GOVERNMENT departments in Northern Ireland are chasing down business and consumer debtors more aggressively even than banks, new figures from the Registry Trust reveal.
Over the last two years, public sector bodies like the Department for Communities took 2,354 judgments (34 per cent) to court compared to 2,257, or 33 per cent, by lenders.
Housing organisations were responsible for 13 per cent of the volume and utility companies made up just five per cent.
Debt Management, part of the Department for Communities, issued more judgments (1,926) than any other entity during the period, ahead of the NI Housing Executive (796 judgments) and Abbey Insurance Brokers (666).
But lenders were still responsible for 75 per cent (£14.6m) of the total value of debt judgments made by the top claimants.
The two biggest claimants by value were Ulster Bank and the PRA Group, who claimed for £4.2 million and £3.2 million respectively, accounting for half of this figure.
Debt Management was the third largest claimant by value, accounting for £1.8m worth of judgments.
Lenders other than banks and credit unions registered an additional 429 judgments during 2017 - that was 87 per cent more than in the year before.
Two housing organisations clawed back nearly £1m - Northern Ireland Housing Executive (£787,611) and Apex Housing Association (£102,057).
Credit unions were responsible for hundreds of judgments, led by Newington CU (203), Lurgan CU (177) and Cloughfern Community CU (71).
“This is the first time that public domain judgment information about claimants has been published in the British Isles if not in the world,” said Malcolm Hurlston, chair of Registry Trust, which collects information on defaults and small claims judgments, and High Court judgments.
“It adds to our understanding of the importance of judgment information.
"Governmental bodies work to different standards in pursuing smaller debts since they feel an obligation to recover, whereas the private sector gives more weight to the profitability of the course of action.
“People who act on the basis of judgment information will benefit from taking the nature of the claimant more into account.
"This applies mainly to credit reference agencies and their lender clients but also borrowers and members of the public who consult the registers to judge whom it is safe to do business with.”
Top 50 claimants categories by volume of judgments (figures cover 2016 & 2017)
• Government Bodies – 2,354 (34 per cent)
• Lenders – 2,257 (33 per cent)
• Other – 1,029 (15 per cent)
• Housing – 878 (13 per cent)
• Utility – 344 (five per cent)
Top 50 claimants categories by value of judgments
• Lenders - £14.6m
• Government Body - £2.4m
• Other - £1.3m
• Housing - £889,668
• Utility - £431,923
Top individual claimants by category (volume) combined
Government Body
• Debt Management: 1,926 judgments
• The Registrar of Companies: 204
• Northern Health and Social Care Trust: 81
Lenders
• Banks
• Santander Consumer UK: 98
• Bank of Ireland: 17
• Ulster Bank: 11
Credit Unions
• Newington Credit Union: 203
• Lurgan Credit Union: 177
• Cloughfern Community Credit Union: 71
Other lenders
• PRA Group: 599
• Skyline Direct: 297
• Amigo Loans: 236
Housing
• Northern Ireland Housing Executive: 796
• Apex Housing Association: 82
Utility
• Power Northern Ireland: 255
• Northern Ireland Water: 81
• Morgan Fuels Northern Ireland: 8
Other
• Abbey Insurance Brokers: 666
• Asset Collection and Investigations: 174
• The Performing Right Society: 128
Top individual claimants by category (value)
Lenders
• Ulster Bank: £4.6m worth of judgments
• PRA Group UK: £3.2m
• Debt Management: £1.8m
• Amigo Loans: £1.1m
• Volkswagen Financial Services: £915,083
• Santander Consumer UK: £561,269
• Lurgan Credit Union: £498,146
• Newington Credit Union: £424,039
• Bank of Ireland: £312,182
• Dromara & Drumgooland Credit Union: £193,158
Government Bodies
• CITB Northern Ireland: £199,935
• Legal Services Agency Northern Ireland: £145,978
Housing
• Northern Ireland Housing Executive: £787,611
• Apex Housing Association: £102,057
Utility
• Power Northern Ireland: £207,040
• Morgan Fuels Northern Ireland: £122,582
• Northern Ireland Water: £102,301
Other
• Abbey Insurance Brokers: £298,556
• The Performing Right Society: £221,892
• Kingstar Corporation Limited: £129,903
