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Hi guys, hoping I can get some quick help with this!
Back in 2014 we had a house visit from a TV licence inspector. It turned out our direct debit had failed and we were a couple of months behind on the TV licence payment.
We've had to move house twice in the last couple of years and we were in the process of moving house for the first time when the inspector visited. At the new house we continued paying the TV licence as normal and heard nothing from the inspection, no letters, no calls, no emails.
We had to move house again 7 months ago, this time to my parents house, we now rent a couple of rooms from my folks and all the contents of the house belong to my parents except for our bed.
Fast forward to last Wednesday when my wife got a phone call on her mobile from Excel saying we owed them just under £700, half of which had to be paid immediately or they would send enforcement agents out. My wife was out and about at the time and asked for them to send us a letter or an email with the details.
Fast forward again to today. Nothing had yet arrived in the post but at around 5pm, two enforcement officers in clothing resembling policemen, complete with stab-vests and what the claimed were 'cameras' on lanyards around their necks knocked at the door, told us they had a warrant and a court order and demanded half the outstanding payment or they would enter the property and begin taking video of the contents of the house.
I told them we didn't have that kind of money spare to give them (true) and that I would not allow them into my parents house and that we had no belongings in the house anyway. They said that if I didn't pay right away or let them take videos of the contents they would get the police involved, get a locksmith and drill my parents locks and bill the cost of it to me. They wouldn't entertain any notions of setting up a payment plan either.
I asked them for a phone number of their office and made a phone call, I wanted to see if I could set up a payment plan. The woman at their office was unwilling to help over the phone and claimed they had definitely sent the letter to us (we never got it) and told me I had to deal with the enforcement officers directly.
I went out to the van to speak to them and offered them £100 today and I would try to organise the rest another time. They refused this and continued to demand the larger payment or they would have to call the police. Eventually I told them to go ahead and call the police and I would explain myself to them instead.
I went back in my parents house but didn't lock the door behind me. The next thing I know, both the enforcement officers have come into my house and are standing in my parents hallway. I stood my ground and told them not to go any further and they responded by saying "You can't push us out, that would be assault" and "So what are you going do? Take us both on?" even though I was being perfectly calm and reasonable throughout since my 8 year old daughter was around and so were my elderly parents.
After more talking they realised I was quite prepared to call the police myself and they told me I now have until Monday to pay, which I agreed to in order to get them away from my parents house.
So basically, we have no correspondence regarding this debt whatsoever, except for the phone number of the office and the enforcement agent and have until Monday to stump up half the outstanding payment, which is quite a blow for us financially, especially since we are trying to get our finances back on track and are paying off a number of creditors at the moment.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated!
Back in 2014 we had a house visit from a TV licence inspector. It turned out our direct debit had failed and we were a couple of months behind on the TV licence payment.
We've had to move house twice in the last couple of years and we were in the process of moving house for the first time when the inspector visited. At the new house we continued paying the TV licence as normal and heard nothing from the inspection, no letters, no calls, no emails.
We had to move house again 7 months ago, this time to my parents house, we now rent a couple of rooms from my folks and all the contents of the house belong to my parents except for our bed.
Fast forward to last Wednesday when my wife got a phone call on her mobile from Excel saying we owed them just under £700, half of which had to be paid immediately or they would send enforcement agents out. My wife was out and about at the time and asked for them to send us a letter or an email with the details.
Fast forward again to today. Nothing had yet arrived in the post but at around 5pm, two enforcement officers in clothing resembling policemen, complete with stab-vests and what the claimed were 'cameras' on lanyards around their necks knocked at the door, told us they had a warrant and a court order and demanded half the outstanding payment or they would enter the property and begin taking video of the contents of the house.
I told them we didn't have that kind of money spare to give them (true) and that I would not allow them into my parents house and that we had no belongings in the house anyway. They said that if I didn't pay right away or let them take videos of the contents they would get the police involved, get a locksmith and drill my parents locks and bill the cost of it to me. They wouldn't entertain any notions of setting up a payment plan either.
I asked them for a phone number of their office and made a phone call, I wanted to see if I could set up a payment plan. The woman at their office was unwilling to help over the phone and claimed they had definitely sent the letter to us (we never got it) and told me I had to deal with the enforcement officers directly.
I went out to the van to speak to them and offered them £100 today and I would try to organise the rest another time. They refused this and continued to demand the larger payment or they would have to call the police. Eventually I told them to go ahead and call the police and I would explain myself to them instead.
I went back in my parents house but didn't lock the door behind me. The next thing I know, both the enforcement officers have come into my house and are standing in my parents hallway. I stood my ground and told them not to go any further and they responded by saying "You can't push us out, that would be assault" and "So what are you going do? Take us both on?" even though I was being perfectly calm and reasonable throughout since my 8 year old daughter was around and so were my elderly parents.
After more talking they realised I was quite prepared to call the police myself and they told me I now have until Monday to pay, which I agreed to in order to get them away from my parents house.
So basically, we have no correspondence regarding this debt whatsoever, except for the phone number of the office and the enforcement agent and have until Monday to stump up half the outstanding payment, which is quite a blow for us financially, especially since we are trying to get our finances back on track and are paying off a number of creditors at the moment.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated!
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