Thursday 28 June 2018

Sheriff Appeal Court case on credit card debt & prescription scheduled for 23 August 2018

A fresh appeal diet before the Sheriff Appeal Court was assigned today by Sheriff Principal Turnbull in PRA Group (UK) Ltd v. MacPherson, for 23 August 2018.  The new diet will allow time for the appellant's civil legal aid application to be determined by the Scottish Legal Aid Board.

The appeal case deals with a novel point of Scots law, which potentially affects many consumer credit cases across Scotland, where old credit card debt has been sold on to UK and international debt-purchasing companies and then pursued through the Scottish courts.

The appellant's position is that court proceedings for debt were not raised until over five years from when his monthly credit card payment was last due. The claimant and creditor's position is that the starting point for prescription is after it serves a default notice under the Consumer Credit Act 1974, which was before the five year prescriptive period in Scots law.

The appellant believes that the creditor is conflating UK consumer credit law and the enforcement of credit agreements, with the Scots law of prescription. The appellant contends that credit card agreements clearly make "provision" for the date when the whole balance due is to be repaid, which is the date upon which a monthly payment has been missed.

The appellant is represented by GLC's Mike Dailly, Solicitor Advocate.  The creditor is represented by Brodies LLP.
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