Hi All.
I have a few questions I need to ask. Many of my questions regarding bailiffs were answered yesterday when I spoke to the National Debt Help Line, who I have to say were very helpful!
I now know they can not gain forced entry into my home and that I need to keep my windows and doors locked!
Two bailiffs called at my home yesterday morning at 7:20 am. They spoke to my hubby and informed him they had come with a van to seize goods. Thankfully he refused to let them in. They told him they would seize his van (his work vehicle). His response was take it, it’s knackered anyway. This seemed to put them off that idea, so they reverted back to saying they would seize our goods. My hubby asked them to leave saying that we were getting the kids ready for school and that he would ring them later.
He rang them and they came back to the house. He told them he could only pay £500. They said OK. My hubby handed over my £500 Christmas money I had saved for the kids presents. After he handed them the money they told him they would be back on Friday for the remainder to be paid in full. He explain that there was no way possible to get that sort of money together. They suggested that he borrows the money from family or friends.
I didn’t know what was going on as I was by this time in the shower.
My hubby then rang the council number on the letter the bailiff had left. Once he gave the reference number the woman told him she could not discuss the matter with him as the debt was in my name, so my hubby said why not, they are going to seize my work van, her response was “yes, they can do that”, so hubby said “they can go and take my neighbours car then for my wife‘s debt?”, she told him he was over exaggerating now. I think he had a valid point?
My hubby came and told me what had been going on and I then phoned the council. They told me they could not help and I would have to speak to the bailiff. I rang him and he told me the same he had told hubby and I needed to pay up or they would get a locksmith and seize my goods. I explained it was impossible for me to raise the money and explained that my hubby had given them my kids xmas money. He wasn’t bothered and again said they would be back Friday.
I told him to bring back the £500 and take me to prison! He said they couldn’t return money that had been paid and it wasn’t that simple.
After this I rang NDHL. They advised me on my rights and said we shouldn’t have handed over the money, but they understood how they bailiffs work to put pressure on you. They told me I need to write a letter of complaint to the council and to the bailiffs office and also to write to the council with a proposal of paying off the debt. They also told me to include a breakdown of incoming and outgoings, and to find out what charges the bailiffs had made to the debt.
When I rang the bailiff and asked him for a break down he was very vague and told me he was on a job. I told him I had already rang the council and they had given me their figure including court costs, miraculously he was then able to lay his hands on my paperwork! He did go on to say he would be back and would seize goods. He told me he had a signed levy from me, when I questioned him on this he said that I had signed it back in August 09, therefore I asked him what was on the levy, the only item was my husbands van. I told him I had not spoken to a bailiff let alone signed anything. While this was going on my hubby heard the conversation and said it was him would had signed it. As we both have the same first initial the bailiff had taken it for granted that it was I who signed! I know it will be easy to prove that it’s not my signature as our sig’s are so different and I always use both my initials when I sign anything.
I spoke to the council tax department yesterday and told them what had happened and explained that I could not get the rest of the money until January, she said there was nothing they could do to help as it had been passed to the bailiffs. Because I was upset and persistent she transferred my call to another department, telling me that Mr D***** was the bailiffs boss. I explained once again to Mr D***** what had happened and again he told me I needed to pay the full amount by Friday. I told him I was willing to send him a letter promising to pay the outstanding amount in full on the 7th January, he told me I had had ample time to clear the debt and my proposal was not acceptable. He also said that I had signed a levy for my husbands van and pulled out my paperwork, I explained again about this, but he told me I would have to prove it was not my signature and again told me I would have to deal with the bailiffs.
1) Can these bailiffs walk into my home if my children open the door or another family member opens it to them?
2) Have they broken the law by discussing my debt with my husband? I know he is liable for the debt also, but he is not named on any correspondence.
3) Can we move his work van and hide it? (remember, hubby signed a levy for his van)
4) If the council decide to put the debt into both names, how long will this take?
Sorry this is so long winded, but I feel a full picture is always better.
