend in full / admission

    What will happen if I do nothing?

    Judgment may be entered against you. This means that you will be ordered to pay the amount of the claim (or an amount to be decided by the court) and costs. The court will send you a copy of the order saying how much you owe.

    If judgment is entered against you, your name and address may be entered on the Register of Judgments, Orders and Fines. The credit industry (for example, banks and building societies) use information on the Register to establish people’s credit worthiness. If your name is on the list it could lead to you being refused credit.


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    I admit I owe the debt and want to make an offer to pay

    In order to claim against you in the County Court for a debt regulated by the Consumer Credit Act 1974 (most credit cards and unsecured loans are regulated) the claimant must have followed certain protocols and procedures.
    • Notified you in writing of their intention to file a claim at the court - standard 'reasonable time' is 14 days.
    • Given you opportunity to make payment prior to filing at court
    • Supplied documentary evidence of the debt
    • Issued you with a default notice




    If the amount that is being claimed appears higher than you think it should be then the claimant may have added 'collection' or other charges to the account. It may be possible to defend these and have them removed from the claim.

    If there is no supporting documentation provided with the claim form, and in most cases there is not, then we always recommend sending a request for more details and copies of documents to the Claimant. See the FIRST STEPS post below.

    If you admit that you owe the money, but cannot afford to pay it all at once, you can ask for time to pay. This may, if the claimant agrees, avoid getting a judgment registered against you.

    Fill in Form N9A. Give all the details about your income and expenses it asks for and say how you would like to pay. You will find it useful to complete a full Financial Statement and use the figures from that for the response, this will help ensure you do not offer more than you can afford. Information on this can be found Legal Beagles .

    Take or send Form N9A to the court and to the claimant at the address shown on the claim form for payments or documents. Keep a copy for yourself.

    If the claimant accepts your offer to pay by instalments you must:

    • keep up instalment payments. If not, your goods may be taken away and sold, or a court order may be made affecting your income or property

    • let the court know if you are having trouble keeping up the payments; for example, if you lose your job. You can make an application to redetermine the installment amounts if your circumstances do change.

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    I admit I owe SOME of the debt

    If you agree that you do owe some money, but less than is being claimed, this is called ‘making a part admission’.

    Fill in Form N9A and Form N9B, saying how much you do owe and why you consider you do not owe any more than that.

    Send both forms to the court within 14 days of service of the claimant’s particulars of claim and 28 days if you filed an acknowledgment of service.

    You can either pay the amount you agree that you owe to the claimant immediately, or you can ask for time to pay either by instalments or at some future date.

    Copies of the forms will be sent to the claimant asking whether your part admission is accepted in full and final settlement of the claim or whether it is not and the claim should proceed as defended.

    The claimant must reply to you and the court within 14 days of receiving your part admission.


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    I want to defend the claim

    You may want to defend the claim if you do not recognise the debt or have already paid the debt.

    Whether the claim is for a specified or an unspecified amount, you may either:

    • complete the Form N9 (acknowledgment of service); or

    • complete the Form N9B (if the claim is for a specified amount) or Form N9D (if the claim is for an unspecified amount).

    Whichever form you complete, you must make sure that it is taken or sent to the court (called ‘filing’) no later than 14 days from the date the particulars of claim were served on you. If you do not, the claimant can ask the court to enter judgment, that is, make an order that you pay the amount claimed, or that you are liable to pay an amount to be decided by the court.

    When you complete the defence form, be sure that you follow all the instructions on it. This is important, especially if the claim is for an unspecified amount.

    For example, if you do not answer all the points raised (‘allegations’) in the particulars of claim, it will be assumed that you admit them. For this reason we usually begin writing a defence with the sentence 'Save as specifically admitted in this Defence, the Defendant denies each and every allegation set out in the particulars of claim'.


    If you do not agree you owe a debt because you feel the claimant owes you money then you need to enter a COUNTERCLAIM alongside your Defence and Admission. Please post on the forum for advice.

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    Why would I file an acknowledgment of service rather than a defence form?

    Filing the acknowledgment of service allows you more time in which to seek advice and complete your defence. If you file an acknowledgment of service within 14 days of service of the particulars of claim, this extends the time for filing a defence to 28 days from service of the particulars of claim.
    If you defend the claim, it may be transferred to your local court, i.e. the one nearest to where you live or carry on business, if different from the court shown at the top of the claim form.

