ArthurWankspittle wrote:Also agree that a charge on Granny Crawford's is the sensible way forward, so it is unlikely to happen. We could be looking at a pair of bankruptcy petitions as the next step by UKAR.
I'm not sure this will happen. My prediction is that UKAR will put together a large enough schedule of costs that it can't be argued that they owe the Crawfords anything, the bulk of which will be from indisputable facts rather than things "the computer says". Once they've done this, they'll simply tell the Crawfords that they're not getting any money and let it lie. If the Crawfords try to dispute the matter, UKAR will have a straightforward body of documentation that they can rely on without having to explain where every last penny of the historical payments went.
They've also made the point to any reasonable person looking on that obstructing the debt collection process will make things worse not better.
I think trying to make the Crawfords bankrupt is a difficult one. It's a possibility, but it's no longer a secured debt so if any money is owed to anyone else then they won't necessarily get a fair cut even then, and it's likely to start another long, slow, expensive process. From a PR situation, they've already won. The only people who don't believe this won't be convinced by a scorched earth policy now.
Putting a charge against any inherited property, but without forcing the sale, would (as I understand it) be much easier than bankruptcy. The real question for me is how seriously UKAR take their responsibility to recover as much money as possible and how expensive it would be to go further. As mentioned before, they're NOT a normal company and don't have to care too much about their public image, but they will still incur costs for going further forward and I suspect they won't go this far.
Personally, if I was working for UKAR I think I'd suggest sending them a final account of all the (indisputable) costs, and offering to write off the outstanding sum in return for a signed agreement from the Crawfords that this would settle all matters arising from the mortgage and the eviction. If they don't agree then the debt could be allow to lie fallow for years before making a final decision about pursuing it. If the Crawfords try and take revenge by taking action for items claimed lost in the eviction or similar, then an attempt to collect the full amount owed could be revived.