Thanks in advance for any advise
Soulstar
I have a few questions I need to ask. Many of my questions regarding bailiffs were answered yesterday when I spoke to the National Debt Help Line, who I have to say were very helpful!
I now know they can not gain forced entry into my home and that I need to keep my windows and doors locked!
Two bailiffs called at my home yesterday morning at 7:20 am. They spoke to my hubby and informed him they had come with a van to seize goods. Thankfully he refused to let them in. They told him they would seize his van (his work vehicle). His response was take it, it’s knackered anyway. This seemed to put them off that idea, so they reverted back to saying they would seize our goods. My hubby asked them to leave saying that we were getting the kids ready for school and that he would ring them later.
He rang them and they came back to the house. He told them he could only pay £500. They said OK. My hubby handed over my £500 Christmas money I had saved for the kids presents. After he handed them the money they told him they would be back on Friday for the remainder to be paid in full. He explain that there was no way possible to get that sort of money together. They suggested that he borrows the money from family or friends.
I didn’t know what was going on as I was by this time in the shower.
My hubby then rang the council number on the letter the bailiff had left. Once he gave the reference number the woman told him she could not discuss the matter with him as the debt was in my name, so my hubby said why not, they are going to seize my work van, her response was “yes, they can do that”, so hubby said “they can go and take my neighbours car then for my wife‘s debt?”, she told him he was over exaggerating now. I think he had a valid point?
My hubby came and told me what had been going on and I then phoned the council. They told me they could not help and I would have to speak to the bailiff. I rang him and he told me the same he had told hubby and I needed to pay up or they would get a locksmith and seize my goods. I explained it was impossible for me to raise the money and explained that my hubby had given them my kids xmas money. He wasn’t bothered and again said they would be back Friday.
I told him to bring back the £500 and take me to prison! He said they couldn’t return money that had been paid and it wasn’t that simple.
After this I rang NDHL. They advised me on my rights and said we shouldn’t have handed over the money, but they understood how they bailiffs work to put pressure on you. They told me I need to write a letter of complaint to the council and to the bailiffs office and also to write to the council with a proposal of paying off the debt. They also told me to include a breakdown of incoming and outgoings, and to find out what charges the bailiffs had made to the debt.
When I rang the bailiff and asked him for a break down he was very vague and told me he was on a job. I told him I had already rang the council and they had given me their figure including court costs, miraculously he was then able to lay his hands on my paperwork! He did go on to say he would be back and would seize goods. He told me he had a signed levy from me, when I questioned him on this he said that I had signed it back in August 09, therefore I asked him what was on the levy, the only item was my husbands van. I told him I had not spoken to a bailiff let alone signed anything. While this was going on my hubby heard the conversation and said it was him would had signed it. As we both have the same first initial the bailiff had taken it for granted that it was I who signed! I know it will be easy to prove that it’s not my signature as our sig’s are so different and I always use both my initials when I sign anything.
I spoke to the council tax department yesterday and told them what had happened and explained that I could not get the rest of the money until January, she said there was nothing they could do to help as it had been passed to the bailiffs. Because I was upset and persistent she transferred my call to another department, telling me that Mr D***** was the bailiffs boss. I explained once again to Mr D***** what had happened and again he told me I needed to pay the full amount by Friday. I told him I was willing to send him a letter promising to pay the outstanding amount in full on the 7th January, he told me I had had ample time to clear the debt and my proposal was not acceptable. He also said that I had signed a levy for my husbands van and pulled out my paperwork, I explained again about this, but he told me I would have to prove it was not my signature and again told me I would have to deal with the bailiffs.
1) Can these bailiffs walk into my home if my children open the door or another family member opens it to them?
2) Have they broken the law by discussing my debt with my husband? I know he is liable for the debt also, but he is not named on any correspondence.
3) Can we move his work van and hide it? (remember, hubby signed a levy for his van)
4) If the council decide to put the debt into both names, how long will this take?
Sorry this is so long winded, but I feel a full picture is always better.
Thanks in advance for any advise
Soulstar
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