I arrived home today to find a hand delivered note from Equita stating someone had called to execute a liability order/distress warrant. It also states that if I fail to contact them within the next 24 hours they will have no alternative but to re-attend my home and remove goods for sale.

The debt is £551.01 and they have added £235 for enforcement making a total of £786.01.

This debt is for council tax at a previous address and I do not dispute the debt. I have already complained to my local council about the aggressive way I've been spoken to on the phone by employees of Equita. I was told that if Equita cannot get the debt from me they will hand it back to the council. This is what I expected to happen but now it seems Equita are not prepared to give up and of course they can now claim the £235 enforcement fee.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated as I am a single mother who works through an agency and I'm not always working.

If you do not dispute the debt and you have let it escalate to this stage then Equita are due their fees surely?

Yes I understand that but what is my best course of action?

Dare I say pay them.

I don't wish to be unsympathetic. There may be others who can advise you why you shouldn't but on the face of it to me it should be paid.

I can't afford to pay them this amount and they will not accept a payment plan as I don't work every week.

OK, others will be along soon to help.

Equita are capita, who most likely run the offices for your council. You had previously been told the council would take the debt back, but this was probably an outright lie by a capita employee so they could whack on charges. It was done before these new rules, and now they pretty much have free reign to do it now.

Dare I say pay them.

 

I don't wish to be unsympathetic. There may be others who can advise you why you shouldn't but on the face of it to me it should be paid.

Yes it should be paid but it looks like Crapquita have been unwilling to arrange a payment plan until they can max out the fees. Incidentally the fees for Compliance and Enforcement stage are more than a week at minimum wage, so loading fees onto debt for someone on low income is counter productive. However OP should pay what they can afford and stick to it.

Thank you.

If they are not able to enforce it they will hand it back to the council

Not sure how these new fees will effect things

In the past when it has been handed back to the council there has been no bailiff fees just the original amount still owing

It was in my case

If there fees are to stand you would be best to pay the council directly that way you can pay at a rate that you can afford and the council can pass it on to them

How many visits have you had previously?

I can't remember exactly but last time they came was about December when I phoned them on seeing their letter. I offered to have a payment plan but they insisted I pay at least £50 a week which I cannot afford.

That possibly explains why they have moved straight to the Enforcement Stage.

Can I just refuse to let them in, in the hope the debt will revert back to the council?

If they are not able to enforce it they will hand it back to the council

Given how hard it was for many bailiffs to hand back cases when only £42 for two visits was in force, I think it will be very difficult now with so much more money being

involved.

I arrived home today to find a hand delivered note from Equita stating someone had called to execute a liability order/distress warrant. It also states that if I fail to contact them within the next 24 hours they will have no alternative but to re-attend my home and remove goods for sale.

 

The debt is £551.01 and they have added £235 for enforcement making a total of £786.01.

 

This debt is for council tax at a previous address and I do not dispute the debt. I have already complained to my local council about the aggressive way I've been spoken to on the phone by employees of Equita. I was told that if Equita cannot get the debt from me they will hand it back to the council. This is what I expected to happen but now it seems Equita are not prepared to give up and of course they can now claim the £235 enforcement fee.

 

Any advice would be greatly appreciated as I am a single mother who works through an agency and I'm not always working.

Before the enforcement stage is the compliance stage. This means you should have received a letter giving you 7 clear days either to settle the debt or make arrangements for it to be settled. Did you receive this letter?

If you did and ignored it (even if only because you were too scared to reply) then you have little option but to pay. HCEO's still do repayment plans don't they?

Before the enforcement stage is the compliance stage. This means you should have received a letter giving you 7 clear days either to settle the debt or make arrangements for it to be settled. Did you receive this letter? The Compliance Stage was taken to be from previous visits prior to April 6, as no arrangement in place they can move straight to Enforcement Stage without further letter. It appears to be an anomaly of the Transitional arrangements.

If you did and ignored it (even if only because you were too scared to reply) then you have little option but to pay. HCEO's still do repayment plans don't they? This is for Council Tax & anyway Equita aren't HCEO's.

PT

So, do I have to let them in?

So, do I have to let them in?

NO