Case Overview
Under Nigerian law, some lawful processes for debt recovery have been provided. However, owing debt is not a criminal wrong but a civil wrong. This means the police or other security agents may not have the sole power to arrest a debtor or defaulter. This is where lawyers come in.
Recovering debts is a process unique to the situation surrounding it; hence, lawyers can advise you on the right steps to take, available options, and likely outcomes.
The Problem
On multiple occasions, customers and vendors may find themselves in some financial circumstances where either side of the party clashes with the other when there’s a breach of contract or agreement.
While payment plans may have been made by the parties involved to ensure trust, occurrences following that may deviate from the said agreement.
A client of ours was faced with a similar problem. She paid a sum of ₦119,000 (one hundred and nineteen thousand naira) to a vendor for a product she was interested in. However, several months passed, with our client receiving neither what she paid for nor the money she paid. It was a frustrating situation, of course, until she brought her complaint to us at Agatha Legal, having seen a post about us on a social site.
How We ealt With the Problem
- Having a full understanding of our client’s situation and giving advice on the necessary steps to be taken.
- Reviewing the defaulting party in detail, to understand their financial capabilities in paying back what was owed.w
- Issuing a letter of demand to warn the debtor of the legal actions to be taken against them if the debt is not paid promptly.
- After receiving a response to the letter from the debtor, we started negotiations as regards the debt payment plans.
- Ensuring that what was owed was returned to our client within two weeks of filing a complaint to us.
