Bristow & Sutor-Advice Needed.

[xxsmellxx]

Please can somebody help me, Last year i had a visit from b&s and i let them in, they made a possession walking thing, i came to an agreement with them to pay £50 a month, i have been doing this and i owe £140 on that one. THEN i had another baliff from B&S visit me the end of last month, he again made a walking posesion thingy (at the time i did not know i could refuse entry) this time the debt was for £473. (both being council tax)
A couple of days later i had a revised council tax bill for £383, i rang the council up and told them about my account with B&S and they advised me that they had informed B&S that my council tax had been lessened and to contact B&S.
I did so this morning, to a very rude girl who wouldnt budge, she told me the council had taken back the account with £140 remaining (i had previously paid £200 to that account) but i still owed them the £473!!
I tried to explain that i am currently on long term sick for depression and i ony have around £300 a month to live on and that i could not afford the £175 a month they were demanding, she told me that if i could pay £77 Friday 14/03/08 then i would only have to pay £79 a month which i still cant afford has i have other bills to pay, but she was rather snotty with me down the phone and told me i have no other choice and that i have to pay that amount!!!

I thought that due to council tax bill being reduced i would only owe about £200.
Can i ask the council to take the debt back or do i have to starve and pay these people????
Please help im at my wits end!!!!!

[xxsmellxx]

Can i also add the paperwork the baliff left

council tax owing - £473
levy fee - £40.00
walking possession fee - £12.00
redemption of good fee - £24.50

Are these reasonable charges???

[tomtubby]

Remind the council that they are reponsible for the "acts and omissions of their agents (bailiffs) and they should be insisting that this debt is returned immediately as your are classified as "vulnerable" according to the National Standards for Enforcment Agents.

Ask Bristow & Sutor where in the Stautory Legisaltion does a "redemption of fees" apply. I would be very INTERESTED in their response......

Our office have plenty of legal advise on this charge and in fact there is one particular local authority who have insisted that their relevant bailiff company provide an "undertaking " to the local authority to cover claims that made be made to the councils by members of the public who have had this "redemption of goods fee" charged to them.

In addition, the bailiff would NOT be able to charge for either a WP fee or levy fee unless the goods listed are DIFFERENT from those on the previous WP.

[xxsmellxx]

Thanks for your advice i will be contacting the council shortly

[xxsmellxx]

Well i contacted my local council, no help at all, basically told me i have to pay whatever B&S want, they said its out of their hands, Wrote to B&S asked them to explain their costs especially their redemption fees???
Also sent them a breakdown of my monthly outgoings so they can see what i can afford to pay and what i cant, see what happens there.
Iv emailed my local MP explaing the situation, hopefully he will get back in touch...... apparently used to live in the flat above me when i was younger, my mom and dad know him so finger crossed.

[xxsmellxx]

Ask Bristow & Sutor where in the Stautory Legisaltion does a "redemption of fees" apply. I would be very INTERESTED in their response......


Apparently the redemption fee is:
The charge made under schedule 5 of the council tax regulation and is payable for the release of the listed goods back to your control. It is similar to the fee payable to reclaim or redeem items pledged to a pawnbroker as a security for a loan or the final payment of a hire purchase agreement!!!!!

Whatever that means?????? if anyone can explain please