GGN
Amicable debt collection, pre-legal specialists and dedicated legal practice in enforcement proceedings: GGN has it all in-house. A unique combination making us a broadly based and trendsetting organisation in the area of credit management and debt recovery.

Operating nationwide

GGN has 6 offices and 40 judicial officers operating across the Netherlands. Over the years we have built up a valuable network where thorough knowledge of local markets and regional legislation are key.

Expert staff
In total, our organisation counts some 500 employees, among them more than 40 judicial officers, 250 collection specialists and 15 lawyers. In addition, GGN operates an extensive network.

Business-wise judicial officers
We understand what business is about and we know what is important to you. Our expertise is based on what matters to business. We help you to achieve your goals swiftly and smoothly.

International claims
We have significant experience in collecting international debts and solving related issues under private international law. This covers the areas of international commercial contracting as well as procedural law (including attachment and execution law and arbitration). We counsel and litigate with regard to the distribution and purchase, sale and delivery of the most diverse goods and services, from manufacturer to end user. We are internationally oriented and we have a well-established informal network of law firms spanning the globe.

Debt collection in the Netherlands
In the Netherlands, payment default cases are handled by debt collection agencies and judicial officers. The difference between the two is that there is no specific legislation applying to debt collection agencies and that the judicial officer is
a protected profession. After a four-year university education, the judicial officer is appointed by the Crown. There is no zoning in the Netherlands; all judicial officers are entitled to take official action anywhere in the Netherlands.

Amicable debt collection procedure
1. In the Netherlands it is normal to first try to collect an outstanding claim out of court. The Dutch are inclined to pay, only if they have received various reminders and payment request. The amicable debt collection process generally consists of written reminders, emails with payment links and a payment demand by telephone. This process begins with the so-called “fourteen day letter” or pre collection letter; this letter gives the debtor another fourteen days to settle the claim without additional costs. If timely payment fails, the creditor is entitled to increase the demand with collection costs established by law. Those costs vary from €40 to €6.775 depending on the principal amount to be collected, and in most cases VAT. These costs are for the account and risk of the debtor.
Here you can calculate the collection costs: https://www.kbvg.nl/gerechtsdeurwaarders/kosten/incassokosten-calculator

Judicial procedures
If payment remains outstanding, one can revert to court proceedings. Proceedings concerning claims up to €25,000 can be handled completely by the court bailiff at the district court. Only if the claim is higher than €25,000 it is required to institute proceedings via an attorney in the civil courts.

Once a Dutch debtor has been served a summons, he has six weeks to respond to it and most debtors avail themselves of the right to prolong this period by six weeks. The court will then set a date for an oral hearing, which will take place another three to four months later. In practice, this means that any oral hearing will take place six to eight months after the summons was issued.

If the disputes can’t be settled during the oral hearing, the parties will need to institute further proceedings and any witnesses will then need to be heard. In such cases, the procedure will last twelve to eighteen months. The legal costs are made up of the following components:
• summons at €76,17 plus 21% VAT
• court fee (depending on the principal amount and the claimant)
• attorney’s fees (depending on how the procedure runs and the number of procedural stages)
Roughly one can expect legal costs of around €750 to €1,000 in district court. Generally, the debtor is ordered to pay those costs.  The costs of instituting proceedings via a lawyer can quickly increase from € 2,000 to € 5,000. In complex cases costs can add up quickly, in which case the debtor will normally be ordered to pay part of the costs, given the fact that the costs actually incurred will always be higher.

Undisputed claims
An alternative procedure is the European Payment Order (EPO) as long as the claim is undisputed and there is a clear cross-border element given. The court fees due are the same as the court fees charged in substantive proceedings, but the EPO Procedure takes much less time. In addition, there are no costs charged for the summons, but a form does need to be served twice on the debtor.

Walker Love is a firm of Messenger-at-Arms and Sheriff Officers, being the authorised judicial officers in Scotland for the hand service of legal documents and enforcement of civil judgments.

We also provide a range of pre-court enquiry services, debt recovery / amicable collection, tracing and highly professional investigation services to both our Scottish and international clients.

Walker Love is a 3rd generation family business which began trading Glasgow in 1946. From humble origins, our business has continued to expand by way of strategic acquisitions, mergers and organic growth. The firm is now a nationwide market leader with eleven local offices throughout Scotland. We are the largest partnership of its kind in Scotland wholly owned and controlled by Judicial Officers.

Citation & Diligence - For over 65 years Walker Love has provided comprehensive Citation and Diligence services to principal firms of solicitors and other professional services businesses across Scotland. Through our international network, Connexx, we now provide our clients with debt recovery, Citation (process serving) and Diligence (civil enforcement) services throughout Europe and beyond.

Our services include:

• Debt Recovery
• Pre-sue and insolvency enquires
• Hand service of legal documents throughout Scotland.
• Intimation of statutory notices
• Execution of Diligence (Judgement enforcement)
• Witness tracing and Citation
• Evictions and repossessions

We have the resources, experience and local knowledge you require to provide an efficient, sensitive and professional service which will not only meet but exceed your requirements.

National Coverage - We have over 40 Sheriff Officers and Messengers-at-Arms, operating from 11 offices throughout the whole of Scotland, thereby providing a truly national service.

Quality Assurance - Our firm presently holds several externally verified quality assurance standards, including: Investors In People, UKAS ISO27001 and ISO9001.

