Debt recovery in France: order for payment and simplified procedure

Verified 02 March 2022 - Directorate of Legal and Administrative Information (Prime Minister), Ministry of Justice

If you have not been able to amicably recover a debt (invoice, acknowledgement of debt...), the order for payment allows you to obtain payment by a judge.

It concerns debts which are not questionable (lease, sale contract, etc.) or which result from an obligation of a statutory nature (pension contributions, social security contributions).

For claims that do not exceed €5,000, the simplified procedure for overlay may be implemented by a Commissioner of Justice.

Injunction

You can use the payment order to get your claim if the person who owes you money, i.e. your debtor, refuses to pay. It is a simplified court procedure, which can be used when the debt originates from a contract.

The order for payment procedure may be initiated in any of the following cases:

  • The claim (debt) is derived from a contract. The amount of the debt must be entered in the contract. Examples include a purchase from a merchant, a loan, an unpaid invoice, a bank overdraft, or unpaid rent.
  • The claim arises from a bill of exchange, a promissory note, the acceptance of an assignment of a professional claim (Dailly slip).

The claim shall not be prescribed. It must be certain, liquid and payable, i.e. it cannot reasonably be contested by the debtor. It must have expired and its amount must be determined.

FYI  

this procedure cannot be used to obtain payment of a maintenance or a NSF check, for which there are specific recovery procedures.

You can use a cerfa form. The form to be used depends on the claim.

Preparing your case

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Consumer credit

Commercial debt

If the claim is of a commercial nature, you must apply to the commercial court.

Debt is commercial when the creditor like the debtor are traders or when the debt arises from a commercial act.

The form must contain the following information:

  • For applicants natural persons, surname, forenames, occupation, domicile, nationality, date and place of birth
  • For applicants legal persons, form of the business, name, legal representative and address of the registered office
  • Name and permanent address of the person against whom the application is made, or, in the case of a legal person, his name and address of his registered office
  • Subject matter of the request
  • Amount of the sum claimed together with the statement of the various elements of the claim (interest, penalty payment...) and the basis thereof

The form is accompanied by a list of supporting documents proving the validity of the request (purchase order, contract, unpaid invoice, letter of formal notice, etc.).

If any of the particulars is missing, the application may be rejected.

Lodging of the application

The creditor must send or file his application to the graft of the competent court.

He can do it himself or he can have a lawyer or a commissioner of justice do it for him.

Who shall I contact

The competent court depends on the type of dispute.

If the dispute concerns individuals or an individual and a professional, the competent court is the court of law. In the case where the dispute concerns 2 professionals (traders, craftsmen...) the competent court is the commercial court.

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General case

The form must be sent to the court or community court.

The court having jurisdiction shall be that of the domicile (or registered office) of debtor.

However, there are exceptions, such as of outstanding co-ownership charges (the court having jurisdiction is that of the place where the immovable is situated).

Who shall I contact

Unpaid rents

The application must be addressed to the protection litigation judge. The court with territorial jurisdiction shall be that of the domicile of the debtor.

Who shall I contact

Consumer credit

The application must be addressed to the protection litigation judge. The court with territorial jurisdiction shall be that of the domicile of the debtor.

Who shall I contact

Commercial debt

If the claim is of a commercial nature (debt between traders), you must address your request to the President of the Commercial Court.

The court having jurisdiction shall be that of the debtor's registered office.

Who shall I contact

Issuance of an order for payment

There is no hearing and the procedure is not contradictory : the judge takes a decision based solely on the evidence provided by the creditor, without hearing the debtor's arguments.

If the judge considers the application to be justified, he or she shall make a order for payment for the amount he's holding back.

The Registry shall provide the applicant with a certified copy of the application and a copy of the order for payment containing the enforcement order. The latter then has the value of enforceable title.

If, on the other hand, the judge rejects the application, the creditor has no recourse, but he may institute proceedings standard judicial procedure.

Service of order for payment

The creditor shall transmit to the debtor, by significance made by a Commissioner of Justice, the application and the order for payment.

The debtor may access for free the supporting documents annexed to the request by electronic means via the following platform:

Mespieces.fr

The order lapses (i.e. is rescinded) if significance is not made within 6 months.

Challenge of the Order

The debtor has1 month from the service of the order for an injunction to opposition to the court.

If service has not been effected on the person, this period of 1 month shall begin from the date of the document of execution (e.g. a notice of seizure on a bank account).

FYI  

the time limit opposition is suspensive of enforcement, that is to say, during the period of 1 month from service, the debtor does not have to enforce the judgment.

The objection must be made to the court that made the decision:

  • by going to the transplant, or
  • or by sending in RAR: titleContent one request on free paper or the cerfa form no 15602.

Objection to an order for payment

All relevant documents (copy of the order received, references on the decision, etc.) must be attached.

The court shall convene the parties.

Representation by counsel is mandatory for claims over €10,000. However, it is not mandatory before the protection litigation judge, regardless of the amount.

After attempting to reconcile the parties, the court issues a judgment that replaces the order.

