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Calgary Agency, Staff Charged Over Debt-Collection Tactics

EDMONTON, January 20, 2003 - Gateway Collections Inc. of Calgary has been charged with several breaches of the province's Fair Trading Act. Two debt collectors employed by the firm have also been charged following an Alberta Government Services investigation.

Government Services filed a total of 11 charges against the agency. Nine charges were also laid against collector Nicole Chriqui. A further two charges were laid against collector Mark Miller. They are expected to appear in Provincial Court in Calgary on Feb. 20, 2003.

The investigation was launched in October 2002 after a number of individuals complained about the tactics employed by Gateway and its employees to collect unpaid fines owing to parking lot operator Imperial Parking.

Allegations included threats that if debts were not immediately paid, those owing money would be charged with trespassing, their credit rating would be adversely affected and they would be sued. Those statements were either false or misleading or the collectors did not have authority to make them. One person also alleged that a Gateway employee discussed a debt with a third party, contrary to the Fair Trading Act.

In June 2002, Gateway vice-president Paldip (Paul) Dhaliwal was charged for acting without a required collector's licence. That matter is still before the courts.

The Fair Trading Act and its Collection Practices Regulation provide consumers with some protection from abusive collection practices. The legislation applies to companies and people working for them who are in the business of collecting debts or locating debtors for others. The Act requires all collection agencies and the collectors working for them to be licensed.

The legislation does not apply to businesses or people collecting their own debt, a lawyer collecting a debt for a client, a civil enforcement bailiff or agency while seizing security or people working while licensed under the Insurance Act.

For more information on examples of unfair practices, a tipsheet called Dealing With Bill Collection Agencies is available on Government Services' Web site at or by calling the department's Consumer Information Centre at 427-4088 or toll-free at 1-877-427-4088.

Eoin Kenny - Alberta Government Services - (780) 422-7801 - Eoin.Kenny@gov.ab.ca