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    What if my defence is that I have already paid the amount claimed?

    You should still fill in the defence form N9B and send it to the court. A copy will be sent to the claimant who will be asked to let you and the court know whether:

    • it is agreed that the money has been paid and the matter will not be taken further; or

    • if it is not accepted that the money has been paid, that the claim should continue as a defended claim.

    The claimant must respond within 28 days of receiving the court’s notice of your defence.

    If you paid the money after the date of issue (shown on the claim form), the claimant may still claim for the court fee and any amount of solicitor’s costs, shown on the claim form. You should send the money direct to the claimant.

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    The claimant owes me money - what can I do?

    If you are owed money by the claimant and want to claim this, you can do so by using the defence form. This is called ‘making a counterclaim’. Complete the appropriate section of the form and send or take it to the court. You may have to pay a fee for making the counterclaim. You can find details of these fees on the Her Majesty's Courts Service - Home
    website.

    If you do not pay the fee or make a successful application for exemption or remission of the fee, your counterclaim will automatically be ‘struck out’ which means that you could not proceed with it. Leaflet EX160A explains more about making an application for exemption or remission of a fee.

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    Will I need to go to court?

    If you defend the claim, or if you and the claimant cannot agree about paying the instalments, you may have to go to court. But even at this stage, there is still opportunity for you and the claimant to agree a settlement.

    Before issuing the claim against you, the claimant should have actively considered other ways of settling the dispute. It may be that this was tried and was unsuccessful. However, if no attempt was made, it may not be too late for you to suggest to the claimant that you would be willing to resolve the issue without going to court. If you would like to do this, you should contact the claimant or the claimant’s solicitor without delay.

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    How will the claim be dealt with in court?

    Most claims for £10,000 or less are dealt with in what is called the ‘small claims track’. However, if your claim is for less than £10,000 but includes a claim for personal injury, or for housing disrepair to residential premises and damages arising from the disrepair, your case will not be dealt with in (‘allocated to’) the small claims track unless the amounts claimed in respect of personal injury, disrepair and damages are each no more than £1,000. The leaflet EX307 The small claims track explains more about the allocation of claims to the small claims track and how they are handled.

    Claims of more than £10,000 are generally dealt with differently in either the ‘fast track’ or the ‘multi-track’. Leaflets are available which explain about these two tracks.


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    What happens if I do not pay?

    If the court sends you an order to pay, but you do not, the claimant can ask the court to take steps to make you pay (this is called ‘enforcing the judgment’). For example, court bailiffs (who are court officials) might remove items belonging to you, or the claimant might ask the court to order your employer to take money from your earnings, they may also apply for a charge on your home.


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    Should I see a solicitor?

    Most people who have claims made against them for a fixed sum of money do not use solicitors. Also, if you defend the claim and it is allocated to the small claims track, hearings are designed to be less formal and you may take someone to the court hearing to speak on your behalf. This person is called a ‘lay representative’ and may be a spouse, relative, friend or an advice worker.

    If the claim is for more than £10,000 or includes a claim for personal injury, it is probably advisable to seek the advice of a solicitor.
    Last edited by Amethyst; 20th September 2013, 08:12:AM.
    #staysafestayhome

    Any support I provide is offered without liability, if you are unsure please seek professional legal guidance.

    Received a Court Claim? Read >>>>> First Steps
    Tags: None

  • #2
    Re: Received a court claim - what do I do ?

    You can view some screenshots of the moneyclaim online process for acknowledgement of service here - http://legalbeagles.info/moneyclaim-...nt-of-service/

    #staysafestayhome

    Any support I provide is offered without liability, if you are unsure please seek professional legal guidance.

    Received a Court Claim? Read >>>>> First Steps

    Comment


    • #3
      If you receive a Claim Form from the court you NEED to take action. Do NOT ignore court papers – even if you do not believe you owe the money or have never heard of the claimant.
      If you received a court claim and want to start a new thread in our dedicated Court Claim forum please read THIS POST about your first steps and make a new thread in the forum using THIS FORM.
      You must take certain steps within 14 days of receiving the form or the court may issue a ‘judgment by default’ which will appear on the register of judgments and on your credit file for six years. This will enable the claimant to bring enforcement action against you, such as sending a bailiff or obtaining a charge over your home.

      So… is it a real claim ?


