Dryden Fairfax Solicitors

[Toots]

Hi all

I was wondering if anyone has had dealings with Dryden Fairf*cks Solicitors??

I was contacted just before Christmas by Santander informing me that the debt I’d been repaying via Crapquest was being taken over by these new idiots. Have Crapquest gone bump??

I have a letter from Santander informing me that my repayment plan remains the same.

I duly stopped the direct debit to Crapquest and set a new one up to DF with the same amount to be taken on the same date. I wrote a letter to them informing them and asking them to only correspond in writing. It took them nearly 2 months to reply.

Since then they have sent two threatening letters, the latter arriving today asking for the full amount of the debt (£2.5k) to be paid by the 9th April. I have bank statements showing that I haven’t missed a payment and I have the letter from Santander stating that all agreements should remain the same.

I’m in the process of sending them a threatening letter back. I am not in paid work, I am not in receipt of any benefits. I’m a full time mum. I am not a home owner and my car is over 17 years old. The chances of them getting a full repayment is about as successful as Brexit was yesterday.

Is there anything else I can do?

FYI - the original agreement with Capquest was arranged via the Citizens Advice Bureau back in 2011 to pay £1 per month. I upped it when I was working to £50 to get the debt down quicker. I stopped working when my baby was 6 months old. I’ve kept the repayments going all this time and Crapquest haven’t bothered me for years. The original debt was over £5k.

Thanks in advance x

[MIKE770]

OK hello == regardless of any payment agreement they can start court proceedings, but as to complete court proceedings then that is another matter:- do not send any letters at this stage as they will take it you are very worried and will take advantage of the situation and react to you with pressure.

Well have you ever sent a CCA1974 credit agreement request to the owners of the alleged debt i.e.:- I have asked Amethyst to pop in here to advise also.

When was the aledged debt taken out? default date?

[Toots]

Hi
I sent the CAR to Crapquest back in 2013 (I used this forum then and you guys were brilliant). They duly replied albeit out of the time frame. I’m not disputing the debt - it’s definitely mine taken out in my name. I’m just wondering how to deal with these new bullies as I found Crapquest easy to deal with. I don’t respond to phone calls and have kept a paper record of all correspondence going back to when the debt was first passed over in 2011. Like I said in my first post, Santander state in their letter that Dryden should be honouring the agreement that’s already in place. Ironically for them the original agreement was a token payment of £1 per month which I’m more than happy to return to (which is basically what I was going to say to DF).
Thank you for replying to my post x

[Toots]

P.S forgot to say, the original loan I took out was with Egg in 2003. It was for £7000. It was a flexible loan and I upped the amount to £10k after 2 years. At some point, Egg became Cahoot. From 2003 I was repaying approximately £121 a month. Santander took over Cahoot in June 2010. They informed me in a local branch that it was no longer a flexible loan. I was repaying the amount at £121 still. Unfortunately my circumstances changed in October of 2010. At that point I owed just over £5k. The citizens advice bureau were great and wrote out to Santander stating that I was no longer in a position to maintain the repayments. An agreement was set up so that I would pay a token payment of £1 until my circumstances changed. Capquest bought the debt from Santander in 2011. I maintained the token payment. I used this forum in 2013 and that’s when I sent Capquest the Credit Agreement Request. Since 2013, they have left me alone. Santander have continued to provide balance statements so I know how much I owe. I worked out that on my current agreement plan the debt will be paid off in 2022. Since 2013 I’ve got to say I had no more harassing phone calls or threatening letters from Crapquest. In December Santander wrote to me informing me that Drydens were taking over my debt. I have no idea why hence retiring to this forum. I wrote a letter to Drydens in December asking them to provide sort code/account details so that I could amend the standing order. The rest I mentioned in my first post.

[charitynjw]

• Why are you contacting me?
  
  As a firm of solicitors, we act on behalf of our clients to recover money owed to them. Our clients are made up of lenders, debt purchasers, the government and UK commercial businesses. If we have written to you or called you it will be in respect of a debt owed to one of our clients. This could be related to a debt such as a credit card or loan, a mortgage or a government related debt. It may also relate to an amount due in respect of an overpayment of salary which occurred when you left your employment with our client. It is very important that we speak with you to discuss the debt and your situation. We are here to help you come to an affordable arrangement to repay the debt through understanding your financial situation and your other liabilities. It’s not too late. Register on our online portal for a quick and easy way to communicate with us or contact us immediately using the telephone number provided on our letter. If you are worried about your financial situation, click here to view a list of agencies who provide free, independent help.

https://drydensfairfax.com/customer/faq-result.asp

So who is DF's client?

Capquest website

[charitynjw]

Capquest website

[Toots]

Hi - DF’s client is Santander

[charitynjw]

What kind of deal did CAB organise?

Was it a formal arrangement (Ie a Tomlin Order or similar), or was it some kind of informal one?

[Toots]

Hi

I’m not entirely sure as at the time CAB contacted everyone on my behalf, my mental health state was pretty dire. I would hazard a guess it was informal as I’ve never heard of a Tomlin order. I’ve never officially signed anything.

[charitynjw]

It may be a good idea to contact CAB again, or one of the debt advice agencies like Stepchange, etc.

That way you'll have someone on board who DF won't try to bully.

[Toots]

Thank you for your advice.

[Amethyst]

Just figuring out the actual situation....

Since 2013, they have left me alone. Santander have continued to provide balance statements so I know how much I owe. I worked out that on my current agreement plan the debt will be paid off in 2022.

You've been making £2 token payments that whole time?

Sorted out a new standing order and upped the token gesture to £2 per month

Outstanding balance: £4835.86

so paying £104 a year it's not going to be done with in 2022.

Balance about £4200 now?

( oh gosh - ignore that it is £2 a month not a week.... doesn't make the maths any better though!)

I'm guessing you changed that amount at some point if they are only chasing £2k now.

I have a letter from Santander informing me that my repayment plan remains the same.

I duly stopped the direct debit to Crapquest and set a new one up to DF with the same amount to be taken on the same date. I wrote a letter to them informing them and asking them to only correspond in writing. It took them nearly 2 months to reply.

Since then they have sent two threatening letters, the latter arriving today asking for the full amount of the debt (£2.5k) to be paid by the 9th April

so how much are you now paying ?

I upped it when I was working to £50 to get the debt down quicker.

£50 a month now ?

Please find enclosed:

1. Copy of Credit Agreement dated 06 November 2002
2. Copy of Terms and Conditions
3. Statements received from Santander

So they did response to the CCA request, but sounds like due to the token payments they've left you alone, and now want to see if your circumstances have changed ?

It is that loan now isn't it ( Capquest were dealing with the Santander loan previously - presumably as a third party if Drydens are now acting directly for Santander ? )

What happened with the other loan - Lloyds one that was with Cabot ?

[Amethyst]

Okay... that's not a lot of sense in that post so ignore it - I was just figuring things out.....

You're currently paying £50 a month and have been doing for a while ?

They have provided agreement/terms etc following your CCA request made in 2013 ?

It's just been moved to Drydens from Capquest - both acting on behalf of Santander - so the debt hasn't been sold on ?

Does your income and expenditure sheet now show you could afford more than £50 a month or less ?

There's about £2.5k remaining on the account.