Equita Bailffs! Please help. This is my 1st experience!!!

[MissFM]

Re: Equita Bailffs! Please help. This is my 1st experience!!!

In case it's of any help with the issue of whether or not you are "officially" vulnerable:
http://www.adviceguide.org.uk/wales/...e_people_e.htm

I'm absolutely not clued up on Bailiff (EO) matters but from what I've seen and learnt on here I would, in your shoes, be asking my GP or specialist to write in support of your vulnerability both to the council and to the Bailiff Co.'s welfare department.

I'm sure wiser members will advise if if this is a fruitless idea.

x

[Luke Green]

Re: Equita Bailffs! Please help. This is my 1st experience!!!

You should ring the council in the morning to ascertain the dates that both Liaibility Orders has been obtained and most importantly....the date that both accounts had been sent to Equita.

Under the new regs it does provide that a bailiff cannot charge 'multiple' fees but quite a few cases have been found where multiple fees have been charged and this is more so with parking tickets and where the local authority allocate warrants between 2 or 3 different enforcement company. Also, the enforcement company will be excused if at the time of sending the initial letter only one account had been recorded on their computer system. This is why it is important to find out the debt when both accounts had been sent to Equita. If sent the same day then this is one example that needs to be sent to the Minstry of Justice asap as they have a team of analyists looking at problem areas in the regulations with a view to amending legislation if necessary in the next few months.

Hi i spoke to the council today who confirmed both liability orders were sent to equita on the same day. All enforcement notices and other letters i received from equita have matching dates on both orders so where do I go from here?

Thanks

[Luke Green]

Re: Equita Bailffs! Please help. This is my 1st experience!!!

You should also contact the council and find out
1. How many Liability Orders they have against you?
2. The dates they were obtained?
3. The addresses they were for?
4. The period of time each covers?
5. How much each one was for?
6. How much is still outstanding?
7. The dates they were passed on for enforcement?
Put in a complaint with them that the bailiffs are attempting to charge for two enforcement visits (in breach of the regulation I mentioned in post #2)

and contact the bailiffs (in writing) asking for a breakdown of the charges they have applied (as per letter one in the link above)

K x

Hi i have rang the council and asked the questions suggested shall I post them up?

I did not put a complaint in yet though.

[Kati]

Re: Equita Bailffs! Please help. This is my 1st experience!!!

Hi i have rang the council and asked the questions suggested shall I post them up?

I did not put a complaint in yet though.

You can do the answers should help you (and us) understand why the bailiffs are collecting two debts
K x

[Luke Green]

Re: Equita Bailffs! Please help. This is my 1st experience!!!

There are 2 Liability Orders.
One from march 2013 and one from november 2013 for the same address
They cover from july 2012-april 2013 then april 2012 to july 14.
Both were passed to bailiffs on the same date.

[Guest]

Re: Equita Bailffs! Please help. This is my 1st experience!!!

Are those the dates you were living at the property? Do you have any proof of paying them?

2 liability orders = 2x £75 compliance fees, but only 1x £235 enforcement fee.

Does the bailiff have your current address? You don't have to let them in or speak to them. Keep all contact through the council. Get the stat dec done to say you didn't receive any correspondence prior to the bailiff visiting.

[Milo]

Re: Equita Bailffs! Please help. This is my 1st experience!!!

There are 2 Liability Orders.
One from march 2013 and one from november 2013 for the same address
They cover from july 2012-april 2013 then april 2012 to july 14.
Both were passed to bailiffs on the same date.

Can you just clarify the dates again. The one for July 2012 to April 2013 seem OK but I am confused about the dates of the 2nd one which seems to be from April 2012 to July (maybe 2012). If so then there is something not quite right here at all.

Did you mention in you call to the council that Equita have charged a fee of £235 to each account? This part alone is of extreme seriousness and I would be interested to know the response from the council.

[Luke Green]

Re: Equita Bailffs! Please help. This is my 1st experience!!!

