Mucky Hall - chasing old welcome debt

[clampchamp]

Evening all.

 

Been reading a lot of stuff (mostly bad, tbh) about the above mentioned company.

 

Had a letter from them on saturday morning regarding an old debt of mine.

The letter was addressed to me, they were asking if I was the addressee, and if I was, to contact them,

and if I wasn't, did I know where I could be found.

 

I fed the letter through my shredder...........

 

Let's start at the beginning.

 

In early 2008, we took a loan of 10k out, stupidly with Welscum Finance, which as most of you prolly know,

was flushed down the tubes by the high up shirts within the parent company, another dodgy lot by the name of Cattles Group.

 

Now due to marriage breakdown, the debt didn't get paid.

 

I've heard nothing for the last 5 years, but now it would appear that because Cattles has gone down the bog,

they've sold on some of their debts to this rather notorious bunch, or at least the administrators of Welscum have.

 

Now I'm no fool, and there is absolutely no way I would even think about phoning these people, even before I'd looked on here.

 

Obviously the debt is NOT Statute Barred as of yet, I believe it will be as of April 2014.

 

I'm very tempted just to sit back and see what happens, whether they know I am who they think I am.

I'm guessing that they will have bought the debt for next to nothing as it's nearly SB, and therefore very unlikely to ever be paid.

 

If I ignore the letters, are they likely to get more threatening??

 

It's up to them to prove the debt exists, right, not up to me to prove it doesn't??

 

Rather then ignoring their current letters, is it worth firing off a "prove it, fools" letter to them??

 

We do know that Welscum were particularly poor at keeping paperwork, it was well documented some time ago that they lost a lot of customer information.

 

Obviously, for the moment I'm gonna continue using them as shredder food, (or possibly kindling for Sunday's bonfire) and there is NO way I'm gonna phone them.

 

I understand that MH are a really nasty lot, and we've already had a fight with another DCA that were particularly nasty, so I'm no stranger to fighting with these low-lives.

 

What's the worst these people can do??

 

Are they likely to push me into bankruptcy??

(Saves me the trouble of doing it, saves me the money and wipes off the other 23k we owe for a mortgage shortfall, so what's known as a win-win situation, I guess.......)

 

Anyway, I've finished rambling now, so thanks for reading and I look forward to seeing your replies and thoughts on these idiots.

[dx100uk]

get your cra file

 

if they own the debt then it slightly changes things

 

but remember

 

MH dont do court

 

they wither farm it out

 

or

you'll find another DCA owns the debt

 

and

 

mH are just phishing for them.

 

dx

[clampchamp]

Morning all.

Received a phone call from Mucky Hall at 0830! this morning, which my daughter answered, asking to speak to the Mrs.

 

Now, I've been having letters on and off from them regarding a loan I had that is now Statute Barred

- or certainly very close to being, if it isn't already.

 

However, this morning they asked to speak to the Mrs, over what I believe is the same debt

they've been half-assededly chasing me for.

 

Sadly, she'd only just opened her eyes, and they asked her to confirm our address, which, foolishly, she did.

Soon as they mentioned the debt, (with Welcome Finance, no less) she said

"No, I think you'd better call back later, I've only just opened my eyes, can you call back later? Thanks, bye".

 

I think that they probably didn't have her as confirmed living here

- as they've also been sending letters out for a previous female tenant who owes a lot of cash.

Sadly, they now KNOW that she lives here. But why did they ask for her and not me??

 

The thing that really confuses me, is that the call came from the 01633 area code

- which we know is Newport/Cwmbran, coz we used to live there.

Anyone that knows MH will know that they're based in Bellshill, Kilmarnock.

 

If they call back today, I shall be telling them to crawl back under their stone in no uncertain terms.

I know the drill - admit nothing, deny as much as you feel you can legally get away with.

I shall also be telling them the debt is statute barred, and that any further correspondence MUST be in writing.

 

Anyone else agree with that??

[BRIGADIER2JCS]

This is probably PRA the 'owner of MH, now taking a very active part in debtor tracing and identification.

 

If you have not done so you need to get credit reference checks done to establish the true status of this account.

[mr_mastiff]

I think this could Be Pra U.K Management Services with a main address in Cardiff and sub office in Newport.

[BRIGADIER2JCS]

I think this could Be Pra U.K Management Services with a main address in Cardiff and sub office in Newport.

 

see post 2#

[clampchamp]

The domestic authority assures me that the chap said he works for Mucky Hall. I know exactly what the debt is, and I know exactly how much it is. I'm also pretty certain that it's statute barred.

However, my credit score can't be so bad - I managed to get finance for a nearly new car. (at a premium, I grant you, but not as high as some companies wanted me to pay) I KNOW that the debt they are chasing me for was sold to them, as it's Welcome, which as everyone knows, was flushed down the khazi by the big-wigs.

 

The bit that bothers me, is why did they ask to speak to my wife when they've been writing to me about it, trying me to take the bait and contact them, which I haven't done. Maybe because I haven't taken the bait, they're trying a different tack??

 

They've no chance of getting a penny from me - so they might as well give up and crawl back under their stone now.

[BRIGADIER2JCS]

Yes they will say MH or on behalf of MH.

 

PRAs 'skills' are in tracing and identification services.

 

Does this show on CRA files?

 

Stat barred = NO payment and/or written acknowledgement of the debt in 6 clear years (5 in Scotland).

 

The CRA check is VERY important as many of these Welcome accounts have been defaulted only just before the debt is sold to a debt purchaser, which opens up a whole new problem.

[clampchamp]

I wouldn't be surprised if these PRA people aren't totally kosher - pulled them up through Google. It appears that one of their directors (now resigned) has/has had his grubby little fingers in an awful lot of pies.

