Arum is pleased to announce that we have launched a new business, Just.
Just is a free digital marketplace for the management, oversight and enforcement of judgment debt, ensuring that creditors are paid what they’re owed and that debtors are treated fairly, all while raising standards across the whole High Court Enforcement industry. This marks the first time that creditors can reclaim judgment debts through a nationwide digital debt market integrator, similar to the solution the UK Government uses to collect the £22bn owed to the public sector.
Just has been set up by Arum’s Group Chairman and well-known industry leader, Jamie Waller (formerly of JBW), who has long made it his mission to improve practice across the enforcement industry.
The High Court Enforcement industry has had its longstanding reputation eroded by accusations of bad practice towards society’s most vulnerable, both in the national media and by leading debt charities. Many major UK creditors now choose to write off judgment debts rather than risk their brand’s reputation. It’s an industry that is vital for the safe progress of the economy, but it is ripe for modernisation.
Just is the UK’s first digital marketplace for the enforcement of judgment debts. It provides a layer of management and oversight to a network of High Court Enforcement Agencies that operate under ISO approved performance standards across all of England and Wales. It has developed a digital infrastructure that uses behavioural insights and data science to drive the resolution strategy, and a new set of rigorous processes that goes beyond the scope of current regulation to protect creditors’ brands, the safety of vulnerable debtors, and the reputation of the industry as a whole.
Just has identified ‘Five Giant Challenges’ which are set out below. Just believes that, if not addressed, these challenges will undermine the safe functioning of the industry, so it is setting out to meet them head-on.
The ‘Five Giant Challenges’ are:
- Application of VAT on fees: Due to a change in regulation, there is industry wide uncertainty on the application of VAT on enforcement fees. People and businesses in the UK may have been wrongly charged VAT for some years
- Renting of Authority to Act: Some Authorised High Court Enforcement Officer’s (AHCEO’s) are simply charging enforcement agents a fee for using their authority to act under the authority of the High Court and have almost no oversight of the actions taken in their name, putting the most vulnerable people and the entire industry at higher risk
- Proof of delivery on Notices of Enforcement: The first step of the enforcement process requires a Notice of Enforcement to be sent to the debtor, giving them the opportunity to pay. The sending of this notice is challenged time and time again, with many debtors claiming to never receive any notice prior to the enforcement agent’s visit
- Using data science and behavioural insights to protect the vulnerable: Attempting to collect debts at the wrong time with the wrong approach increases the cost to debtors and reduces collections for creditors
- Safeguarding and privacy issues with proposed video law: The proposed mandatory filming of enforcement visits may put even more people at risk.
Jamie Waller, Arum’s Group Chairman, said: “Just believes that everyone has the right to be paid what they are owed. Today the industry isn’t working effectively. With better training, rigorously upheld ISO standards and smart technology, enforcing unpaid judgment debts can be carried out with fairness and compassion, protecting both the welfare of the debtor and the reputation of the creditor. It’s Just to do it right.”
Andrew Pritchard, Arum’s Group CEO, commented: “The Just business is a great addition to the Arum Group; Arum already offers services across the whole of the credit management lifecycle so expanding into the latest stages of the collections and recoveries process is a natural and logical step for us. We anticipate that Arum’s clients will also benefit from Just’s services through having access to this viable and safe method of justice.”
About Arum
Arum is the only truly independent company offering services across the credit management lifecycle.
We have over 20 years’ experience helping our clients achieve their strategic objectives by improving their regulatory, credit risk and portfolio performance, whilst maximising returns on their technology investments. We provide a blend of professional services, consulting and unrivalled knowledge of the collections & recoveries software landscape, including benchmarking analysis across 30+ system vendors.
Our team includes highly experienced operational and program directors, project delivery leads and implementation experts, the majority of whom started their careers within the financial services sector working for major banks and software houses, with a passion for sharing their knowledge and expertise.
Headquartered in the UK and with clients spanning more than 20 countries worldwide, we work across financial services, utility companies, telcos, public sector, and the debt purchase and recovery industries.
About Just
High Court Enforcement is changing
Just is a digital marketplace offering judgment creditors access to the best available High Court Enforcement companies throughout England and Wales.
We provide the most comprehensive, intelligent and compliant service ever seen within the High Court Enforcement industry.
We drive the strategy through data, analytics and the resulting insight, manage the processes and monitor compliance, ensuring that money owed has the absolute best chance of recovery, and we do this for free. Our panel members pay for our service, not the creditor.
We have our own Authorised High Court Enforcement Officer who is a Director and Shareholder of the business and who supervises our end-to-end process. We operate and manage a panel of enforcement providers who act under our own authority to act.
Media contact
Hannah Woodward, Head of Marketing, Brand and Communications
hannah.woodward@arumplc.com