Imagine you are a creditor and finally get a legally binding court decision that someone owes you money. You’d think — great, now I just call the bailiff and the money is mine! Well, not so fast. Dragan Rume, who recently managed to collect a debt of half a million dinars, reveals that the whole process is a nightmare full of hidden costs, interest, and bureaucracy that will eat up your nerves and money.
First, you have to pay an advance on the procedural costs — in Dragan’s case about 70,000 dinars — out of your own pocket! Yes, you read that right, the creditor pays upfront, not the debtor. These costs include fees, postage, delivery, the bailiff’s fee, and even lawyer’s fees, which are not small. Dragan was shocked to learn that the lawyer can take up to 10% of the debt, and the bailiff a similar amount for their services.
When the debt is finally collected, don’t expect to get your money immediately. First, all these costs are covered, and only then the principal debt. Dragan saw that from the first payments, he was left with just enough to cover the advance he paid. And what about interest? If you paid the costs, you have the right to charge default interest from the day you paid until the debtor reimburses you. But if the lawyer wasn’t paid upfront, the interest goes to the lawyer, not you!
The biggest mistakes creditors make are thinking the bailiff is some magic agency that quickly and easily collects the debt, and not knowing they have to track every step themselves, request reimbursement of costs, and calculate interest. There is no automatic transfer of money; you have to push and check everything yourself, or you might miss what’s rightfully yours.
The conclusion? Collecting debt through a bailiff is possible, but it’s neither fast nor easy. You need to have money to cover costs upfront, patience for endless paperwork, and knowledge so you don’t end up like Dragan — frustrated and at a loss. If you plan to embark on this adventure, arm yourself with information and be ready to fight a system that benefits bailiffs and lawyers more than you.
So, have you ever had experience with bailiffs? Or maybe you know someone who got caught in this trap? Share your stories, let’s see who survived this bureaucratic jungle!
