Hi folks,
Not sure if this is in the right place - feel free to move it if not!
I need some help please regarding the possible removal of a CCJ on an account that was paid in full without our knowledge that the CCJ had been obtained.
It's a bit of a long story so apologies and thanks to all who take the time to read it, but I obviously need to provide as much background info as possible.
OH had a M&S credit card which was in use between 2005 and 2007. In 2007 due to serious financial problems OH stopped using the card which was then £100 over its limit. He continued to make sporadic payments to reduce the balance.
In late 2007 we moved house and arranged to have our mail redirected by Royal Mail. Soon after moving OH made a payment of £1200 off the balance of the card (and continued not using it). He believes that at the time of making that payment (in a store he thinks) he informed the cashier of his recent change of address, but has no proof of this.
Unfortunately we then got into further financial difficulties due to a struggling fledgling business and family health issues. No more repayments were made.
I don't believe any statements or correspondence were received from M&S between December 2007 and April 2008.
During April 2008 OH received a letter from M&S which stated 'It has been brought to our attention that you now reside at the above address'. They asked OH to confirm this by telephone, which he cannot confirm he did.
Following this letter OH received a further two letters (one demanding the full balance and one offering a substantial reduction) as well as statements for April, May and June 2008 - these were all redirected from our former address, although as we had just suffered a family bereavement we didn't pay attention to the fact that this was odd considering their last letter was written to our new address.
OH heard nothing further from M&S.
During March 2008 I had been informed that as a result of the family bereavement I would receive a small inheritance which depended on the sale of a property. OH and I decided to utilise this to clear the M&S card balance.
At the end of October 2008 this money came through and OH called M&S for the balance due. He received a letter from DG solicitors (which we still have and which makes no mention of legal action or a CCJ) informing him how much was due to settle the account.
This was paid in full (with no reduction) in early November 2008.
Soon after this I discovered the wealth of information available on forums such as LB and set about reclaiming the charges and PPI on this account on OH's behalf.
Whilst in the process of doing this I queried the level of charges M&S had agreed to repay and the fact that some charges seemed to refer to court costs and in response OH received a letter from DG sols saying -
'We confirm payment of this judgment debt on 10th November 2008. The Judgment has been registered in the Register of County Court judgments. This entry in the Register can now be marked as satisfied.'
On further inspection of OH's M&S SAR I discovered a note saying -
14/7/08 pass to litigation
17/7/08 sent to HSBC for legal action'
Probing M&S further regarding the mystery 'court costs' revealed that the CCJ was obtained on 29th September 2008, 42 days before we settled the account balance in full with no idea that a judgment had been obtained or indeed any legal action started.
M&S said that as the claim was not returned to the court, 'service was deemed as being served'.
Prior to this neither OH or I had any knowledge at all that there had been any legal action taken against him.
So to sum up -
We moved in November 2007 (our mail was redirected till 30th June 2008 of which we have proof)
I became aware that I could repay this debt in March 2008 (although as I wasn't sure how long it would take for the money to come through I could make no definite plans)
M&S contacted OH at our new address in April 2008, but thereafter resumed using our old address for correspondence purposes
M&S correspondence was redirected here until the last statement was received in June 2008
Legal action appears to have commenced in July 2008
Judgment was obtained on 29th September 2008
In October 2008 OH asked M&S for settlement balance - no mention of legal action or a CCJ was referred to in the response
On 5th November we sent building society cheque for full amount
OH received no paperwork prior to, during or after any legal action took place and only became aware of the CCJ's existence many months after the full amount was repaid - 42 days after they had obtained the CCJ.
What I need to know now is -
a) Can we get this removed or is it too late?
b) How do we go about it? I believe we can write to the court for info - it was Northampton according to the recent letter from M&S in which they also supplied the claim number.
c) Does any mention need to be made of the fact we never received the court claim at this stage - I guess we need a reason for requesting it from the court?
d) Am I right in thinking there is a fee for this service?
