Asset Recoveries Ltd

[nonmirecordo]

Hello all

 

It's my first post and the title refers to a bunch of shysters with which some of you may be familiar.

 

I'm being harassed by these cowboys and the last (of four so far) letter threatened that they would send someone to my home to question me about my income and expenditure!

 

The CAB are on the case and I've been informed that they are in the process of reporting AR to their local TSO citing my and other similar cases.

 

Is anyone here currently 'involved' with this outfit?

[Battle weary]

Sorry no I don't - so bumping

[dpick]

Hello all

 

It's my first post and the title refers to a bunch of shysters with which some of you may be familiar.

 

I'm being harassed by these cowboys and the last (of four so far) letter threatened that they would send someone to my home to question me about my income and expenditure!

 

The CAB are on the case and I've been informed that they are in the process of reporting AR to their local TSO citing my and other similar cases.

 

Is anyone here currently 'involved' with this outfit?

 

Hi I would send them a copy of this letter and print a copy to keep by the door they have no more right to come to your home than the milk man so if someone does turn up hand him/her a copy of the letter tell them to bugger off or you will call the police. If they don't go then call the police and tell them that this person will not leave you property and you feel that they may assault you.

 

 

Dear Sirs,

 

Please be advised that I am only prepared to communicate with you in writing. OFT rules and regulations clearly state that you can only visit me at my home if you make an appointment and I have no wish to make an appointment with you. There is only an implied license under English Common Law for people to be able to visit me on my property without express permission; the postman and people asking for directions etc (Armstrong v. Sheppard and Short Ltd [1959] 2 Q.B. per Lord Evershed M.R.).

 

Therefore take note that I revoke license under Common Law for you, or your representatives, to visit me at my property and if you persist in sending “doorstep callers” to my home, you will be reported for harassment and be liable for damages for a tort of trespass. You would also be liable for conspiring in a tort of trespass by acting in defiance of my instructions and sending someone to visit me nevertheless.

 

Should it be necessary, I will obtain an injunction.

 

Yours sincerely,

 

 

all the best dpick

[nonmirecordo]

Thanks for that, dpick.

 

I was thinking that a baseball bat might be more effective.

[tiglet]

But highly illegal ... unless you simply wish to discuss Babe Ruth or the signing of Billy Crystal for his 60th birthday and have the bat as an aide de memoir, that is

[aquila2]

Hello all

 

It's my first post and the title refers to a bunch of shysters with which some of you may be familiar.

 

I'm being harassed by these cowboys and the last (of four so far) letter threatened that they would send someone to my home to question me about my income and expenditure!

 

The CAB are on the case and I've been informed that they are in the process of reporting AR to their local TSO citing my and other similar cases.

 

Is anyone here currently 'involved' with this outfit?

hi

i am being harrassed by this company also, i would like to hear how you get on and also share my experiences with them. If they carry on as they are I will be on to the OFT about it. Keep posting!

[nonmirecordo]

I will post a more complete response but it may take a day or two.

[nonmirecordo]

Sorry I've taken so long to reply but I hope the following is of help.

 

I've now had a total of five letters from these jokers and one from their tame solicitors, Lawsmiths (same address). These have arrived over two and a half months.

 

Careful reading of the text makes me think that they are computer-generated - some contain minor factual errors in my case but could apply to others in similar situations.

 

They are all signed by Carly Shedlock (or it could be Shylock) who has given herself the title of Account Manager, each one more threatening than the previous.

 

The last one, received just over a month ago, was a one-liner:

 

"Please contact the undersigned as a matter of urgency."

 

Fortunately I didn't have any change for the phone. This sounds like a last-ditch effort to me. I suspect that if they actually had a case I'd have been taken to court long before now.

 

My CAB have also told me that the national organisation is reporting them to their local TSO.

 

One thing to watch out for: when I received the first letter I replied denying liability and sent it 'recorded delivery'. According to the Royal Mail tracking system it never arrived. This worried me until I managed to speak to one of the staff in their local delivery office. He told me that when companies receive lots of 'sign for' letters, the postman doesn't always get (read 'ask for') individual signatures for each letter! It slows him down so he might fail to meet the government-imposed targets for delivery times. When I complained at the post office I sent the letter from they denied this happens. To paraphrase Mandy Rice-Davies "well they would, wouldn't they."

 

Recorded delivery mail is only tracked at the start and end points of its journey. Registered mail, however, is also tracked at intermediate stages (sorting offices). So, It's probably worth spending the extra to at be able to trace letters at least for part of their journey.

 

I hope this has been of some help.

[aquila2]

Thank you for your reply.

 

This firm does not come over as being one with a genuine case. i too,sent my first reply to them snail mail and then decided i would back it up with a recoreded delivery copy. Their next letter to me implied I had been ignoring their letters for which I would be punished by the judge in court . It is obviously a tactic they use to continue their intimidation tactics, a game called "lets pretend we haven't heard anything." I will use registered from now on. but what a waste of time!