I moved into the property on 1st of July 2012 and lived there until the 30th of June 2013. So they are changing from July 1st 2013 to April 1st then April to Julu 2013.

I am going to do this tomorrow and offer them a payment plan. I will post the result on here.

The bailiff says he knows my address but has not quoted it to me. I do pay council tax for it though so the council could tell him?

Should I send any letters to the council about the charges or just tell them on the phone?

[bizzybob]

Re: Equita Bailffs! Please help. This is my 1st experience!!!

A s Equita are the bailiffs, I wonder if this is a Capita council, and maybe Luke should contact his local elected councillor?

[Milo]

Re: Equita Bailffs! Please help. This is my 1st experience!!!

I moved into the property on 1st of July 2012 and lived there until the 30th of June 2013. So they are changing from July 1st 2013 to April 1st then April to Julu 2013.

I am going to do this tomorrow and offer them a payment plan. I will post the result on here.

The bailiff says he knows my address but has not quoted it to me. I do pay council tax for it though so the council could tell him?

Should I send any letters to the council about the charges or just tell them on the phone?

It is vitally important that you contact the council regarding Equita attempting to charge £235 on each debts. Have you made the council aware of this and what is their response ?

[Luke Green]

Re: Equita Bailffs! Please help. This is my 1st experience!!!

It is vitally important that you contact the council regarding Equita attempting to charge £235 on each debts. Have you made the council aware of this and what is their response ?

Hi sorrry it has taken so long to get back to you i have been with out internet for the last week.

I have just spoken to the council and told them that I have been charged too much in enforcement fees and they tlod me I needed to ring equita about it because they can't do anything as the account has been passed onto them now.

Im just wondering where I go from here because whenever I ring the council they just fob me off.

I also informed the bailiff I was going to produce a fincial statement and pay £20 a week to which he told me that he wants the small account cleared in full and as I am not doing this he will be coming to take goods for auction. I text back and said I dont have the funds to do this and £20 a week is all I have to offer and I got no reply.

When I rang the council earlier I paid them £40 for the last 2 weeks.

But yeah main question is what do I do about the fees?

Thanks again for all your help.

[bizzybob]

Re: Equita Bailffs! Please help. This is my 1st experience!!!

Hi sorrry it has taken so long to get back to you i have been with out internet for the last week.

I have just spoken to the council and told them that I have been charged too much in enforcement fees and they tlod me I needed to ring equita about it because they can't do anything as the account has been passed onto them now. Not true, the council remain
owners of the debt at all times, and can intervene, just that they choose not to
Im just wondering where I go from here because whenever I ring the council they just fob me off.

I also informed the bailiff I was going to produce a fincial statement and pay £20 a week to which he told me that he wants the small account cleared in full and as I am not doing this he will be coming to take goods for auction. I text back and said I dont have the funds to do this and £20 a week is all I have to offer and I got no reply.

When I rang the council earlier I paid them £40 for the last 2 weeks.

But yeah main question is what do I do about the fees?

Thanks again for all your help.

Makes me wonder if this is a Capita council where the revenues function has been outsourced to Capita who own Equita.....

[Luke Green]

Re: Equita Bailffs! Please help. This is my 1st experience!!!

What does a capita council mean?

As I seem to get no where on the phone do you think it would be worth going into the offices and speaking to someone in person or should I send the letters provided on this site?

[ploddertom]

Re: Equita Bailffs! Please help. This is my 1st experience!!!

A lot of Councils have outsourced their back office functions to private companies. One such company is called Capita who are known for not being cooperative. You ring up thinking you are talking to the Council but in reality it may be a Capita employee - why aren't they cooperative = they own 2 Bailiff Co's one of which happens to be Equita - do I need say more.

[Luke Green]

Re: Equita Bailffs! Please help. This is my 1st experience!!!

Nope that explains it perfectly. And by the ounds of thins you are right.

So is my best option a letter or going into the offices in person?