Dukes Bailiffs

[Mummy_of_Five]

Hi everyone

We are currently being persued for a council tax debt from a previous address that we didn't know we owed. We owe one and a half yeas council tax and the bailiffs are persuing for the half a year.

My question is: - our previous address was in my name only, all letters from the council are addressed to me only.. All the bailiffs letters are addressed to both me and my husband. Can they ask both of us to pay the money that is owed when the debt SHOULD be in my name only?

Any help would be great

Kind regards

Mummy_of_Five

[old_andrew2007]

hi

any news

[Mummy_of_Five]

Hi

They want the full amonut paid by the 4th of April. So i have no other choice but to pay it. Even though we are on benefits (hubby gets Incapacity) and the only other money we have is chhild tax credit and child benefit.

Still dont know if they should be asking my hubby for the money when the council tax debt was in my name only, but never mind

Thanks for asking how things are going

Kind Regards

Mummy_of_Five

[tomtubby]

If you have not allowed the bailiff to enter you home then you do NOT have pay at this moment. You need to WRITE to them to make them aware of your personal circumstances and offer a payment plan. To ensure that it is NOT rejected you will need to make the repayments sufficient to allow this debt to be paid with a few months....6 at most.

You should not allow a bailiff into your home.

If need any help with the wording of a letter please do let me know.

[Mummy_of_Five]

Hiya

Thanks for your post. We have tried writing to them and they ignored our letters. We even asked the council to take the debt back so we could pay the council direct but they said no because it was from 2001 (we didn't know we owed the money til last year).

If you could give me some suggestions on what to write to them so they dont ignore the letters that would be great coz we cant really afford to pay them the full anount but dont want them to add on any more. They have taken the bil from £161 to £202 already, and tried to add on another £158 for coming last time with a van to remove goods but my hubby refused to let them in and told him we have already offered them a payment before xmas that had been ignored. Than is when we got the letter telling us to pay the full amount on the 4th.

Any help would be great

Thanks

Kind Regards

Mummy_of_Five

[Mummy_of_Five]

Hiya All

Today we got this letter from Dukes Bailiffs regarding my council tax bill. We can not afford to pay the bill at once as we do not work (hubby gets Incapacity Benefit for him and me and we get child tax and child benefit). And all of our money goes out as quick as it comes in.


Dear Mrs & Mr Mummy_of_Five (Should be in my name only)

Re: Council Tax £203.71

REMOVAL NOTICE

I am writing in connection with the above arrears outstanding to Halton Borough Council.

I am arranging for our recovery team to visit your home to remove your goods, which may include your vehicle these goods will then be impounded pending sale at public auction. You will incur further considerable expense and these costs will be added to the above balance.

To prevent this action taking place we suggest that you contact our office immediately to arrange full payment. In the absence of any contact, your case shall be added to our removal list and we shall attend at your property without further notice

Dukes Debt Recovery Manager.

As I have previously said, they have been contacting us since December 2007, and have been to our house many times (all refused entry - when they actually knocked). This is the second time they have said that they will remove our goods.

As for vehicles, they know we have 2 cars on our drive - 1 is registered to my dad and the other is ours but it is on HP with Welcome Fianance, with another year (or more if they have their way) left to pay. Am I right in thinking that they can not do anything to either car?

I have previously wrote to them about payment plans, the first one they replied and said that they could only make a payment plan if they came and made a list of goods that we have, we live with my dad so most things are his, the things we do own are mostly our childrens things eg. bedroom tv, computer etc. All other letters we have sent have been ignored by them.

Any help would be greatfully received as I'm starting to panic about them coming incase one of my children answer the door, or the door is unlocked because my children are out playing and the bailiff tries the door before knocking and just lets himself in.

Any suggestions

Kind Regards

Mummy_of_Five

[anais35]

They cannot take your cars. My advice is to write to them (keeping a copy for yourself) informing them of the status of the cars and that issuing a levy on them is unlawful and therefore any levy and subsequent levy charge will be invalid.
When they come to the house, hand them the copy of the letter you sent to the bailiff company through the letterbox (with supporting documentation such as HP agreeement and your father's insurance documents).

[Mummy_of_Five]

Hiya

Thanks for your reply. Going to write to them and offer a payment of £7.50 per month as this is the very most we can afford (well we cant really afford this either but it needs paying) and send them a copy of our personal budget which as it is comes - £4.72 (all genuine money that goes out, no wonder we are having real bad problems).

As for the cars we have a credit agreement that we could show but my dads car is s.o.r.n at the min and hasn't got any insurance or m.o.t as it is unsusable at he min (its an old beetle that is getting done up) but he does have registration document with his name on it. Should I send copies of these with the letter too?

Thanks for your help

Mummy_of_Five

[anais35]

Yes, the registration document is fine. It proves that the car does not belong to you.

Good luck.

If they do come back and you see them starting to levy the car, threaten to call the police and ask them (through an upstairs window) what court they got their certificate from as you intend on complaining.