Consumer rights watchdog urges banks to write off flood victims’ debts

Russia’s consumer rights watchdog Rospotrebnadzor has asked banks to write off the debts of those borrowers who have suffered from the continuing floods in the Far East. “At a moment like this it would be very appropriate for the lending organizations to refrain from aggravating the already no easy position of people in the flooded areas. On the basis of Article 415 of the Civil Code they might volunteer to forgive the debts of those borrowers who have suffered from floods in the Amur Region, the Jewish Autonomous Region, the Khabarovsk Territory and other areas,” Rospotrebnadzor said on its website. The watchdog believes that the flood situation has every traits of a force majeure case and is a reason enough for terminating the liabilities under the loan contracts. Rospotrebnadzor has instructed its regional offices in the affected areas to pay special attention to relations between lending institutions and borrowers. Its specialists are prepared to provide consulting services to debtors.