Well, I'm sure you can imagine my total DISGUST at receiving this today. Honestly, this sort of correspondence gets you nowhere. Fast.
Graham White Solicitors. Solicitors my arse. I faxed them a nice response. See below. Thought I'd share.
Mr James O’Hanlon
15 Xxxxxxxx Xxxxx
Xxxxxxx
Xxxxx
WD19 6XX
Graham White Solicitors
Manor House
Lavender Park Road
West Byfleet
KT14 6ND
Your Ref:
Dear Sir
I write to you regarding the above account and in response to your letter dated January 19th 2011. I have attached your letter for your reference.
I would have liked the opportunity to speak to one of your call centre minions but sadly despite having tried 5 times this morning and experiencing a wait of over 10 minutes on each call, I have given in and decided to use the fax machine in the all too likely vain hope that a human being might actually have the decency to pick it up and do the right thing with it. If I'm honest, listening to your hold music droning on and on was begininning to have a profound effect on my will to live.
Now, to the matter at hand. You allege that I owe £222.79 to the Talk Talk Group. You are completely and utterly incorrect in your allegation given that the full amount was paid on January 10th 2011. This payment was made directly to AOL Broadband who, should you wish to contact them, will confirm the payment for you. I’m sure if you dig a little bit deeper with AOL they will also tell you the reasons why payment was made directly to them, and not to your company. When you have contacted AOL and received the necessary information, I require that you update your records immediately.
I rather enjoyed reading your letter which advised me to ‘take notice’ of your ‘intended litigation’ and that if I am in any doubt as to the seriousness of ‘this situation’ I should seek independent legal advice. Obviously the ploy of trying to frighten people witless will work with the ill informed, but I ask you to ‘take notice’ that I haven’t been working in the debt recovery industry for 11 years without learning a thing or two. I’m not sure that your regulatory authority will be altogether pleased with the threatening tone of your letter, so I have taken the opportunity to fax a copy to them. Perhaps they will advise you of any changes they believe you need to make regarding the glaring clarity issues that exist in your correspondence, the most surprising being that you have threatened the seizure of my personal assets by Bailiffs on what is an unsecured alleged debt and before you’ve obtained any court judgment.
With the above in mind I give you notice that should I receive any further correspondence from you regarding this issue, I shall regard it as harassment and will report you to the necessary authorities in order that you cease.
Your Ref:
Furthermore, I’ve taken the opportunity to do some research about your company and found that you have a rap sheet trailing back over a number of years. People comment that calls and letters go unanswered, Subject Access Requests go ignored and that you are perpetually in breach of the Data Protection Act. None of these issues put you on a very strong footing should I decide to use the correct channels for the reporting of such things.
There is a question mark as to why your company is called ‘Graham White Solicitors’. Could it be that you wish to share in the decent reputation of the Graham White Solicitors in Bushey, Hertfordshire, who, by coincidence, happen to be my Solicitors? (The same Solicitors who, by the morning of Tuesday 25th January 2011, will be in possession of all of your correspondence to me to date) Is Michael Sobell of ‘Graham White Solicitors’ the same Michael Sobell who works for Hackney Council? If so, do Hackney Council know that he seems to have his fingers in an awful lot of sticky pies.
In summary I wish to reiterate three points:
The amount you allege I owe has been paid in full.
Should I receive any more threatening correspondence from you it will be passed to my Solicitor who will make a harassment complaint against you in the Court, and you will be reported to your own Regulatory Authority
Any collections agent you send to my door will be guilty of trespass, has no legal right of entry, and will be reported to the Police.
I require that you provide me with written evidence that this matter is now settled, and I look forward to hearing from you.
Yours
James O’Hanlon
Stick that up your arse and smoke it.
