ABSTRACT
Debt collection before the judgment summons hearing revolves around unofficial definitions of the defaulter. Enforcers classify debtors into three groups and treat each group differently. Each stage inherits the professional and feckless debtors of its predecessor and expands the typology to include unfortunates. All previous stages are stamped by dualistic notions of social control; the professional may be a dishonest or obstinate person but he can be the concern only of a group of private citizens. Some of those citizens would like to reformulate this conception of the problem:
The notorious debtor is dishonest, he is out to get something for nothing. There are a few who are obviously psychologically maladjusted, but one knows so little about the debtor that it's difficult to say that. But I would say that the great majority of them are dishonest, and that in other countries they would probably find themselves in prison long before, because they're obtaining goods by false pretences. They've no intention of paying for these goods at the time of ordering them. Very often they admit as much to you in private. (Solicitor 11.)
