Colectica making my life a misery

**swantop** · 12th September 2014, 23:31:PM

Re: Colectica making my life a misery

hello Samlincs, if it was a bailiff that called to your home he would have needed to leave you a notice, to explain his reason for calling with his name and a contact number and more important who the company he is representing. which by the sounds of things he did not. so there is their first mistake, have you any idea when DWP stopped making the payments, just one thing don't make or agree to any offer of increased payment unless you can afford it stand firm with Collectica,They must abide by the fact that they can not pressure any one into making unreasonable payments,
Go to National standards of Enforcement agents it might help you it certainly did me. and don't be afraid to quote this to them! Go back to DWP and get them to send you a letter of proof of benefits you can get the number from the job centre, and send a copy to Collectica, try and start making the payments now, that the DWP were deducting, they really shouldn't refuse,then go on line to CAB their bailiff section and speak to someone on their WEBCHAT they are open till 1pm I think ,they maybe able to mediate for you,(you need to enclose a letter of authorisation or have them with you)
Ive have a big problem with another company, and got a lot of sound advice from here. I am sure you will get some more with maybe better solutions good luck I am not a legal professional just someone who has had a similar problem.

**Kati** · 12th September 2014, 23:43:PM

Re: Colectica making my life a misery

Hi Samlincs

welcome to LB.

I agree with [MENTION=49940]swantop[/MENTION] here about going to the CAB and seeing if they can do anything ...
I cannot post the links/attachments up right now as I am not at my PC, but I will come back tomorrow morning and help you all I can.

Kati x

**bizzybob** · 13th September 2014, 04:45:AM

Re: Colectica making my life a misery

Did the court send a Furher Steps Notice prior to Collecticrap calling? If not they have been a little naughty, Do you now claim Tasx credits, i would get your local CAB to do a benefit check to make sure you are claiming all you are entitled to You can chack what you should be claiming here: http://www.turn2us.org.uk/benefits_search.aspx

**samlincs** · 13th September 2014, 07:21:AM

Re: Colectica making my life a misery

Originally posted by swantop View Post

hello Samlincs, if it was a bailiff that called to your home he would have needed to leave you a notice, to explain his reason for calling with his name and a contact number and more important who the company he is representing. which by the sounds of things he did not. so there is their first mistake, have you any idea when DWP stopped making the payments, just one thing don't make or agree to any offer of increased payment unless you can afford it stand firm with Collectica,They must abide by the fact that they can not pressure any one into making unreasonable payments,
Go to National standards of Enforcement agents it might help you it certainly did me. and don't be afraid to quote this to them! Go back to DWP and get them to send you a letter of proof of benefits you can get the number from the job centre, and send a copy to Collectica, try and start making the payments now, that the DWP were deducting, they really shouldn't refuse,then go on line to CAB their bailiff section and speak to someone on their WEBCHAT they are open till 1pm I think ,they maybe able to mediate for you,(you need to enclose a letter of authorisation or have them with you)
Ive have a big problem with another company, and got a lot of sound advice from here. I am sure you will get some more with maybe better solutions good luck I am not a legal professional just someone who has had a similar problem.

I cant afford the payments but I also cant afford to have more charges put on so ive agreed as the first payment of the new plan isn't till 24th of this month so it gives me time to find some other way ...
Im no longer in receipt of jsa the DPw paid it when I was as he fine was originally when I was on benefits... they paid it for me so it was deducted . when I started work 6 mths ago they didn't notify me I needed to pay any outstanding amount just aletter telling me what I owed them..
I will speak to the CAB

Originally posted by bizzybob View Post

Did the court send a Furher Steps Notice prior to Collecticrap calling? If not they have been a little naughty, Do you now claim Tasx credits, i would get your local CAB to do a benefit check to make sure you are claiming all you are entitled to You can chack what you should be claiming here: http://www.turn2us.org.uk/benefits_search.aspx

