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Bailiff-problems

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  1. I have tried ringing the bailiff again this morning, and he answered and said hello (hurrah I thought), then he must have realised it was my voice and tried to pretend there was some interference on the line and hung up. I then rang him back straight away and it just kept ringing. I have tried 4 times since and he is ignoring me as it just keeps ringing until it hits the voicemail. He knows my number so I have been withholding it to call him, but I think he realises that the withheld number is mine. I guess he is just allowing all calls to go to voicemail to avoid me and will call back anyone else that leaves him a message! I just cannot believe these people are so ignorant. He obviously knew he was mis-informing me about the WPO and setting up a payment plan, and now he knows he is wrong, he has told me to call him so he can ignore me. I'm just worried it will get to Saturday and he will ignore me til then so they can come and get my things. I'm seriously thinking of not going away this weekend as I cant allow him to come and break my door down as it will be left like that til I get home for all and sundry to come in. But were meant to be visiting a poorly family member and I dont know how many more times we will get to see him. I just cant believe this is happening, and at such a terrible time with me going away and christmas coming up. Anyway, thanks for any advice!! I will update you if anything else happens or if I hear anything.
  2. Hi, I wonder if someone could tell me if the charges Bristow & Sutor have applied to my council tax arrears are fair. The account looks as follows: Arrears amount - 886.64 First visit - 22.50 Second visit - 18.00 Levy - 49.00 Redemption fee - 24.50 Van fee - 180.00 Van fee - 230.00 Walking Possession Order - 12.00 The first van fee, the levy fee and the redemption fee was all added on the same day a few months ago. The bailiffs had no Walking Possession Order and had not gained access to the property but saw our car on the drive and apparently levied on that so they charged us a levy fee. However, can they really charge 180 pounds in a van fee when they didnt take the van and there was no Walking Possession Order? My neighbour also said that they didnt even come in a van, but in a car instead so surely the van charge isnt fair. Are they also allowed to charge a redemption fee as I thought this was when they took the vehicle but didnt sell it as the arrears were paid up before the sale took place?? Also, are they then allowed to charge for a second van fee on the same vehicle and at a higher amount? Again, they charged us this amount but didnt remove the vehicle....although we had to pay half of what we owed to prevent them taking the vehicle, and they insisted on doing a Walking Possession, otherwise they were taking the car. Is this fair? I also have one final question....Basically, when the bailiff last visited us, he said he needed to do the Walking Possession Order to prevent him taking the car and to allow us to set up an arrangement to pay off the other half of the arrears. So, we allowed him into our house, he added on the 12 pounds for doing the WPO and made a list of everything in our house, including the car. He then said (and wrote on the WPO he left) that he was giving us 10 days to set up this payment arrangement to pay off the remaining arrears.....we couldnt do it there and then as I have become a student this year and need the council to apply my discount to work out how much we still owe). He told me to send my exemption certificates to the council so they could apply the discount, and then contact them within the 10 days to arrangement the payments. So, I contacted them today and was told that all payment arrangements should be made with B&S. I then contacted B&S and was told that they want the full amount by the end of the 10 days (this Friday) and not just to set up an arrangement in that time. I explained that the bailiff told us otherwise, but she said tough basically and said her manager would tell me the same thing. I then rang the council back and they also didnt seem interested that the bailiff had lied to us and tricked me into signing the WPO (thinking that I could then pay in installments) when he wanted the full amount within 10 days all along. The council said that they would have a look at their charges and see if they were fair (but I'm guessing they will be cos how do you measure fair?) and they MAY be able to liase with the bailiffs to help...but only a MAYBE as apparently the bailiffs dont have to listen. So, I'm still taking it that come Saturday, the bailiff could turn up at any time and remove everything. I feel sick because he conned me into borrowing the money he wanted from family and told me that paying for the WPO would allow me time to pay the rest - and now he's going to take everything just before christmas. I'm also due to be away from home next week and I'm worried sick that they will break in and leave my door wide open all week. I also have no money