[clampchamp]

CRA check?? So I need to sign up for the free thirty day gubbins from Experian? I defaulted on the debt quite some time before Welcome went belly-up, I believe. The ABSOLUTE latest we would have paid anything back on it would have been July 08 - although we're both pretty certain we never paid for at least a year before that.

[BRIGADIER2JCS]

Long established and fully compliant registered etc. etc.

[clampchamp]

How do I do that??

[BRIGADIER2JCS]

CRA check?? So I need to sign up for the free thirty day gubbins from Experian? I defaulted on the debt quite some time before Welcome went belly-up, I believe. The ABSOLUTE latest we would have paid anything back on it would have been July 08 - although we're both pretty certain we never paid for at least a year before that.

You could try Noddle (Call Credit) always free but not always up to date, but what you are looking for is a default date, if the entry is not on file then the default is more than 6 years old and has been removed.

BUT I would suggest checking Experian or Equifax for confirmation.

 

Get this data and I can draft a complete challenge on this for you.

[clampchamp]

So it is my credit file I need to access??

I'll let you know - think I'm off out shortly, but I'll work on it today.

[clampchamp]

Right then.

 

Accessed my credit file. It's bad.

 

The OFFICIAL default date for this debt is 04/08/2009.

 

However payments were being missed all the way back to 2007.

 

Looking at my file, nothing has been paid on the account since at least July 2008,

 

so as far as I'm concerned, we defaulted at this as the earliest date.

 

However we were behind from at least October 2007, then brought it up to date,

then finally threw in the towel in December 2008.

 

So where do we stand, as it certainly appears it's NOT Statute Barred in the eyes of the law.

[BRIGADIER2JCS]

Definitely not Stat Barred, not defaulted because the account was brought up to date.

There is no way reason to challenge the default date as far as O can see.

Stat barred as said 6 clear years with NO payments.

[clampchamp]

So what do we do next??

We've just been binning their letters up to now - they just say the usual; are you xxx, do you know where xxx is.

Weird that they phoned the domestic authority instead of me today though.

 

As a little aside,

I have/had another debt for a mortgage shortfall from 2008.

On my credit record, it shows this debt as "Settled" on 15/04/2009.

I never settled it, but I do know the debt was sold.

 

Seeing as it's now settled, does that mean we're still liable??

 

I do get a company writing to me on a semi-regular basis about it, but as they insist I fill in an income/expenditure sheet,

I just bin them.

 

The company that write to me are called HL solicitors, a Manchester based company.

 

The way I see it, if the debt is settled, it no longer exists, correct?? Therefore it's unenforceable.

This particular company have never done a credit search on my file, where as Mucky Hall have done several.

Sounds to me like HL Solicitors are just dipping a toe in to see if I take the bait?? Or am I missing something??

[sillygirl1]

HL (Ill)Legal are a bunch who specialise in mortgage shortfalls, they are quite easily sent packing, just tell them if they persue the alleged debt via court you will counter claim and should they win you will have to become bankrupt.

[BRIGADIER2JCS]

So what do we do next?? We've just been binning their letters up to now - they just say the usual; are you xxx, do you know where xxx is. Weird that they phoned the domestic authority instead of me today though.

 

As a little aside, I have/had another debt for a mortgage shortfall from 2008. On my credit record, it shows this debt as "Settled" on 15/04/2009. I never settled it, but I do know the debt was sold. Seeing as it's now settled, does that mean we're still liable?? I do get a company writing to me on a semi-regular basis about it, but as they insist I fill in an income/expenditure sheet, I just bin them. The company that write to me are called HL solicitors, a Manchester based company. The way I see it, if the debt is settled, it no longer exists, correct?? Therefore it's unenforceable. This particular company have never done a credit search on my file, where as Mucky Hall have done several. Sounds to me like HL Solicitors are just dipping a toe in to see if I take the bait?? Or am I missing something??

 

I don't know where you picked up the idea that this debt showing 'settled' means it no longer exists, this is often put forward by a rather delusional bunch call the Freemen on/of the Land who contend that because a debt purchaser has paid the creditor for the debt the debtors liability no longer subsists, this is absolute nonsense.##

 

Yes you are missing a great deal!!

 

Your debt remains collectable and probably enforceable as well.

[clampchamp]

Okay, thanks for clearing that up. I might go with the above idea from sillygirl1 - I hadn't thought of that. So what's my next move with Mucky Hall then??

[BRIGADIER2JCS]

Wait for proper written contact.

[clampchamp]

Recent update to this thread.

 

Still no written contact from Mucky Hall, although they did phone again a couple of weeks ago.

Asked to speak to the domestic authority,

I asked who was calling and they identified themselves,

so I told them that I told them before, no phonecalls, written contact only.

 

The bloke said in a broad Glaswegian accent, 'okay, fine, have it your way then', and hung up.

 

Heard nothing from HL Solicitors for a while now, either. It's gone quiet, and that worries me.

[BRIGADIER2JCS]

As said before wait for written contact, do not be tempted to phone them or answer any security questions on the phone.

[dx100uk]

it might pay you to sar welcome

90% of their debts are usually PENALTY charges & PPI

or other 'compulsory' insurances

 

what was the account with them

and

how much is outstanding?

 

dx

[clampchamp]

The account with them is for a homeowner loan we took out on a property we bought.

 

This loan was 10,000 - and stupidly, we took it from Welscome Finance.

 

The amount we would have paid back, over 5 years was an astronomical 17,200.

 

We were young and stoopid!!!!

 

obviously Welscome were flushed down the khazi by the bigwigs and the debt was sold.

 

Mucky Hall are now the proud new owners of my debt.

 

I could SAR them but isn't that likely to stir up a hornet's nest??

 

Are they actually still trading?

 

Their website just says that they are no longer taking applications for new loans.