 

GOOD LUCK and do let me know if you find out anymore. Even visiting CAB here takes a whole mornings wait.

[ellyjay]

Like many of you im also having problems with them.

It started a year ago when out of the blue a letter arrived from them saying they had bought a debt from the Northern rock and was assigned to recover said debt from me. I have no dsuch debt!

When i diivorced my husband and had to find rented accomodation he kept on the house but unknown to me stopped paying the mortgage. 6 months down the line when my Solicitor tried to sort out our finances we found out what was happening.

Northern Rock was very helpfull and between us (not hubby) managed to get the house reposessed, and sold. There was a shortfall but the endowments more than covered it, Amazing really that the total of the sale and the endowments and solicitors costs was almost the total of the debt! there was only a few pounds spare.

I then managed to dissassociate myself financially from ex husband (which obviously couldnt be done untill Northern rocks money had been sorted) and all was well.

That is until last July when the first letter arrived.

I rang them and told them i had no debt but they said i did and if i didnt pay them right away they would take me to court. I said ok fine, take me, at least i will be able to tell the Judge the real story!

After further calls and letters to them i didnt hear another thing.

However another letter came yesterday, just like the original one, stating i hadnt been replying to their letters and as i had ignored thgem they would take me to court.

I cant make up my mind whether to ignore the letter or start ringing them, yet again.

[babybear39]

DO NOT RING THEM! Use the 'prove it' letter below:

 

 

Dear Sir/Madam

 

Account no:

 

You have contacted me/us regarding the account with the above reference number, which you claim is owed by myself/ourselves.

 

I/we would point out that I/we have no knowledge of any such debt being owed to (insert company name).

 

I am/we are familiar with the Office of Fair Trading Debt Collection Guidance which states that it unfair to send demands for payment to an individual when it is uncertain that they are the debtor in question.

 

I/we would also point out that the OFT say under the Guidance that it is unfair to pursue third parties for payment when they are not liable. In not ceasing collection activity whilst investigating a reasonably queried or disputed debt you are using deceptive/and or unfair methods.

 

Furthermore ignoring and/or disregarding claims that debts have been settled or are disputed and continuing to make unjustified demands for payment amounts to physical/psychological harassment.

 

I/we would ask that no further contact be made concerning the above account unless you can provide evidence as to my/our liability for the debt in question.

 

I/we await your written confirmation that this matter is now closed. Otherwise I will have no option but to make a complaint to the trading standards department and consider informing the OFT of your actions.

 

I/we look forward to your reply.

 

Yours faithfully

 

Amend to suit, Do not sign, print your name, send recorded, add a line requesting their complaints procedure and keep a copy with your postal receipt.

[ellyjay]

Thank you Babybear.

[really worried]

I have been in contact with Asset recoveries who say they are acting on behalf of Phoenix recoveries and require me to settle a debt from around 1997 or so when my home was sold in a distress sale due to my marriage breaking up . National Home Loans forced me to sell at a loss , when they were aware of an offer on the property which would have cleared my mortgage and left me a little over . The property was sold to the same person but through an estate agent appointed by NHL who took a much lower offer and left me £7000 in debt to NHL .. I have been paying £10 monthly to NHL until recently when Asset Recoveries demanded that I now make the payments to them as they had been assigned the debt . now they want to make me Bankrupt and force me to sell everything to repay the debt which is just under £6000. They have said on one occassion that I could make "their client" an offer in respect fof clearing the loan .. I might be able to do that it it wont be more than 50% of the debt as I have no access to funds other than borrowing from a friend ..what should I do ..These people are not nice to deal with , so far its caused a breakup of my relationship , huge stress in my life and problems at work . I have till Feb 22 to contact them at which time they want me to complete an income and expenditure form and be paid accordingly in line with any other debts I have . I do have a bank loan and a couple of credit card bills which I want to continue to pay off, but if I have to pay Asset Recoveries a properionate amount that will mean I have to default on the others and be in debt to them all ...

[Sue 55]

I also have problems with Asset similar to yourself. I rang the ombudsman to complain about their behaviour, plus I had offered to pay monthly. The Ombusman are in the process of writing to Asset. Asset were not happy with my proposals of payment and dismissed it saying they were going for bankruptcy, with this I have recieved a letter "Notice to Commence Bankruptcy Proceedings" I will try and seek further legal advice tomorrow. I have been paying Asset for a few months now, but Northern Rock has said the account is now cleared as my ex husband made a lump sum payment, but Asset want money from me to. They also want to ruin my career, by making me bankrupt, I need to check where I stand tomorrow in case they do go ahead with their actions. How are these people allowed to get away with this behaviour?

