Debt management, debt collection and enforcement
Do not waste your time with annoying reminders. We take care of this for you and give you the opportunity to concentrate on your core business again. If you already have your own in-house dunning system, we offer you an analysis, optimisation and adaptation to Greek economic practices and legal peculiarities.
Our own dunning system will be individually adapted to your needs and the particularities of the debtor. Since we employ lawyers with licences in Greece and Germany, we can offer you our solutions in the field of debt management for both countries at the same time. For example, we can start dunning proceedings both in and out of court in Germany and, if required, enforce the enforcement order obtained in Germany in Greece on your behalf. For proceedings which are conducted exclusively in Greece, we offer you the following services:
- Preparation and execution of a company’s own warning to the debtor.
- Request for payment of the debtor by telephone.
- Our own written legal demand for payment with the threat of legal dunning proceedings.
- Initiation and execution of the judicial dunning procedure or filing of the lawsuit.
- Provisional legal protection if necessary.
- Obtaining an enforceable title.
- Enforcement.
To avoid unnecessary costs, we try to obtain as much information as possible about the debtor in advance. In fact, we only recommend costly legal dunning procedures if we locate the debtor’s immovable assets in Greece or if we find substantial salary claims of the debtor that can be seized.
European Enforcement Order / European Payment Order
Enforcement in Greece
The most comprehensive instrument of European cross-border enforcement to date was created by European Regulation 44/2001 The Regulation makes it possible to enforce judgments given in one EU Member State in another EU Member State. You can therefore take legal action against your debtor in Germany and then enforce it in his property in Greece. However, the basic prerequisite for enforcement is that the German judgment must be declared enforceable by the Greek courts in accordance with the provisions of the European Regulation.
European Enforcement Order
A further instrument of cross-border enforcement was created with the European Enforcement Order (EC Regulation 805/2004). Its decisive advantage is that it is applied for and drawn up in the same Member State in which the action was brought. With a translation of the European Enforcement Order and the decision of the court, the order can be enforced in any EU Member State (except Denmark). However, the scope of application of the European Enforcement Order is limited to uncontested pecuniary claims under civil and commercial law.
European order for payment
The European order for payment (EC Regulation 1896/2006) will enable EU citizens to initiate a simplified European order for payment procedure in another EU Member State from 12.12.2008. Our law firm is preparing to offer you this new European procedure from 12.12.2008. You can read more about the current status here.
European procedure for small claims
The European Small Claims Procedure (EC Regulation 861/2007) will be introduced from 01.01.2009 and gives you the right to proceed with a standardised, simplified written procedure against a debtor in another EU Member State for claims not exceeding € 2000. Our law firm is preparing to offer you this new European procedure from 01.01.2009.