I received nothing tho they tell me one was sent collectica also claim they sent me a welcome letter when the debt was passed to them but I didn't receive that either .
I am in receipt of tax credits already and working tax my monthly income after rent and childcare is about 400 ... which sounds a lot but once other bills are paid and food it leaves very little. I don't drink .. I don't smoke ... I don't have an active social life .. so nothing I could cut out to gain extra money apart from food gas and electric
my rent is higher than it should be as I have the landlady from hell who has threatened to evict me if benefits stop my rent again .. ( they did for 3 weeks when I started work for re calculation ) and tho it needs to be done again as they didn't take my childcare into consideration I cant do it as she will kick me out but that's another story

**Kati** · 13th September 2014, 08:20:AM

Re: Colectica making my life a misery

Hi samlinks - Collectica have a contact us page on their website ( http://www.collectica.co.uk/contact-us/ ) which lists ways of contacting them:

You can also write to us at:
Collectica, PO box 997, Doncaster, DN1 9GD

If you want to pay them by cheque/postal order, they need to be made payable to Collectica Limited (sent to the address above, and you can pay them via standing order (found in their FAQs)

Standing Order; use your unique reference as the payment reference:
LloydsTSB, Sort Code 30-92-52, Acc Number 00236949

If you cannot afford the monthly repayments, my advice would be to get in touch with them telling them this. They cannot force you to pay more than you can realistically afford - leaving you with enough to pay for food/gas/electric and to cover your current debts)

CAB have a good run-down on the new bailiff regulations (came into force April 2014) here: http://www.adviceguide.org.uk/englan...into_force.htm

-------------------------------------

As for your landlady threatening to evict you if your HB payments stop (due to a change of circumstances) - surely she can understand that if you have your childcare taken into account on the claim, you are entitled to MORE HB (meaning there is less chance of you falling behind in the long run)??

I found this:

Eviction because of housing benefit problems

If your landlord is taking you to court because of arrears caused by housing benefit problems, contact an advice centre as soon as you can. An adviser may be able to persuade the council to sort out your claim so you can pay off some or all of your arrears before the hearing.
Use Shelter's directory to find a face-to-face advice centre in your local area.
If you have arrears caused by housing benefit, whether the judge decides to evict you may depend on the type of tenancy you have and whether your landlord is using any other legal reasons (or grounds) to evict you:

If you are an introductory tenant, the judge has no choice but to evict you if the case goes to court. You must sort out any problems with your housing benefit claim before the hearing or you will lose your home.
If you're a secure tenant, the judge may decide that it is not reasonable to evict you if housing benefit delays caused your arrears. But it's still important to get advice, especially if the council is also using any other grounds.
If you are an assured tenant (which includes most housing association tenants), the judge usually has to evict you if you owe eight weeks' rent or more. If you can get an housing benefit payment to reduce your arrears to less than eight weeks' rent, you can probably keep your home.
If you have an assured shorthold tenancy (which includes most private tenants), your landlord can try to evict you because of the arrears or because your tenancy has come to an end. The rules are different depending on what grounds are being used so it's very important to get advice.

Whatever type of tenancy you have, contact your nearest Shelter advice centre or Citizens Advice. They can help you negotiate with your landlord and the housing benefit department at the council. They may also be able to represent you if your case goes to court.

on the Shelter website ( http://england.shelter.org.uk/home ) which has lots of information you might find useful :tinysmile_twink_t2:

Kati x

**Wombats** · 13th September 2014, 21:39:PM

Re: Colectica making my life a misery

Originally posted by samlincs View Post

I called collectica explained the situation told them an agent had visited me .. they denied this .. said that they had only had the account for 2 weeks and no one had visited .. I argued I had seen him they told me I was wrong .. so I said I wanted to arrange to pay this debt then before they had a chance to take it further .. they demanded 115 a month.
I told him I couldn't afford that amount and offered 80 .. he laughed refused and said he would be round that very day with a locksmith . and that 300 would be added to my debt of 500 ..

I rang the courts .. they said there was nothing they could do ... I needed to accept the offer and pay it .. but gave me some advice saying he couldn't enter my house unless it was through an unlocked door .. and that once he had been inside he could then enter by force .

I rang collectica back ... another agent was slightly more pleasant and said if I agreed to it no frther action would be taken and that no more charges would be added .. still disputing that an agent had already called . I told them it would leave me pennyless and that I had nothing worth selling any way but he was insistant ..so I payed the first instalment .