The creditor or debtor may contest the judgment in appealing, if the amount of the request is greater than €5,000.

If the amount does not exceed €5,000, they may to appeal before the Court of Cassation.

Enforcement of the order

If the debtor does not contest the order for payment at the end of the period of 1 month after service, the creditor may enforce the order.

The debtor may pay on his own initiative or at the request of the creditor.

Otherwise, the creditor may request a certificate of absence of opposition from the court registry. This certificate shall certify that the decision may be execution.

Then they have to go to a Commissioner of Justice for the enforcement of the order for payment by, for example, seizing movable property and a bank account.

FYI  

in case of difficulty in enforcing the order, it is possible to contact the enforcement judge of the court of justice.

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General case

The request is free of charge.

If the application is filed by a lawyer or a Commissioner of Justice, fees are due.

Service of an order for payment made to the debtor involves the costs of the Commissioner of Justice.

The costs of a lawyer and a Commissioner of Justice may be met by legal aid in case of insufficient resources.

Commercial Court

The creditor must pay the costs of €33.47 in the 15 days following the submission of the request.

If a lawyer or Commissioner of Justice files the application, fees are due.

Service of an order for payment made to the debtor involves the costs of the Commissioner of Justice.

The debtor's objection shall be received free of charge by the Registrar.

Simplified procedure

The simplified recovery procedure may be initiated for the payment of a claim under a contract or an obligation of a statutory nature (compulsory contributions, etc.).

The amount of the sum due and the interest shall not exceed €5,000.

The claim shall not be prescribed. It must be certain, liquid and payable, i.e. it cannot reasonably be challenged by the debtor. It must have expired and its amount must be determined.

FYI  

this procedure cannot be used to obtain payment of a maintenance or a NSF check, for which there are specific recovery procedures.

Filing of the file by the creditor

The procedure shall be carried out on the initiative of the creditor. This can be done directly through the Small Claims Processing Platform.

Small Claims Processing Platform

The competent Commissioner of Justice shall be the one within the jurisdiction of the Court of Appeal where the debtor is domiciled.

The creditor must provide the Commissioner with the following information:

  • Identity of the debtor
  • Proof of unpaid (invoice, loan agreement, lease agreement...)
  • He leaves the Commissioner of Justice room to negotiate to recover the debt from the debtor

Sending a letter of invitation to participate in the procedure

The Commissioner of Justice sends the debtor a letter RAR: titleContent inviting him to participate in the simplified recovery procedure.

Model letter inviting the debtor to participate in the simplified recovery procedure

The debtor has 1 month to make a decision.

After the letter inviting the debtor to participate in the proceedings has been sent to the debtor, all payments must go through the Commissioner of Justice.

Decision of the debtor

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Acceptance of the debtor

If the debtor accepts the simplified procedure, he must declare this to the Commissioner of Justice concerned.

They can do that through the small claims processing platform.

Small Claims Processing Platform

It can also do it by mail, using the following template.

Model form for acceptance to participate in the simplified recovery procedure

FYI  

this agreement established by the commissioner of justice suspends the prescription.

Within 1 month, the Commissioner of Justice shall propose to the debtor an agreement on the amount to be paid and the methods of payment.

If the Commissioner of Justice receives the agreement of the creditor and debtor on the amount and manner of payment, he or she shall issue a enforceable title.

In case of non-compliance with the agreement, this enforceable title will allow the seizure of the debtor's assets (e.g. wage attachment).

FYI  

in order to prevent conflicts of interest, the commissioner of justice who established the enforceable title cannot be responsible for seizures.

Payment of the amounts due brings the dispute to an end.

Refusal of the debtor

If the debtor refuses the procedure, he shall inform the Commissioner of Justice.

It can use a template such as:

Model form for refusal to participate in the simplified recovery procedure

Failure to reply within 1 month shall be considered a refusal.

In the event of refusal, the creditor may apply to the court for an enforceable title.

Cost of small claims recovery procedure

All costs shall be borne by the creditor:

  • Filing of the file with the Commissioner of Justice: €14.92TTC: titleContent
  • Issue the instrument enforceable by the Commissioner of Justice (in the event of acceptance of the proceedings by the debtor): €29.76TTC: titleContent
Collection costs

In the case of voluntary payment by the debtor, the Commissioner of Justice shall also collect emoluments paid by the creditor.

This fee calculated on the sums recovered may be flat-rate or proportional.

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Up to €188

Emoluments of the Commissioner of Justice: €21.28

Over €188

Tableau - Fees of the Commissioner of Justice for the recovery of small claims

Trim slice

Elevation of the Commissioner of Justice

From €0 to €125

11.61% sums recovered

From €125.01 to €610

10.64% sums recovered

From €610.01 to €1,525

10.16% sums recovered

From €1,525.01 to €5,000

3.87% sums recovered

For example, for a claim of €200, on 1era slice of €125 shall be subject to the 11.61% and the second tranche of €75 at the rate of 10.64%, which gives an emolument of €22.49.

In the case of enforcement, other tariffs apply. These fees are to be borne by the debtor.

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