Debts that might not have been there

Beware of debt collectors who demand repayment of old debts - claims may be unfounded. But the debt collector seizes the account on the basis of a judgment.

- A fortnight ago a bailiff seized my husband's account because he allegedly rode a bus without a ticket in 2010 and did not pay a ticket," says Mrs Maria from Bydgoszcz.

He wasn't riding a stowaway

A bailiff seizes an account on the basis of a court judgment. - In this situation, you need to file an objection to the payment order at the court's registry office, advises bailiff Robert Damski. - In your objection you should state the title of the judgment and argue that your husband was not properly summoned to pay the debt, which may not have arisen at all. As evidence, it is worth attaching the decision of the Social Insurance Institution (ZUS) on the granting of the pension and the rules and regulations of MZK travel, from which it follows that the pensioner is exempt from payment.

It is worth adding that such a passenger must travel with a certificate confirming his or her disability in order to be able to present it at the check. Failure to do so will result in a fine.

Mąż Pani Marii dostał pismo od komornika, ale inny czytelnicy opowiadają, ze otrzymują wezwania do zapłaty długów sprzed lat także z firm windykacyjnych.

They will help on the hotline

If you receive such a demand for payment, you must request in writing that the debt collection company explains under which contract it is asserting its claim. If it is unwilling to do so, you can ask the municipal consumer ombudsman for assistance. The ombudsman will apply to the creditor on your behalf for a copy of this contract.

If it turns out that the signature under the contract does not match that of the debtor, the matter should be reported to the police, as this means that someone has used our personal details to take on a debt.

If someone was once a client of a company with which he or she is allegedly indebted, he or she should check whether the claim is time-barred - in which case the debt cannot be claimed in court.

The material appeared in the Gazeta Pomorska:

18 August 2017:
" Debts that might not have been there