Q: Hi, I have received a message from a finance company legal team stating that my file has been sent to start filing a civil case for my personal loan for which I defaulted on its payments. Total loan: AED 98,000 Tenure: 120 months Interest rate: 39.99 Amount Paid: 36,740 No. of Months Pending: 109 pending Amount Pending: 364,060 Principal Amount Pending: 94,547.65 During my settlement discussions, I requested to take into consideration the amount that has been paid towards my loan: 36,740 AED, however, this request has been rejected, and it has been proposed to pay AED 80,000 in one shot. I also requested multiple times to receive the statement of all payments that I made. Requests have been rejected and I have submitted a complaint to the Central Bank which is still under investigation How can I better negotiate a settlement that is more reasonable in order to avoid a civil case? Moreover, what are the procedures of a civil case knowing that a travel ban will be imposed until the entire amount is cleared?

Q: I requested the bank to restructure the outstanding loan for an extended period, with the remaining amount being AED 150,000. The bank informed me that the new term would be 48 months, but I later received an agreement for 72 months. Upon noticing the discrepancy, I declined the offer, and as a result of the dispute, the bank filed a criminal case against me. I paid the fine and resolved the issue with the court. Now, after 7 years, they have initiated a cheque execution case for AED 300,000 with a travel ban. I have an email from the bank stating that the liability is only after the case has been filed AED 150,000. The signature on the cheque is mine, the rest of the details were filled in by the bank, including the total amount of the monthly dues for 72 months. How can I proceed in this case? I intend to request an installment option for the original amount of AED 150,000, without any applicable interest discounts as mentioned on the cheque and the case value.

Q: Dear Madam, I took a personal loan from a bank for AED162,000/- and paid AED 139,000/-. Now, the balance is 84,000/- (with interest). I received information that the bank has filed a case for AED 219,000/-. I did not pay the monthly EMI of AED 4,538/- for more than 6 months due to job loss. How is the bank filing a case for 219,000/- instead of the actual amount? What is the procedure to reply to the bank against this case? Please advise. Thanks and regards, S.

An interview-format article covering the topic of loans and bounced cheques in the UAE. This is from the legal podcast of lawyer Ludmila Yamalova, the founder of Lawgical with LYLAW.

In the UAE, cheque bounce is a very frequent problem faced by people during their span in the country. It is covered under the purview of Commercial Transactions Law, and legal implications/penalties can be financially severe and daunting for more “serious” offenses. Bounced cheque issues may arise in a variety of commercial transactions, including but not limited to, companies’ exchanges, bank loans, property rents or purchases, and individual transactions.

What shall I do if I have a bounced cheque? You need to contact your lawyer as soon as possible to issue a travel ban against the person who issued the bounced cheque. It should be noted that time plays a very important role in bounced cheque cases.

The provisions of this law, promulgating UAE Civil Code, govern the civil transactions in the United Arab Emirates. The commercial transactions remain subject to the laws and regulations applicable in their regard.

The provisions of this Federal Decree by Law No. (35) of 2022 Promulgating the Law of Evidence in Civil and Commercial Transactions, known as the "New Law of Evidence", governs the laws of evidence in the United Arab Emirates. The New Law of Evidence repeals the previous UAE Law of Evidence (Federal Law No. (10) of 1992 On Evidence in Civil and Commercial Transactions).