Credit, collections & insolvency news
During 2017, 22,763 debt decrees were registered against Scottish consumers, nine percent more than in the previous year according to latest figures by The Registry Trust. The combined value of all consumer decrees was £64m, just two percent higher than 2016.
The mean average value of a consumer decree decreased seven percent. Dropping 10 percent, the median consumer judgment stood at £1,228 during 2017.
The number of ordinary cause decrees issued fell one percent; decreasing four percent, the median value of an ordinary cause decree also remained close to 2016’s figure.
Only 3.67 percent of decrees were marked as satisfied in 2017, far lower than the 13.04 percent of satisfied debt judgments in England and Wales, where satisfaction rates are generally higher owing to legal differences. These figures reflect similar trends to those shown in the provisional statistics released by the Accountant in Bankruptcy. Corporate insolvencies decreased 15 percent compared to 2016 and personal insolvencies increased year-on-year by eight percent.
“Scottish consumers and businesses however need to make a point of telling Registry Trust when they have paid off a decree so we can mark it as satisfied and improve their record. In an ideal world claimants will tell us too but it will take time to implement a voluntary system.”
Consumer statistics
○ Total: 22,763 (up nine percent)
○ Total value: £64.0m (up two percent)
○ Mean average: £2,810 (down seven percent)
○ Median: £1,228 (down 10 percent)
○ Total: 20,747 (up 10 percent)
○ Value: £33.3m (up 15 percent)
○ Mean average: £1,607 (up five percent)
○ Median: £1,108 (down nine percent)
○ Total number: 2,016 (down one percent)
○ Total value: £30.6m (down 10 percent)
○ Average value: £15,188 (down 10 percent)
○ Median: £7,972 (down four percent)