Number of cases to be handled continues to rise
The Debt Mediation Commission presents its assessment of the year 2023. The number of cases filed is higher than in previous years. Twelve of the sixty cases handled have resulted in a complete debt write-off.
This assembly convened on February 29, 2024, to review 2023 and allow for decisions on canceling personal debts. The prefect, regional directorate of public finances (Drfip), the Overseas Departments and Territories Monetary Institute (Iedom), and several experts and consumer representatives have received 56 cases this year. Adding old cases, they have processed 60 in total.
The commission attributes these closures to difficulty contacting debtors and individuals who have submitted incomplete files. Among the six ineligible cases are professionals attempting to utilize this system reserved for individuals. « Often, this is linked to former companies for which the process of deregistration from the registers has not been completed », informs Patrick Croissandeau, who directs individuals to the administrative tribunal. 20% of cases have led to a complete debt write-off. About ten other cases resulted in a partial debt write-off. The remainder are pending measures, with the moratorium potentially lasting up to two years.
Upon the initial examination, which determines the admissibility of the cases, debtors and creditors are immediately contacted to announce the suspension of debts. Everything is frozen, prohibiting demanding or paying any outstanding amounts. « The debtor can breathe a sigh of relief », notes Patrick Croissandeau. If there is a write-off, repayment can be spread over a maximum of 84 months.
Fifty-six cases were received in 2023, 37 in 2022, 24 in 2021, and 9 in 2020. Since the commission’s inception in Mayotte (2007), the demand for debt write-offs has increased. « But this remains a minimal number compared to other Overseas Departments where the average is around a hundred cases per 100,000 inhabitants or even 70 per 100,000 inhabitants in mainland France », notes the director of Iedom, who also points out that the Mayotte commission is more recent than its mainland counterpart.