to repair any damage to doors etc and have a young baby, so what am I mean't to do just before christmas? I tried ringing the bailiff directly to question him but he said he didnt remember and to ring him at 9pm when he would have my details with him to speak to me. I rang him at 8.30, 9.00 and 9.30 and his phone was switched off...so I'm now thinking he's going to try and ignore me until Friday and just come and get everything. He even had the cheek to say to me when he came to do the WPO that he trusted me to pay the rest off and give me the chance to do this, so I must trust him to come in my house and do the WPO. Now I've stuck to my half of the bargain and he's shafted me...yet B&S and the council dont seem to think he's done anything wrong. I'm so worried as if they take my car and computer which was on the WPO, I cant get to uni or continue studying without it. It's also coming up to Christmas and this is the last thing I wanted. I feel so stupid for signing the WPO but couldn't risk him taking my car as I needed it for uni as I travel 70 miles a day. He even got me to pay the lump sum by card as he said he would charge me 200 pounds to come back and collect it, but then added on 4% for paying by card. Surely this isnt fair as I know you can be charged for card payments but only credit card usually, and this was a debit card - and 4%??? If I could have paid it in cash or by cheque, I could have put that extra money towards paying more off my arrears. However, the council seemed to think this was fine when I asked them earlier...although I just dont think they care to be honest!! I'm sorry that this message is so long, but as I'm short on time to act, I thought I better give you all the details I can first time. Hopefully someone can offer me some advice as B&S and the council aren't helping much at all and I'm really at a loss as to who to contact. Even the websites online dont have much info on this sort of thing, and most of the info on bailiff charges is out-of-date! Thank you so much in advance - any advice at all would be gratefully received! x
  3. Hi, No, were not on any benefits....just low wages and have a mortgage so cant afford the repayments they want. Can I just move the vehicle? This would obviously stop them taking it but I dont want to get in additional trouble. I just cant afford to let them take it as I need a car for uni in September as the uni is 30 miles away(im currently working locally so manage without a car) and I wont be able to afford to buy another for uni if they take it. Any other advice would be gratefully received!!
  4. Hi, I was wondering if someone could help me by offering me some advice. Our council tax debt has been passed to Bristow and Sutor. The council have refused to take the debt back, saying it is out of their hands now. Bristow & Sutor wanted us to pay our debt over 3 months max which we couldnt do, and despite paying what we could afford, they are still saying its not good enough and will take our things. We havent let them in the house to avoid them seizing our goods, but forgot about the car and they have obviously noticed it on the drive recently. We have just had a letter (an inventory I think) with our car details on and they have said that if we dont pay the full amount now that they will take the car this week. What I want to know is if I can do anything to avoid this as the council wont take the debt back and B&S arent budging on the payments. As we havent signed a Walking Possession Order or anything, could we move the vehicle permanently so they cant take it, or could they take us to court for this? I didnt know whether it matters that we havent signed a WPO or whether the fact they have listed our car on the inventory means that we are unable to move it? I am desperate to do anything to avoid losing the car, and I could move it to somewhere private until this is all sorted and paid up. Also, as we cant currently afford to drive the car, they wouldnt see it on the road or anything so it could stay well hidden. The main reason I dont want them to get it is that it is worthless at auction, yet I know it is reliable and will need a car again as soon as I cant afford to run it, and cant afford to buy a new one and especially after I will get less than 100 pounds for my car at auction (I'll probably be charged more than that in fees to sell it and have a car take it, so its pointless). Obviously I dont want to get into any more trouble, so I would ideally like to move it legally, but I'm just so desperate to avoid them taking my car. Also, I thought that if they cant get our car and have no access to our property inside our house, they might refer the debt back to the council. In which case, I might be able to negotiate better with the council (but only if I can force B&S to refer it back as council wont ask for it back). If anyone has any advice, it would be greatly appreciated. Please note however that B&S are threatening to take the car this week, so I need to know asap what I can do, or what you would advise me to do! Many Thanks in advance, x
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