Bailiffs

[louisehill]

Hi all,

I have had a bailiff knocking on my door yesterday from Julious bailiffs. He has threatened to com back today and remove my goods whether I am present or not. He even highlighted that on the unsigned, undated "Attendance Notice to Take Control of Goods" that he handed to me without knowing who I was.

I have just got off the phone from the unhelpful council tax department in Newcastle Under Lyme. It turns out that this is from an address I left in June 2013. The actual outstanding amount is from September 2012. This is genuinely the first that I have heard about this! At the time, I was unemployed and on benefits and the council have confirmed that I was in receipt of 100% benefit for council tax. There was, however, a 30 day period in September where my benefits were suspended hence this outstanding amount. I have offered to pay the council the outstanding amount of £123.03 plus the £90 court summons to which they replied I have to deal with the bailiffs directly. They, however, are insisting that I owe £520.35 the outstanding plus their standard fees.
I think that it is unfair that the council will not accept my payment given that this is the first that I have heard of this debt. They have not actually refused payment, but they are saying that I should deal with the bailiffs.
Can anybody help me? Can I do anything at all?


Thanks Lou x

[PAWS]

Re: Bailiffs

Hi Lou
I cannot offer any practical help but I I’ll give this a bump and hopefully one of the clever beagles will be able to advise x

[Milo]

Re: Bailiffs

I think that it is unfair that the council will not accept my payment given that this is the first that I have heard of this debt. They have not actually refused payment, but they are saying that I should deal with the bailiffs.
Can anybody help me? Can I do anything at all?


Thanks Lou x

Before getting as far as a personal visit you should have received a Notice of Enforcement from the bailiff company. A Compliance Fee of £75 would have been added and repayment terms would have been possible. The debt has now passed that stage and a personal visit has been made. The letter states that goods can be removed in your absence. This is standard wording but does NOT mean that when you come home your goods in the house will have gone. This simply means that if a bailiff attends while you are not at home but that you have a car, caravan, expensive lawnmower or teak garden table and chairs etc that they could be removed 'in your absence'.

The way forward depends to a large extent on whether or not you have a car that could be taken and whether this vehicle is subject to finance (in which case it COULD be exempt from being taken).

PS: It is a lot more difficult to secure a payment arrangement when a personal visit is made. If you do not have a car or the car is worth very little the bailiff is much more wiling to accept payments over a period of time (3-6 months is usual).

[Big Al]

Re: Bailiffs

If you have nothing of value outside, there is nothing the bailiff can do. Deal only with the council, never the bailiff. No matter what the council staff try to say, the debt remains owed to them, not the bailiff. The council cannot refuse to deal directly with you.

Inform the council you had no knowledge of the debt and ask them where they have been sending correspondence to. Tell the council you will only pay them direct and will agree to a repayment plan only with them. Ask them to withdraw the bailiffs; if not tell them you are prepared to wait until they voluntarily withdraw. (Remember this is only workable if you have nothing of value outside).

[louisehill]

Re: Bailiffs

Hi guys,

Thank you very much for replying. I have nothing of value outside so that is okay. I spoke to the council before posting this who claimed they could not take the payment. I will call again on Tuesday and speak to them again.

[Big Al]

Re: Bailiffs

Hi guys,

Thank you very much for replying. I have nothing of value outside so that is okay. I spoke to the council before posting this who claimed they could not take the payment. I will call again on Tuesday and speak to them again.

No problems then. The bailiff can't force entry so all they can do is knock on your door and moan. Tell the council you will set up a payment plan with them for the original debt only, but not any bailiff fees.

[seduraed]

Re: Bailiffs

speak to the council on tuesday and ask some specific questions. How any liability orders are outstanding against you how much is each one for, where were they sent . Make sure that you record the call . If it has bee sent to the wrong address you can ask for the account to be recalled .