[flintstones1960]

Hi similar problems with Asset. Had a mortgaged with NHL ended up being repoed and was taken to court for shortfall. However the judge granted a tomlinson order which set the repayment at £5 per month. We have kept to the payments but keep being asked to provide income & expenditure details and the amount owed keeps on changing and increasing - I have just sent a letter saying that notice of assignment is unlawful and invalid due the incorrect amount being quoted and that they not able to add any further costs or change the monthly amount because of the order. Will update the thread when I get a response.

[nonotnow]

hello

I have similar problems with asset recoveries,I am out of work and have been for over a year ,every 6 months i get a request asking for details re bank accounts utility accounts etc ,I was paying £15 per month and completely out of the blue without even discussing it with me they have increased it to £25 per month saying that I agreed to this increase which I most certainly didnt. .this person got really really nasty and I ended up giving her as good as she gave me ,I have never in all my life spoke to someone with such a nasty attitude.I have a very limited ammount coming in and even by paying £15 a month is a struggle let alone increasing it to £25, On my bank statement there was several small ammounts paid to paypal which ammounted to less tha £50.00 for items Id purchased from ebay for christmas presents ,she told me that if I can afford to buy presents then I can afford to pay them more,I am really struggling with this as I have so little comming in as all I get is job seekers allowance .This whole episode is making me very depressed ,I ended up putting the phone down on her after I told her that I would not increase my payments and that if she was not happy with that to take me to court.please advise me as I am at my wits end with this horrible bully company...

 

thank you

[palomino]

Are you paying by direct debit or by standing order?

 

If you are paying by direct debit then the creditor can take whatever they like from your account. The direct debit rules and regulations do not permit this but there are many cases where such is ignored.

 

If you possibly can then have this changed to standing order - which cannot be changed by the creditor. Ensure you protect yourself from extra charges by writing to both AR and your bank cancelling the direct debit authority.

[Frankie001]

Hi I would send them a copy of this letter and print a copy to keep by the door they have no more right to come to your home than the milk man so if someone does turn up hand him/her a copy of the letter tell them to bugger off or you will call the police. If they don't go then call the police and tell them that this person will not leave you property and you feel that they may assault you.

 

 

Dear Sirs,

 

Please be advised that I am only prepared to communicate with you in writing. OFT rules and regulations clearly state that you can only visit me at my home if you make an appointment and I have no wish to make an appointment with you. There is only an implied license under English Common Law for people to be able to visit me on my property without express permission; the postman and people asking for directions etc (Armstrong v. Sheppard and Short Ltd [1959] 2 Q.B. per Lord Evershed M.R.).

 

Therefore take note that I revoke license under Common Law for you, or your representatives, to visit me at my property and if you persist in sending “doorstep callers” to my home, you will be reported for harassment and be liable for damages for a tort of trespass. You would also be liable for conspiring in a tort of trespass by acting in defiance of my instructions and sending someone to visit me nevertheless.

 

Should it be necessary, I will obtain an injunction.

 

Yours sincerely,

 

 

all the best dpick

 

Hi all

 

Is this letter still valid? It's great, I'm going to keep one handy. Strangely not for Asset Recoveries, but for another one driving us mad, which I'm not going into here, I think I have it/them under control (can't say the same for my temper, ha ha!)

 

Anyway, I do have experience of this lot, very similar story to many of the others, repossession, shortfall, NHL, L.O.M. etc.

We happily (well, grudging but accepting) paid an agreed amount from 1992 to 2007, at that point we had actually paid the amount they had ariginally said they would have accepted as a one off to clear it. Anyway we had hit a financial brick wall and asked them (LOM) to write it off, they ignored me, I wrote again, ignored again, and finally got a letter from Asset Recoveries. They want a charge on the house, they want the full amount, they want a proportion, etc etc. Then they will say we have ignored them (we most certainly haven't and can prove it) Then the whole cycle starts again, I think we've had three or four cycles all ending with 'you've ignored us' They've threatened us with court in quite intimidating ways, and threatened the doorstep person. We told them not to bother with that, he/she won't step a foot in our house.

Anyway, once our finances improved a bit, we made an offer, the same offer all our creditors got, and all of them accepted. AR didn't like it, but we had their Bank details so set up a standing order and started payments last year. My understanding is that we have payments in place, it's a fair proportion of our disposable income, others are ok with it, and if they were to take us to court the judge would tell them they're wasting his/her time.

They weren't happy when we told them we didn't want a charge on the house, and that this is all we can afford at the moment, and they threatened (again) that they might have to find another way to get the money, but that was a couple of months ago, blessed silence since then!

I'm sure the cycle will start again at some point, but we'll just do the same again.

Sorry for the ramble, but this is a rambling story!

I'm interested in other people's experience with this lot, I hope people will add to their stories, I will, if need be (hope not)