A few debt collectors were given a “shower” after a woman sprayed water at them angrily from the front gate of her house. According to Zaobao, a police report has been made and the cause of this incident was due to a rental dispute.
The debt collection incident occurred last Friday (17 December) in a private estate along Choa Chu Kang Road.
Reportedly, the debt collection company AG Adler had arranged for three employees to collect debts. The debt collection company also placed standees outside the debtor’s house. Not only they did not manage to recover the money owed by the debtor, but they also ended up being sprayed by water by a woman angrily. All three of them were left soaking wet and the police had to be called in.
The debt collection company also later posted a video of the incident on their Facebook page.
In the video, the woman, bare-footed and not wearing a mask, can be seen talking to two men who appear to be debt collectors outside of her house. Later, she is seen walking back to her house while shouting to her family members in Mandarin: “Come!”
She then picked up the water pipe in the courtyard and sprayed water at the debt collectors.
One of the employees who was being sprayed on then told the woman that if she continued to spray, they would have to call the police in to deal with it.
You can watch the videos below:
https://www.facebook.com/100073434352471/videos/302772345110444
https://www.facebook.com/100073434352471/videos/624472845560874/
Court case over rental dispute
The reporter contacted the owner of the company who said that his company was commissioned by someone three weeks ago to collect about $5,000 to $6,000 in arrears. According to him, the client had gotten into some rental disputes with the couple. The client had initially rented another unit from the couple, but the unit was later rented to another party instead.
The two parties later got into a lease disagreement. The client said that the couple owed thousands of dollars in arrears hence they commissioned the debt collection company to collect it on their behalf.
When the reporter visited the couple on the 22 December morning, the woman’s husband explained that the dispute has gone to court, but there is no conclusion yet. The other party has asked the debt collection company to come to harass them frequently, until the wife could not take it anymore, and hence, she sprayed the water on them.
The police have also confirmed that they have received a report of this incident.
Harassed by debt collection company 3 to 4 times a week
According to the woman’s husband, the couple has been harassed by the debt collection company 3 to 4 times a week. After the video has surfaced online, the couple has also made a police report.
The husband has also confirmed that the incident was triggered by a lease dispute. Earlier, the unit was leased to the client of the debt collection company. At that time, the contract clearly stated that the unit could not be sub-leased, but the other party illegally rented it to a migrant worker without their permission.
To avoid further trouble, the husband had asked the migrant worker to leave the unit, and the client reportedly went to make a claim at the Small Claims Tribunals.
“The case will only go to the court next month. But they are coming to chase us for money now. How can we not be angry? The other party has also threatened to harass us. They came here to harass us 3 to 4 times a week. This time they even called the debt collection company to place banners outside our house. This is unacceptable.”
He also revealed that his family had reported two incidents: a breach of contract and repeated door-to-door harassment to the police.
“The situation was really embarrassing for us when the staff of the debt collection company came. Our family members have been harassed by them for a long time. After the video was released online, our family members felt wronged too.”
Woman has apologised to the 3 debt collectors
Owner of the company revealed that the woman later apologised to the 3 debt collectors before they left the scene.
“My staff’s camera was damaged after it got sprayed by the water. Nevertheless, we will continue to coordinate and collect debts for the client as they have entrusted us to do it. After all, we are a legal debt collection company. I hope everyone can communicate nicely.”
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