      The claim form is sent to you by the court. Normally it arrives in a brown envelope and contains a response pack. It is normally blue but sometimes is printed on white paper. It will have a court stamp.
      If you have any concerns over it’s validity then you can call the court ( listed under court address ) and give them the Claim Number to check. If the claim is from the County Court Business Centre in Northampton you can call them on 0300 123 1056 or 01604 619 400. Otherwise you can look up the court contact information here.

      What do I do ?

      1: ACKNOWLEDGE THE CLAIM
      2: Send a CCA REQUEST to the CLAIMANT

      3: Send a CPR REQUEST to the CLAIMANT’S SOLICITORS
      1: ACKNOWLEDGE THE CLAIM (see here)
      If the claim has come from Northampton County Court Business Centre you can do this online usually at www.moneyclaim.gov.uk
      You’ll need your claim reference and password from the front of the claim form – this will extend the time you have to respond to the claim to 28 days from when you received it. The defence date is 28 days from service (ie when you received the claim) or 33 days (which allows 5 days for service) from the issue date printed on the front of the claim form. You can work out the date using this Calculator.
      It doesn’t mean you will have to attend court in Northampton, this is simply the central processing department for moneyclaims, and the case will be moved to your local court later on in the process.
      If the claim has come from another court you will be able to respond on paper. There will be a ‘Response Pack’ included with your claim form which includes the form to Acknowledge the Claim.

      CONSUMER CREDIT COURT CLAIMS

      Many claims will be for Consumer Credit Debt. These are generally issued through the ‘County Court Business Centre’ and are rather lacking in detail and information.
      They are often claims for debts purchased from the original creditor by debt collection agencies. Quite often the debts are a number of years old and may well have been forgotten by the Defendant. However this does not mean they won’t be able to obtain a Judgment and you should prepare to negotiate settlement if the Claimant does provide evidence of the debt.
      Therefore we recommend you send some letters requesting more information to the Claimant.
      2: Send a CCA REQUEST to the CLAIMANT (see here)
      This applies to all credit cards / loans / hire purchase / store cards type debt. It doesn’t apply to Mobile Phones / Utilities or Overdrafts. For most Debt claims the Claimant must supply a copy of the agreement or they are unable to enforce the agreement through the court. This is a formal legal letter and the response may form a major part of your defence.
      3: Send a CPR REQUEST to the CLAIMANT’S SOLICITORS (see here)
      This applies to everything unless they happen to have supplied you with a bunch of paperwork to back up their claim. You can include a copy of your CCA request with this letter for information.If you are unsure of any of those steps then please make a new thread on the forum (you must be registered to do this)
      NB: If you have sent off these letters do not just wait for replies, some times the claimant doesn’t respond – you must put in a Defence (or Admission) with 28 days of receiving the claim – please ask on the forum and people there will help guide you through the next steps.
      It is likely that any debts incurred after 2007 will end up with all the documentation being provided and being enforceable. Therefore you should use the time while awaiting responses going through your Income & Expenditure and considering any possiblity of making a full and final settlement. It can take a number of months to reach the stage of a hearing date and exchange of witness statements and normally you would be able to settle or come to an arrangement to pay before the court hearing, once documents have been provided, although this isn’t guaranteed.

      Once those letters have been sent off you should make a new thread on the forum (you must be registered to do this) and make a post titled ‘claimants name v your username’, and include the following information in your post; alternatively you may use THIS FORM.
      Received a claim? Yes/No:
      Issue Date:
      Have you Acknowledged the Claim?:
      Total Amount Claimed:
      Claimant’s Name:
      Solicitors Firm:
      Original Creditor:
      Original Debt (eg. Credit card/Loan/Overdraft) :
      Particulars of Claim: Please type out in full excluding names/account numbers:
      Is the debt Statute Barred (have you had any contact with the creditor or claimant over the last 6 years?):
      List any letters you have sent (eg: CCA/ CPR )
      Any Other Information or Background Details:


      Other users of the forum, many experienced in dealing with these kind of claims will then offer support and guidance through the rest of the process. Have a rant, ask questions, discuss tactics … whatever you like, we’re here for you.
      Visit the Forum – County Court Claims


      We provide a list of guides and examples of letters and documents that may help you.
      If you can’t find the information you are looking for, please post on the forum or contact us


      #staysafestayhome

      Any support I provide is offered without liability, if you are unsure please seek professional legal guidance.

      Received a Court Claim? Read >>>>> First Steps

      Comment

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