For enforcement offices that work with corporate clients, opening proceedings is not a one-file-at-a-time job. A bank, a utility or subscription company, or a finance company may want to hand over hundreds of files at once. And the work does not end once proceedings are opened: requests for service, garnishment, address searches and costs are prepared and sent again and again in every file.
This article covers how opening enforcement proceedings works in UYAP, how a large number of files can be started together, and how to send the recurring requests that follow in a more orderly way.
How opening proceedings works in the Lawyer Portal
Both enforcement based on a court judgment (ilamlı) and enforcement without a judgment (ilamsız) can be started through the UYAP Lawyer Portal. When opening proceedings, you enter the parties (creditor, debtor, counsel), the items of the claim, interest details and the enforcement route; fees and costs are paid through the portal and the file is registered with the competent enforcement office.
These screens are sufficient for a single case. But filling in the form from scratch for every file takes a great deal of time across hundreds of files and is prone to data entry errors.
Bulk filings: the data comes with a file
The method used for large numbers of filings is to transfer the case data in a data file prepared in the format specified by UYAP, instead of entering it by hand. In this structure, described in the Ministry of Justice’s e-enforcement (e-takip) documentation, the case data is prepared in XML format and the proceedings are opened on the basis of that data. The same information therefore does not have to be typed again in every file.
The details of the format may be updated over time. For example, carrying the MERSİS number of corporate debtors inside the XML became a requirement later on. It is therefore important that the software producing the XML file follows the current format.
Central Enforcement System (MTS)
Law No. 7155 introduced the Central Enforcement System (Merkezi Takip Sistemi, MTS) for certain monetary claims arising from subscription contracts. For claims within its scope, proceedings are started through this system. For offices that handle subscription claims, MTS is one of the areas where bulk filings are most common. Whether a claim falls within the scope of MTS should be assessed according to the definitions in the law.
Before a bulk filing: data preparation
Most errors in bulk filings arise not at the moment of filing but while the data is being prepared. Running the following checks beforehand prevents most problems:
- Identity data: Make sure Turkish ID numbers and tax numbers are formally correct. For corporate debtors, the trade name and MERSİS details must be complete.
- Address: Is the address in the request up to date? Proceedings opened with an old address lose time at the service stage.
- Claim items and interest: The principal, accrued interest, interest type and start date must be consistent with the client’s data.
- Competent enforcement office: Check that the files will go to the correct enforcement office.
- Power of attorney and documents: The power of attorney and the documents the claim is based on must be ready.
- Fee and cost budget: Across many files, the total fees and costs should be calculated in advance and payment planned.
For large batches, starting with a small test batch helps you spot problems caused by the format or the data early on.
After filing: recurring requests
Once proceedings are opened, each file goes through similar stages, and similar requests are sent at each stage. Common examples:
- an address search and a request for service at the address in the address registration system when service at the known address fails,
- garnishment requests such as salary or vehicle garnishment once the proceedings become final,
- a request to send garnishment notices to third parties,
- requests concerning costs, the file account and similar matters.
In the portal, requests are sent to the file as documents signed with an e-signature. The text of a request is usually generated from a template; what changes is the file and debtor information. This structure makes requests very well suited to bulk processing.
A workflow for orderly bulk requests
- Standardise your templates: Agree on an approved text for each type of request. The variable fields in the text (file number, debtor name, employer, plate number) should be clearly defined.
- Select files by rule: Use rules such as “files where proceedings are final and an SGK record exists” to decide which request goes to which files.
- Check before sending: Filter out duplicate requests, files that have already received the same request and files with insufficient cost advances.
- Sign and send: Requests are sent to the files with the lawyer’s e-signature.
- Track the outcome: Keep a record of which request was sent to which file, when, and with what result.
Risks to watch out for
- Request sent to the wrong file: In bulk operations, a single matching error affects many files at once. Take selection rules and previews seriously.
- Duplicate requests: Sending the same request to the same file again adds to the enforcement office’s workload and may create costs.
- Payment hours: According to Ministry announcements reported in the press, operations that require payment cannot be carried out every day between 23:30 and 00:15 because of cashier and transaction checks; sending documents and reviewing files remain available at those times. Do not schedule bulk operations that require fee payments in that window.
- Portal security rules: Performing operations faster than human speed or signing in simultaneously from different IP addresses with the same e-signature can lead to access being temporarily blocked. Plan the pace of bulk operations accordingly.
Frequently asked questions
What happens if one file in a bulk filing contains an error?
Depending on the nature of the error, the faulty record may not be accepted at filing, or proceedings opened with incorrect information may need to be corrected later. In both cases, you need to find the source of the error (data or format) and check whether the same error affects other files in the batch.
Do bulk requests require a separate e-signature?
No. Requests are sent with the own e-signature of the lawyer acting as counsel in the file. What matters is that the signature is not used in more than one place at the same time and that operations are logged.
Which requests are suitable for bulk sending?
Requests whose text is based on a template and whose selection rule is clear are the most suitable: service at the address in the address registration system, salary garnishment, vehicle garnishment and the like. Requests that need a file-specific assessment should be handled one by one.
How Asistan34 makes this easier
Asistan34’s bulk enforcement filings and requests in UYAP feature helps you run the workflow above within a single structure in your office:
- bulk MTS filings and bulk enforcement filings,
- bulk request operations,
- encumbrance reports.
Filing and request processes can be used together with MERNİS, SGK and EGM query results through the UYAP integration. For example, requests to be prepared for debtors with an SGK record can be listed based on the query result. All you need for these operations is the lawyer’s own UYAP e-signature.
Since 2010 we have served more than 500 law and enforcement offices in all 81 provinces of Turkey. For a setup that fits your file volume, get in touch with us or request a demo.