hi there. hope someone can give me some peace of mind regarding business rates.

i have sold my business which was a market unit rented from leeds city council. the paperwork should all be signed and completed in the next 9 days.

several weeks ago, a bailiff came to the shop (which is leased in husbands name, and very strange for him to come there as all the paperwork goes to our home add.) and for some silly reason i signed a walking possession agreement. (stool, microwave, stainless steel table etc.)this guy was very cool and relaxed and stated it would be easier for us both if i signed as mr davies then we could go on a payment plan, but that he needed at least 150 quid off me there and then. told him i didnt have that but would ring him in a couple of days and pay on my card.

of course, the account is constantly overdrawn and that day never came, which i know is my own fault.

scraped £50 quid together 3 weeks ago, went to the bank, paid it in and it seems that by coincidence, an hour later, different bailiff turns up at our house, wanting full payment.

explained the situation to him and have paid nearly £800.00 off the original balance.

he thinks that because i have sold the shop, then he will be getting his full balance soon, and i just cant afford to do that. i have suppliers to pay for final invoices.

i think i have done my best and have kept him and the local revenues office up to date with the situation, but this bailiff is ring me at half seven on a friday night and 2.30 on sat afternoon.Do these people get paid on commission? are they all ex timeshare cranks?

when i phoned the revenues office at the council last week and told her that things are really hard and that i was having to claim benefits due to ill health, she asked if my husband was claiming. i said no he works. oh yeah, who for and what was the address, and like an idiot i told her.

it dawned on me a day later that shes looking at an attatchment of earning?

why didnt she just say??

its not that i dont want to pay, its that we cant!!

told them before, how we have approx 2k a month coming in and 3k a month going out is beyond me.

please someone, i know this sounds boring and long winded, but what is the best thing for me to do. we also have this years council tax benefit with rossendales and other loans and credit cards debts and i just dont know which to deal with first.

sorry for rambling x