Social Responsibility - Walker Love is committed to tackling not only the impact of debt on individuals’ lives but also the causes of debt and its wider consequences. The firm has established links with Money Advice, Citizens Advice Scotland and fully supports the Scottish Government’s policy in this area by providing individuals experiencing financial difficulties with information and onward referral advice to help them improve their situation.

Our Values - Walker Love has a duty and responsibility for enforcing the civil law in Scotland and our values represent the very essence of our firm. We treat our clients, and by extension their customers, ethically and fairly and we deliver the firm’s values in all that we do.

Debt Recovery Services - Whether it is simply an overdue account or a difficult hard-core debt, our debt recovery specialists have the expertise, wherewithal and access to the right business and personal intelligence databases, to retrieve your debt as quickly and efficiently as possible.

We provide debt recovery services to a range of businesses, financial services institutions, utility companies, professional services firms, public sector bodies and government agencies.

Our experienced debt collectors will provide you with an initial assessment of your debt position and recommend the best approach to recovering your debts. The type of approach we take to recovering your debts will be dependent upon your specific business circumstances, and relationship with the debtor e.g. in terms of their future business potential, and our expert advice regarding the debtor’s propensity to pay.

We will target our resources and debt recovery methods effectively and cohesively to trace, maximise collection and minimise your financial outlay and disruption to your cash flow. Our debt recovery and enforcement services are compliant with all statutory regulation and Government and OFT guidelines.

Raising Proceedings in Scotland - Where amicable collection has failed and enquires have led us to believe that the debtor has suitable assets and income, then we can instruct a solicitor ( lawyer ) specialising in debt recovery, to initiate a court action normally in the court jurisdiction where the debtor is located. Needless to say undefended actions proceed very quickly, however if the debt is disputed then there will be a judicial process which will take several months to complete. As each case is different, this will dictate the length and cost of the legal process.

Enforcement Options - Where we have taken a debtor to court and obtained decree ( judgement / enforceable title ), then our highly professional Sheriff Officers will initiate the most effective enforcement process, dependent on the debtor’s individual circumstances, which may include :-

Arrestment of Earnings – an employer will receive an arrestment schedule on your behalf instructing them to deduct money from the debtor’s wages until the debt has been repaid.

Bank arrestment – you can arrest a bank, building society or credit union account. The money will be frozen and removed at this point and the debtor will not be able to make withdrawals or make other payments.

Other arrestments – creditors can arrest both goods and money which are in the hands of a third party including movable property.

Attachment – a creditor may instruct a Sheriff Officer to attach items owned by the debtor which are kept outside dwelling house, such as a motor vehicle. Once attached the debtor cannot do anything with these items which can then be sold to help pay off the debt.

Inhibition - against the debtor’s home – this will stop the selling or transferring of ownership or taking out other loans secured against the property.

Bankruptcy – a creditor can petition the Sheriff Court to make the debtor bankrupt, however the debt must be at least £3,000 (including interest and charges).

Costs - In respect of amicable collection, unless there is a suitable provision contained in the terms and conditions of any contract with the debtor, then any commission charged on sums collected is not chargeable to and recoverable from the debtor.

In respect of suing and enforcement, the general principal in Scotland, is that the debtor is required to pay the reasonable costs of the court process and also the Sheriff Officer’s highly regulated enforcement fees.

We will always endeavour to provide an indication of the anticipated fees at the point of instruction, however we have no way of anticipating the level of resistance from the debtor, which will ultimately dictate the time and effort required to bring the matter to a satisfactory conclusion.

For more information, visit our website www.walkerlove.com

Dikaioma Gerechtsdeurwaarders www.dikaioma.be
Groenbek 18 - 8790 Waregem (Belgium)
E-mail : 
Tel : +32 56 62 61 60
Contact person : Karolien Dockers – Barbara Strobbe
 
We are judicial officers, enforcement agents.
We are a company under the Belgian law. 
We mainly undertake enforcement of judicial titles and service of documents, but we also handle a lot of files in amicable debt collection.
We specialise in the following :
• Judgment enforcement
• Government and local government collections and enforcement
• Serving of documents
• Amicable debt collection
• Statement of facts
• Solvency checks for individuals and companies
 
We are competent in the region of West-Flanders, but we can help you with all your files for Belgium (no matter where the debtor is located) 
Our costs of our legal services are legally determined.
We suggest that you contact us for a specific question by e-mail : 

"CONNEXX", is a European Debt Collection and Enforcement Network that was founded on 8th October 2012 in Stuttgart (Germany).

Let's rally together! Our network partners are scattered throughout Europe, all committed to safeguarding mutual debt recoveries for you and your clients in a professional and legal manner. Each partner operates within the legal framework of their own jurisdiction, so you can rest assured that your debts are in good hands.

Are you facing debts that need collecting or enforcing in any of our listed countries? Click on the Countries link to discover what our partners can do for you and how they operate. We highly recommend that you issue instructions to the Connexx partner in your country, with whom we have a one-of-a-kind relationship since our establishment. They will coordinate the entire collection process on your behalf.

Our Connexx members have generously agreed upon discounted rates and fees on your behalf, saving you both time and money. Plus, our members area boasts an upload and download facility, so you can quickly send and receive files to each member without fear of losing any important information.

We're not stopping there! Connexx is actively seeking suitable partners in additional countries to expand our network across Europe. Let's come together and take advantage of this unparalleled opportunity. Join us on the Countries page for more information or contact us directly. Together, we can tackle any debt recovery challenge!

For more information please contact us at