Debt Collection for your Business: Changes in 2006

On 6 April 2006 the Civil Procedure Rules were fine tuned so as to affect the information which businesses need to record in order to avoid difficulties in collecting a bad debt. The changes reflect what should have been best practice.

From the 6 April 2006 for example all addresses supplied must have post codes otherwise the proceedings will not be issued.

There will be much greater scrutiny of the proper description of the parties, so for example the name of an individual must be given in full.

Further the debtor’s date of birth should be provided, if this is known.

Businesses should therefore review their procedures upon opening customer or client accounts to ensure that the above information is carefully recorded.

The new rules go hand in glove with the replacement of the Register of County Court Judgements which recorded openly unsatisfied County Court Judgements with a Register of Judgments Orders and Fines which will record both County Court Judgments and High Court Judgments giving businesses a valuable tool in their credit rating of prospective customers and clients.

Nigel Pepper, Patrick Farrington and John James are all partners with the solicitors firm of Hand Morgan & Owen 17 Martin Street Stafford and are also High Court Enforcement Officers.

For more information upon debt collection and enforcement of judgments throughout England and Wales e-mail This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it or This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it or telephone 01785 211411

Published on web site - April 2007

The contents of this article are for the purposes of general awareness only. They do not purport to constitute legal or professional advice. The law may have changed since this article was published. Readers should not act on the basis of the information included and should take appropriate professional advice upon their own particular circumstances.