Five major Dutch bailiff firms agree to accept debt plans in advance

Five major Dutch bailiff firms have agreed to accept debt-repayment plans in advance when they are drawn up with help from a member of the NVVK, the national association for debt-counselling services. The agreement is intended to give people struggling with debt earlier clarity and reduce the risk of enforcement while they work towards a solution.

The NVVK announced that Bosveld, Flanderijn, GGN, Janssen & Janssen and Syncasso would sign the agreement on Tuesday. Four of the five largest bailiff firms have joined, according to the report.

An NVVK spokesperson said the participation of several large firms removes a form of competition between them. People at the early stage of a debt-help process should be less likely to face a bailiff during that period, the spokesperson said.

The commitment has a limit. Bailiffs have a legal duty to carry out their clients’ instructions, so creditors can still tell them not to accept a proposed arrangement. In those cases, the firms promise to keep looking for ways forward. An NVVK spokesperson said they could, for example, discuss with creditors why a repayment plan is the best option.

The agreement builds on earlier arrangements between the debt-counselling sector and bailiff firms: Syncasso signed a deal with the NVVK in 2021, followed by Flanderijn in 2022.