THE VALUE OF DEBT JUDGMENTS REGISTERED AGAINST CONSUMERS IN JERSEY FALLS BY NEARLY SIXTY PERCENT IN Q3 2020

The number and value of judgments issued in the Jersey Petty and Royal Courts against consumers continued to fall sharply in the third quarter (Q3) of 2020, according to data published today (29th Oct 2020) by Registry Trust. The total number of judgments issued against consumers fell from 248 to 136, a fall of 45 percent compared to the same period in 2019.

The total value of judgments issued against Jersey consumers fell by 54 percent from £1.1 million to just £513,416. The average value fell from £4,452 to £3,775 a drop of 15 percent, with the median falling by 56 percent from £731 to £319.

Judgments against Jersey businesses saw even sharper falls. The numbers of judgments against businesses in Q3 2020 fell to just eight, a fall of 84 percent from the 58 issued in the same period of 2019.

The value of business judgments registered in the half year was just £57,912, a huge drop of 85 percent compared to the £394,779 in the same period 2019. The average value of business judgments was fairly stable falling 5.5 percent from £6,807 to £6,435, although the median value almost halved from £2,816 to £1,459.

Registry Trust chairman, Mick McAteer said: “The latest data suggest that consumers and businesses are holding up despite the economic and financial shocks created by the Covid19 pandemic. But, it is important to note that the full economic of Covid19 has not shown up in the data. The protections provided by policy and regulatory interventions, and creditor forbearance, meant judgment activity virtually ceased in the second quarter of the year. That will change as protections are unwound.”