When a Mexican customer stops paying, most international suppliers assume court is the only path forward. GALLINA USA, LLC — a multinational extruder of polycarbonate sheets, panels, and architectural systems — learned that extrajudicial collection in Mexico can resolve a stalled B2B account without ever filing a lawsuit. This is the story of how ATIVO helped GALLINA USA recover half of an account receivable that had been outstanding since 2024, in just three months.
The Accounts Receivable Challenge for Manufacturers Selling Into Mexico
Manufacturers that extend credit to Mexican buyers face a structural risk: invoices are rarely backed by an executable instrument, follow-up is often informal, and by the time a receivable is truly overdue, the company managing it internally has little leverage left. As explored in ATIVO's guide on overdue accounts receivable recovery options in Mexico, the sequence that works is extrajudicial first, judicial only when extrajudicial efforts are exhausted — and the earlier a specialist is engaged, the higher the recovery rate.
GALLINA USA's Challenge: A Stalled Receivable Since 2024
GALLINA USA had an outstanding account receivable with a Mexican customer dating back to 2024. Internal follow-up had not produced a resolution, and the account sat in the kind of limbo that quietly erodes cash flow: not written off, not collected, and increasingly difficult to act on the longer it remained untouched.
The ATIVO Solution: Extrajudicial Collection Mexico, Step by Step
Case Diagnosis and Debtor Verification
ATIVO began by reviewing GALLINA USA's documentation and verifying the debtor's current standing, establishing a factual basis for negotiation rather than relying on the debtor's own representations.
Structured Negotiation and Extrajudicial Collection
ATIVO's team engaged the debtor directly through professional, documented collection contact — the same approach that resolves the majority of B2B cases in Mexico without litigation.
Preparing Judicial Alternatives as Leverage
In parallel, ATIVO presented GALLINA USA with the judicial alternatives available under Mexican commercial law to enforce payment, so the company understood its full range of options — and so the debtor understood that judicial escalation was a real, prepared next step, not an empty threat.
Results and Metrics: 50% Recovered in Three Months
Within three months, ATIVO recovered 50% of the outstanding account receivable through extrajudicial collection alone. For GALLINA USA, that meant:
- Real cash recovered on a receivable open since 2024, without the cost or timeline of litigation
- A clear, documented judicial path prepared for the remaining balance if needed
- Direct visibility into every stage of the process, in English
What This Means for Other International Companies Collecting in Mexico
GALLINA USA's case reflects a pattern ATIVO sees across manufacturing and industrial clients selling into Mexico: a receivable does not need to go to court to be recovered, and it does not need to sit unmanaged while a company decides what to do next. As covered in ATIVO's tips for B2B debt recovery in Mexico, engaging a specialist who can move between extrajudicial and judicial paths — without changing providers — is what separates a recovered receivable from a written-off one. It's the same structural approach behind ATIVO's success story with Bridgestone Mexico, another international manufacturer that turned a difficult accounts receivable portfolio into a measurable recovery.
What Dave Corbliss Says About Working with ATIVO
Suggested testimonial — pending client confirmation before publishing "Working with ATIVO gave us clarity on a receivable that had been sitting unresolved since 2024. Within a few months we recovered half of what we were owed, and just as importantly, we now understand exactly what our options are for the remainder."
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does extrajudicial collection take in Mexico for a B2B account receivable?
Most B2B cases resolve through extrajudicial collection in 30 to 90 days when the debtor is locatable and responsive. GALLINA USA's case resolved within three months.
What happens if extrajudicial collection doesn't recover the full account receivable?
The account can be escalated to judicial collection — typically the juicio ejecutivo mercantil, an executive commercial lawsuit regulated under Mexico's Código de Comercio (Article 1391), which allows asset seizure once an executable title is in place.
Can a foreign company like GALLINA USA pursue judicial collection in Mexico without a local legal team?
Yes, provided the collection partner has in-house judicial capability. This avoids handing the case to a separate law firm, which resets timelines and loses case context.
For international companies with an account receivable in Mexico that isn't moving, ATIVO structures the same extrajudicial-first, judicial-ready approach that recovered 50% of GALLINA USA's balance in three months.
Talk to ATIVO about your outstanding accounts receivable in Mexico
