Questions & Answers
Settlement of loans and credit cards cases with the bank
I unintentionally left the UAE in 2016 due a to family emergency with an unpaid credit card and a few loans.
Since I have got confirmed by a Dubai based colleague that I have a police case already for bounced cheques cases. How do I go about the settlement from outside the UAE?
I have heard of the fines imposed as well as bounced cheque criminal case has been demoted to a minor misdemeanour in Dubai.
Involved banks are ADCB (loan of 120k), FGB (credit card - 70k), ENBD (credit card - 20k), HSBC (credit card - 13k) and CITIBANK (loan of 31k).
Thank you for your help. Please advise on the action that I can take to settle my issue without going to Dubai, UAE.
Dear Sir/ Madam,
Thank you for getting in touch with me and Happy New Year!
I would like to explain the judicial proceedings that will undertake in regard to your unpaid credit cards and loans.
The bank will first bounce your cheques for the outstanding amount and lodge a police case (which the bank has already done and you are aware of it).
Considering the amount is less than AED 200K, only fines will be levied against you. Hence, as of today, there is a criminal case and travel ban imposed on you.
The moment you pay these fines, you will get a police clearance certificate and the ban will be lifted.
However, the bank still retains the right to file a civil case against you to recover the outstanding dues (since the fine amount will go to the government and not banks). Filing of civil case will not result in travel ban though.
The course of action to remedy your situation is- Issue a power of attorney to a lawyer in the UAE to pay your fines and obtain a police clearance certificate.
This will lift the ban and criminal case from your name. Thereafter, engage the same lawyer to negotiate and settle with the bank. All these steps can be taken care of without your presence in the UAE.
I trust you will find this helpful.
You can get in touch with me on +971 52 9495731 for further assistance in the matter. I can for sure help you get clearance from the matter.
Regards,
Hari Wadhwana