This left me broke .. I couldn't even afford to buy gas .. so a debt build up on the meter .. but it was better than having 300 extra charges on my fine ..
i then hurt my back was off sick and couldn't afford the next payment ..

a week after it was due an agent called early in a morning ( i found a hand delivered letter at 7 am ) threatening to enter by force my debt was now 700 so 300 had been added ..

i rang collectica she refused to speak to me .. said that it was too late it had been sent to an agent .. i rang him and he told me he would be round with the police if i didn't agree to pay on the 24th of this month 115 the agreed payment .. 115 the payment i missed (230 ) and 115 every month after ... ive had to agree but i daren't open a window or a curtain and im scared to open my door ... paying that money will use up everything i have and i don't know what im going to do

ive told them i work 17.5 hours a week .. that im a single parent and i have no way of getting 700 ..that paying 230 this mth and 115 for the next 5 is going to cripple me they don't care ..

I would of been better not working.. i try and better my life and ive ended up worse off .. is there anything i can do ?

Hi,

Can you clarify the confusion over the figures please? Did you receive a Further Steps Notice from the court? If you are unable to afford the repayments, you need to contact the court and ask for a Means Enquiry Hearing so they can reassess your income and expenditure. You should also put in a complaint to Collectica over the conduct of the EA - they must have a record of the visit. Also the fact that you felt pressured into accepting a repayment agreement you knew was not sustainable. Send a copy of this to the court as well.

Do not worry about locksmiths etc.... That would not happen in this circumstance.

**swantop** · 14th September 2014, 01:21:AM

Re: Colectica making my life a misery

Hi Sami Well there is a lot of info set out before you from lots of LB.s now lets get back on track, and, deal with one thing at a time which is the TV fine, Sit down and put pen to paper writing down exactly what collecticrap (i like that) is asking of you also, IF you have any letters from them have them ready for your chat with CAB . if the DWP were paying your fine on your behalf, one of your old award letters should have it listed in the deductions. I feel this is the amount you should be paying. or if this was a struggle the CAB may suggest a smaller amount, and try and get the extra charges which are causing more problems stopped, apart from that there's nothing you can do till Monday'

But what you can do on Sunday is do a benefits overhaul with 'turn2us' believe me there is a wealth of information and loads of links to further help,
you haven't said how old your child is, where i live there are quite a few nurseries that offer free places for children up to a certain age does he/she qualify?
Now, THAT LL from hell as long as your rent is paid she should back off, if she knew you were in receipt of benefits when she took you on then she should be made aware of the fact there has been a blip ,its par for the course with HB. and if you really think her rent is to high tell her your going to the fair rent officer for a review that should shut her up. again the council have a legal obligation to follow up any complaints against unruly Landlords
if you feel its time for a move then have a look at dssmove, gumtree and preloved there are a few little gems out there, and if your struggling with deposits, don't forget the tenancy deposit scheme there are a few landlords signed up to that the council should have a list,
One final thing you are a single mum with a child, no collection agency can take anything from your home that will affect the well being of that child , and that includes just about everything right? They cannot force entry by any means, and to threaten to turn up with a locksmith let alone the police is a very foolish thing for him to say. Best of luck

**bizzybob** · 14th September 2014, 04:35:AM

Re: Colectica making my life a misery

As it is TV Licence fine it is still criminal and sadly yes they can get a court order and break in technically. But as Wombats has already pointed out at post #7 it won't happen in these circumstances. Do as Wombats suggests, and ask the court for a means enquiry hearing stating that Collectricrap are adding fees that may be open to dispute and forcing you into a payment arrangement that leaves nothing to heat and light your home, and provide food for your child.