Many thanks in advance and huge apologies again for the length of this post
Nellie x
Not sure if this is in the right place - feel free to move it if not!
I need some help please regarding the possible removal of a CCJ on an account that was paid in full without our knowledge that the CCJ had been obtained.
It's a bit of a long story so apologies and thanks to all who take the time to read it, but I obviously need to provide as much background info as possible.
OH had a M&S credit card which was in use between 2005 and 2007. In 2007 due to serious financial problems OH stopped using the card which was then £100 over its limit. He continued to make sporadic payments to reduce the balance.
In late 2007 we moved house and arranged to have our mail redirected by Royal Mail. Soon after moving OH made a payment of £1200 off the balance of the card (and continued not using it). He believes that at the time of making that payment (in a store he thinks) he informed the cashier of his recent change of address, but has no proof of this.
Unfortunately we then got into further financial difficulties due to a struggling fledgling business and family health issues. No more repayments were made.
I don't believe any statements or correspondence were received from M&S between December 2007 and April 2008.
During April 2008 OH received a letter from M&S which stated 'It has been brought to our attention that you now reside at the above address'. They asked OH to confirm this by telephone, which he cannot confirm he did.
Following this letter OH received a further two letters (one demanding the full balance and one offering a substantial reduction) as well as statements for April, May and June 2008 - these were all redirected from our former address, although as we had just suffered a family bereavement we didn't pay attention to the fact that this was odd considering their last letter was written to our new address.
OH heard nothing further from M&S.
During March 2008 I had been informed that as a result of the family bereavement I would receive a small inheritance which depended on the sale of a property. OH and I decided to utilise this to clear the M&S card balance.
At the end of October 2008 this money came through and OH called M&S for the balance due. He received a letter from DG solicitors (which we still have and which makes no mention of legal action or a CCJ) informing him how much was due to settle the account.
This was paid in full (with no reduction) in early November 2008.
Soon after this I discovered the wealth of information available on forums such as LB and set about reclaiming the charges and PPI on this account on OH's behalf.
Whilst in the process of doing this I queried the level of charges M&S had agreed to repay and the fact that some charges seemed to refer to court costs and in response OH received a letter from DG sols saying -
'We confirm payment of this judgment debt on 10th November 2008. The Judgment has been registered in the Register of County Court judgments. This entry in the Register can now be marked as satisfied.'
On further inspection of OH's M&S SAR I discovered a note saying -
14/7/08 pass to litigation
17/7/08 sent to HSBC for legal action'
Probing M&S further regarding the mystery 'court costs' revealed that the CCJ was obtained on 29th September 2008, 42 days before we settled the account balance in full with no idea that a judgment had been obtained or indeed any legal action started.
M&S said that as the claim was not returned to the court, 'service was deemed as being served'.
Prior to this neither OH or I had any knowledge at all that there had been any legal action taken against him.
So to sum up -
We moved in November 2007 (our mail was redirected till 30th June 2008 of which we have proof)
I became aware that I could repay this debt in March 2008 (although as I wasn't sure how long it would take for the money to come through I could make no definite plans)
M&S contacted OH at our new address in April 2008, but thereafter resumed using our old address for correspondence purposes
M&S correspondence was redirected here until the last statement was received in June 2008
Legal action appears to have commenced in July 2008
Judgment was obtained on 29th September 2008
In October 2008 OH asked M&S for settlement balance - no mention of legal action or a CCJ was referred to in the response
On 5th November we sent building society cheque for full amount
OH received no paperwork prior to, during or after any legal action took place and only became aware of the CCJ's existence many months after the full amount was repaid - 42 days after they had obtained the CCJ.
What I need to know now is -
a) Can we get this removed or is it too late?
b) How do we go about it? I believe we can write to the court for info - it was Northampton according to the recent letter from M&S in which they also supplied the claim number.
c) Does any mention need to be made of the fact we never received the court claim at this stage - I guess we need a reason for requesting it from the court?
d) Am I right in thinking there is a fee for this service?
Many thanks in advance and huge apologies again for the length of this post
Nellie x
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