Civil way: 5 July 2013

“It’s for you” x 547

The Protection from Harassment Act 1997 (PFHA 1997) is an effective weapon in the armoury of the victim of nuisance creditors. In Ferguson v British Gas Trading Ltd [2009] EWCA Civ 46, [2009] All ER (D) 80 (Feb) the claimant left British Gas and over five months thereafter was subjected to letter after letter and threat after threat to cut off her supply, start legal proceedings and report her to credit reference agencies—all without justification. She said she was brought to a considerable state of anxiety. The Court of Appeal refused to strike out her PFHA 1997 claim for damages. The conduct was capable of amounting to harassment in that it was oppressive and unacceptable.

Now in Roberts v Bank of Scotland plc [2013] All ER (D) 88 (Jun) the Court of Appeal has just upheld a PFHA 1997 award of £7,500 to the claimant customer of RBS who had exceeded her overdraft or credit limit on one of more of her accounts. Although