**Wombats** · 14th September 2014, 15:16:PM

Re: Colectica making my life a misery

Originally posted by swantop View Post

Hi Sami Well there is a lot of info set out before you from lots of LB.s now lets get back on track, and, deal with one thing at a time which is the TV fine, Sit down and put pen to paper writing down exactly what collecticrap (i like that) is asking of you also, IF you have any letters from them have them ready for your chat with CAB . if the DWP were paying your fine on your behalf, one of your old award letters should have it listed in the deductions. I feel this is the amount you should be paying. or if this was a struggle the CAB may suggest a smaller amount, and try and get the extra charges which are causing more problems stopped, apart from that there's nothing you can do till Monday' except ascertain the actual level of the fine (was it £400 or £500? You state both as I've highlighted in post 7). You can then look at the Taking Control of Goods: National Standards April 2014 . Using these you can put together a letter for the court requesting a Means Enquiry Hearing. You should turn up in person and ask for an immediate hearing. Remain polite, explain the urgency of your circumstances and be prepared to wait, and if necessary to keep returning. You can also put together your letter of complaint to Collectica. Again the National Standards will be a huge help as you will be able to cite chapter and verse from them the many failings of the EA.

Apart from that there's nothing you can do till Monday! :tinysmile_twink_t2:

But what you can do on Sunday is do a benefits overhaul with 'turn2us' believe me there is a wealth of information and loads of links to further help,
you haven't said how old your child is, where i live there are quite a few nurseries that offer free places for children up to a certain age does he/she qualify?
Now, THAT LL from hell as long as your rent is paid she should back off, if she knew you were in receipt of benefits when she took you on then she should be made aware of the fact there has been a blip ,its par for the course with HB. and if you really think her rent is to high tell her your going to the fair rent officer for a review that should shut her up. again the council have a legal obligation to follow up any complaints against unruly Landlords
if you feel its time for a move then have a look at dssmove, gumtree and preloved there are a few little gems out there, and if your struggling with deposits, don't forget the tenancy deposit scheme there are a few landlords signed up to that the council should have a list,
One final thing you are a single mum with a child, no collection agency can take anything from your home that will affect the well being of that child , and that includes just about everything right? They cannot force entry by any means, and to threaten to turn up with a locksmith let alone the police is a very foolish thing for him to say. Best of luck

Wombats. :beagle:

**samlincs** · 14th September 2014, 23:51:PM

Re: Colectica making my life a misery

the debt was around 500 .. I payed 115 ... they then added charges and I now owe 700 Ive asked them to mail me a breakdown but haven't received it

I didn't receive a further steps notice .. I told the court they insisted it had been sent .. they told me they couldn't re assess .I wasn't in court when the fine was imposed as it wasn't in my home town oddly enough... it was assessed on the form I returned . I was on benefits at the time and £5 per week was deducted . the problem began over a year later when I got a job and not having dealt with the fine and when leaving benefits not being informed there was a balance due it wasn't in my mind to pay or arrange anything ... the next I realised was when I heard someone trying to get in my house ... I looked from behind a curtain quite worried and a neighbour said he had seen what looked like a baliff ... I contacted court myself as he left no calling card .. collectica denied any one had visited and no charges were added at this stage . but he did visit .
I have told the courts all I have written here .. the court said the only way to get it reffered back to court is to let the ballif in to see I don't have any thing to sell but other advice would suggest under no circumstance to let them in.. as this means they can re enter when they like and add more charges for the privillage

I also informed colectica this

**samlincs** · 15th September 2014, 00:17:AM

Re: Colectica making my life a misery

Originally posted by Wombats View Post

Wombats. :beagle:

Originally Posted by swantop

Hi Sami Well there is a lot of info set out before you from lots of LB.s now lets get back on track, and, deal with one thing at a time which is the TV fine, Sit down and put pen to paper writing down exactly what collecticrap (i like that) is asking of you also, IF you have any letters from them have them ready for your chat with CAB . if the DWP were paying your fine on your behalf, one of your old award letters should have it listed in the deductions. I feel this is the amount you should be paying. or if this was a struggle the CAB may suggest a smaller amount, and try and get the extra charges which are causing more problems stopped, apart from that there's nothing you can do till Monday' except ascertain the actual level of the fine (was it £400 or £500? You state both as I've highlighted in post 7). You can then look at the Taking Control of Goods: National Standards April 2014 . Using these you can put together a letter for the court requesting a Means Enquiry Hearing. You should turn up in person and ask for an immediate hearing. Remain polite, explain the urgency of your circumstances and be prepared to wait, and if necessary to keep returning. You can also put together your letter of complaint to Collectica. Again the National Standards will be a huge help as you will be able to cite chapter and verse from them the many failings of the EA.

