Help!

[cmc90]

in January of this year we were sent an email from Rundles enforcements agents stating that our council tax arrears of £1200 had been passed onto them and to get in contact with the to arrange payment or an agent would turn up at our door. I therefore emailed Rundles asking to set up a parent plan with themselves. They replied saying they would accept £205 a month for 6 months to clear they debt. This was not appropriate for us so I replied asking if there was any chance we could make the payment lower and spread it out over a longer term. They replied saying no and that if we didn't make a payment within 7 days an agent would come to our door. So we made the first payment of £205 and heard nothing more from them. The following month we made the next payment as we believed had been agreed and again heard nothing more fr Rundles so assumed that the matter was being dealt with accordingly.

Last week this all changed, with payments still up to date we returned home with an "attendance notice to take control of goods" posted through our door hand signed by an agent. This letter stars that they will return and complete action to control goods whether we are present or not.

I rang the agent, Mr Evans, and explained the situation and that we were in fact in a payment plan. He stated that no plan had been put into place and that he needed full payment immediately (along with an additional £235 fee!) or he would come into my home and take my goods because he can. He was very rude and obnoxious! I explained that this was not an option and stated that we had been making payments and would continue to do so. He said that was not an option and we had until Saturday to pay.

i hung up and burst into tears. I could not believe what was happening. The next day I rang Rundles who were of very little help and said that as I made the first payment through their automated system rather than speaking to someone the plan never got set up. They then went onto say that I am now past the stage of being able to make a plan to pay back and it's in Mr Evans hands . They told me he would ring me that evening.

The evening came and no call. A week went by and no call. Until yesterday. Where again he rang and quite aggressively told me If I do not pay the full amount by Saturday (tomorrow) he will come to take my goods. To which I told him he will not gain entry to my property to which his reply was I will as I can!

This man has never been in my house before. What do we do now? We have made what we thought would be the next installment for this month so have now made 3 payments (on time) of £205 to clear the debt.

any help will be appreciated as I'm dreading tomorrow and the fact this threatening man may come knocking.

Thank you in advance

[Guest]

Re: Help!

You need to write a letter to the CEO of your council. Head the letter "Formal Complaint"

Advise as you have stated in your post. Rundles emailed you stating 6 x monthly payments of £205 would be accepted to clear the debt. You have now paid 3 of these monthly instalments (50% of the balance) but Rundles are now claiming that no agreement is in place. They have now visited and are demanding a payment of £235 on top of the balance outstanding within 7 days or they will return to remove goods.

This action is totally uncalled for and is unethical, given that Rundles first came up with the idea of payments of £205 per month (far more than you consider comfortable and likely to be higher than if an AOE was implemented).

As a resolution to the complaint, you ask for the £235 fee to be removed from your account and that you be permitted to pay the final £615 over the next three months, as originally suggested by Rundles. You also ask that enforcement action be suspended whilst this complaint is investigated.

Finally, if the council are unwilling or unable to uphold the complaint, can they please advise as to the procedure to advance it to "stage 2" of the councils complaints procedure. In the alternative, can they confirm that you are now free to take it to the Ombudsman.

Send a copy to Rundles. Due to the urgency, emails would be preferable.

Send a txt to Evans, advising that a formal complaint has now gone in to the council, a copy of which has been sent to Rundles. He may wish to take further instructions from his employers before proceeding further.

[bizzybob]

Re: Help!

In addition to the excellent advice from L Bizzy, copy the Formal Complaint to the Elected Council Leader, your local councillor, and MP. It is good to keep the elected representatives up to speed as to what the Officials they purport to control get up to with council contractors. Remind them that the Council remains at all times 100% vicariously liable, both jointly and severally for any misdeed by their agents Bumbles & Co.

I feel Bumbles were setting you up to fail by setting payments outside your affordability, and decided to ignore your payments and go for the £235 they are not entitled to anyway. A mild tolchock is too gentle for them, perhaps this case is one that should also be added to a list of cases for MOJ attention regarding bailffs, oops EAs bending the rules.

[cmc90]

Re: Help!

Many thanks for your advice. I can't begin to explain how helpful this was.

Today we have logged a formal complaint via email to the CEO of our council, our local councillor, the council and who was our MP (dissolved at the minute due to election)

We recieved a swift reply from our MPs PA who said that he wanted to look into the matter for us and was appalled by the situation.

I ensured I CC'd Rundles in my email. Do you think I should still txt the Baliff? doing so is something that makes me nervous slightly.

We have not been parking our cars on the drive at the moment in fear of the baliff coming to take them. Shall we continue to do this?

Thanks again

[bizzybob]

Re: Help!

Many thanks for your advice. I can't begin to explain how helpful this was.

Today we have logged a formal complaint via email to the CEO of our council, our local councillor, the council and who was our MP (dissolved at the minute due to election)

We recieved a swift reply from our MPs PA who said that he wanted to look into the matter for us and was appalled by the situation.

I ensured I CC'd Rundles in my email. Do you think I should still txt the Baliff? doing so is something that makes me nervous slightly.

We have not been parking our cars on the drive at the moment in fear of the baliff coming to take them. Shall we continue to do this?

Thanks again

You coul;d txt him and keep any response as evidence if he is threatening. I would keep any cars away for now as a precaution. Bumbles & co are not to be trusted.

[Guest]

Re: Help!

You said that Evans had been aggressive, rude and obnoxious. He has told you that "he will do as I can"

He is doing his job and if he were to ask you to pay nicely, he would get nowhere. He has to be aggressive.

My attitude is to be aggressive back to the aggressor. The purpose for txting was to ensure a visit didn't happen over the weekend. Come Monday, hopefully, your case will enter the system.

If you are happy for your car to be parked away from the house and to refuse Evans entry if he knocks, then the txt to him is not essential.

I would personally recommend that you txt him, even just to advise that a complaint has gone in. The complaint is not about him, it is about his company and their handling of the situation. Perhaps a txt along those lines? He won't take it personally.

[cmc90]

Re: Help!

An update for you.

Today we received a text from Rundles stating "stop enforcement action - ring immediately." So we rang and were out straight through to Mr Evans. At this point he said complaint or no complaint we can't stop the action he has done everything by the book and he will be round today and hung up!

I immediately got in touch with my MP and within half an hour was told that enforcement action had been stopped for 21 days whilst they investigate. A few hours later I have been told that the payment plan will be reset up, all fees added by Mr Evans taken away and asked to fill out an expenses and income form.

We feel like we are finally getting somewhere. Thank you for your help and advice. It is appreciated so much! We shall keep you updated! At last we can sleep easy knowing we are no longer being threatened by this man!

[Big Al]

Re: Help!

This just goes to show that one should not just roll over and accept these monstrous fees and aggressive behaviours. It also shows that these fees, once applied, become part of the debt that must now be paid. They are charges, no different to a charge that any tradesman can apply and they can be removed - if you refuse to pay them, there is little they can do.