# Using the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act to stop lenders harassing you



## ajapale (20 May 2010)

How difficult is it to get the Guards to act if you are the victim of a person who makes demands for payment of a debt as outlined in section 11 of the *Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act, 1997*




redbhoy said:


> http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/1997/en/act/pub/0026/sec0011.html#sec11
> 
> *Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act, 1997
> **11.*—(1)  A person who makes any demand for payment of a debt  shall be guilty of  an offence if—
> ...


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## niceoneted (21 May 2010)

If you have a problem relating to one of the four offences a-d I would go the the guards and make a complaint. they will most likely take a statement from you. They will investigate the complaint, sent a file to the DPP and await response. The DPP will decide on what action to take based on the contents of the file.


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## redbhoy (21 May 2010)

Ive sent letters to two alleged creditors of mine and when I mentioned that Act they have both responded very nice rather than with bully boy tactics as they had been using.


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## Carey (21 May 2010)

I have found that writing to creditors and quoting the act gets them to stop fairly fast.

I have on one occasion complained to the Gardaí about a debt collector who would not take no for an answer. The Gardaí would not take a statement but they said they would deal with him. I never heard another thing so I guess whatever they said to him worked.


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## Moral Ethos (22 May 2010)

Often times the Gardaí will want to deal with the debt collector in an informal manner i.e. give an informal warning. If they then got more complaints they would prepare a file and send it to the DPP for directions.


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## ajapale (21 May 2011)

This original question was raised a year ago. Has there been any developments in the meantime?


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## mmclo (1 Jun 2011)

redbhoy said:


> Ive sent letters to two alleged creditors of mine and when I mentioned that Act they have both responded very nice rather than with bully boy tactics as they had been using.


 
Had a very minor one which I was sure I didn't owe. One mention of the relevant section never heard from them again!


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