Apart from that there's nothing you can do till Monday! :tinysmile_twink_t2:

But what you can do on Sunday is do a benefits overhaul with 'turn2us' believe me there is a wealth of information and loads of links to further help,
you haven't said how old your child is, where i live there are quite a few nurseries that offer free places for children up to a certain age does he/she qualify?
Now, THAT LL from hell as long as your rent is paid she should back off, if she knew you were in receipt of benefits when she took you on then she should be made aware of the fact there has been a blip ,its par for the course with HB. and if you really think her rent is to high tell her your going to the fair rent officer for a review that should shut her up. again the council have a legal obligation to follow up any complaints against unruly Landlords
if you feel its time for a move then have a look at dssmove, gumtree and preloved there are a few little gems out there, and if your struggling with deposits, don't forget the tenancy deposit scheme there are a few landlords signed up to that the council should have a list,
One final thing you are a single mum with a child, no collection agency can take anything from your home that will affect the well being of that child , and that includes just about everything right? They cannot force entry by any means, and to threaten to turn up with a locksmith let alone the police is a very foolish thing for him to say. Best of luck

my child is 5 ..I work shifts so I use a lot of school clubs to keep childcare down .. sadly as I have different days each week including weekends ..some late some early I have to book both before and after school 5 days a week to secure a place for the days I do work and I have to pay for them wether the sessions are used or not ..in the holidays Its more as its all day Im lucky though because tax credits pay most of it for me .. My problem with the landlady is that when I started work she had to wait 3 weeks for the rent to be adjusted and she went nuts about it .. she was used to getting full housing benefit which I got at a full rate and didn't take kindly to being paid so much by them and the rest by me .. in the first instance I paid £33 of it myself ... and benefits paid the rest but she got shirty and insisted I paid it to her on a weekly basis from tax credits rather than when I received my wage . when tax credits added my childcare benefits re calculated it without me asking from info given by them and it stopped again for another 3 weeks .. sadly they calculated it not knowing it was childcare charges which didn't actually affect the amount of rent I should pay but added an extra £45 for me to pay in error . so I now pay 78 per week...I rang HB and they said they would change it if I took proof it was childcare which I can but she threated me if it stopped again she would evict me .. shes already tried it last Christmas eve when my child drew a smiley face on the wall .. but retracted it after the new year . as she points out she can evict me any time without a reason just by giving me 2 mths notice ... and her famous line is .."im not a charity " shes a cow . im on the look for somewhere else but I have no chance with collectimorons on my case .
I will check out CAB and speak again to the courts as suggested and I thank you all for helping..its been good to talk to someone about it

**Wombats** · 15th September 2014, 00:21:AM

Re: Colectica making my life a misery

You are in a very difficult position as you didn't act as you should have earlier in the process. The following link may be of some help to you:

https://www.nationaldebtline.org/EW/...s/Page-07.aspx

I understand they both impact on your life, but I'm trying to separate out the Housing issue from the court fine. Is your rent up to date? Is Council Tax up to date? Have you money for utilities and food?

Have you sat down and done a detailed personal budget which you could show the court?

This will help you do that: https://www.nationaldebtline.org/EW/...Step_2_11.aspx

You can then use this to make an offer of repayment to the court.

I think CAB and/or Shelter should be involved here as there seems to be a genuine vulnerability. I will email someone to have a look at this.

**Wombats** · 15th September 2014, 00:37:AM

Re: Colectica making my life a misery

Email sent - obviously I can't promise anything, but I have asked for some specialist help / advice for you.

**swantop** · 15th September 2014, 09:07:AM

Re: Colectica making my life a misery

thank you wombats, for inserting that edit, i did not know you could do that (advice offered that is) :tinysmile_cry_t:which is good to know, when i went to the council regarding my own problem, the woman said it couldn't go back to court as it had gone past the time limits is this true? and that i could only give my financial statement to them and THEY would decide if they would intervene with the collection company

Colectica making my life a misery

Colectica making my life a misery

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