Hi all

This is my first post and feeling pretty stressed

My background , well was working in oil and gas for the last 20 years until i was laid off in October 2015 and only just started work again (first payday on 28th Oct) all my savings gone on bills but now behind on council talk and Mortgage but payment plans in place with them. I also have a step change management plan in place

While i was unemployed i tried to claim on benefits but was turned down as not payed enough National Insurance this year !!

My wife received a letter through the door from Equita today from a congestion charge , i had a payment plan in place £25 a week but being unemployed and earning nothing i fell behind on that so hence enforcement letter saying i owed £419

client debt £202

Paid £92.92

Compliance fee £235.00

Enforcement fee £235

Outstanding £419.92

I phoned the Bailiff tonight who was damn right horrible tried to ask for a payment plan he flatly refused and said i had a week to pay the £419.92 which i could pay next week (the last day i have according to him) out of my wifes wages but that would only leave £200 for us for 3 weeks or i could pay half of the £419 and just survive until i get my first pay packet.

He will not have any off this and will only except full payment

Feeling really stressed about this worked all my life and im 42 first time been in this situation

Can anyone advise please

Thanks

Tony

Tony,

I am so sorry to hear of your personal problems and I do hope that your new employment works out well.

Do you still have the vehicle that was involved in the congestion charge contravention?

Transport for London are by far and away the best London authority when it come to vulnerability /and or hardship so please try not to worry.

PS: Is this the only congestion charge that you have?

Hi

Yes i still have the car which is on HP and this is the only congestion charge i have it was a weekend away i went in to the zone 5 mins before the charge ended at night can you believe it

Hi

 

Yes i still have the car which is on HP and this is the only congestion charge i have it was a weekend away i went in to the zone 5 mins before the charge ended at night can you believe it

The position with vehicles that are subject to Hire Purchase is presently unclear (unfortunately, caused by two debtors receiving poor advice to issuing legal proceedings after their vehicles were seized by a bailiff.

Each case with a hire purchase vehicle needs to be looked at on an individual basis to establish whether or not there could be a 'beneficial interest' in the vehicle. Put simply, this is the difference between the amount that the vehicle is valued at at the time of seizure less the amount that would be required to settle the hire purchase agreement.

For example; if a vehicle was valued at £15,000 and the amount required to settle the hire purchase agreement was just £8,000 it could be argued that there was a 'beneficial interest' of approx £7,000.

Anyone have advice on the bailiff i guess i have to pay this £419 to him

This is not a criminal fine, so they can't force entry, unless you have let them into your house previously and you signed a controlled goods agreement. So if you broke such an agreement, the goods listed could be taken to be sold to cover what you owed.

Did you sign anything or is it just a repayment arrangement agreed by phone or letter ?

Move your car away from the property, so they can not find it to levy on.

Also do not let them in your property, when they turn up.

This is not a criminal fine, so they can't force entry, unless you have let them into your house previously and you signed a controlled goods agreement. So if you broke such an agreement, the goods listed could be taken to be sold to cover what you owed.

 

Did you sign anything or is it just a repayment arrangement agreed by phone or letter ?

Just an agreement over the phone

Has the Bailiff actually visited you?

Was the letter you received sent by post?

The Bailiff visited but nobody was in and he posted a letter through the door

Ok so the enforcement fee is justified.

I would as said move the car away,

and pay what you can reasonably afford.

To a certain extent you are in control here as long as the car is away and you do not let him in.

He want payment you are paying,

Why did you not respond to the first letter? when the the debt would have only increased by £75?

Leakie

Hi all

This is my first post and feeling pretty stressed

 

My background , well was working in oil and gas for the last 20 years until i was laid off in October 2015 and only just started work again (first payday on 28th Oct) all my savings gone on bills but now behind on council talk and Mortgage but payment plans in place with them. I also have a step change management plan in place

 

While i was unemployed i tried to claim on benefits but was turned down as not payed enough National Insurance this year !!

 

My wife received a letter through the door from Equita today from a congestion charge , i had a payment plan in place £25 a week but being unemployed and earning nothing i fell behind on that so hence enforcement letter saying i owed £419

 

client debt £202

Paid £92.92

Compliance fee £235.00

Enforcement fee £235

Outstanding £419.92

 

I phoned the Bailiff tonight who was damn right horrible tried to ask for a payment plan he flatly refused and said i had a week to pay the £419.92 which i could pay next week (the last day i have according to him) out of my wifes wages but that would only leave £200 for us for 3 weeks or i could pay half of the £419 and just survive until i get my first pay packet.

 

He will not have any off this and will only except full payment

 

Feeling really stressed about this worked all my life and im 42 first time been in this situation

 

Can anyone advise please

 

Thanks

Tony

I have just been reading over the above and I notice the compliance fee is listed as £235?

That fee should read £75 then with a visit to post a letter through the door the enforcement fee would be £235, they cannot charge any more than £310 in total for the two actions at this stage.

Equita are owned by Capita and they could be the back room boys at the authority concerned, which is why phone contact will fall on deaf ears so you need to initially complain to them in writing. If that doesn't get a result please come back here and the more knowledgeable folk will take you through to the next stage.

Equita are collecting for TFL? As per WD something iffy if they have charged a Compliance Fee of £235.

Equita are collecting for TFL? As per WD something iffy if they have charged a Compliance Fee of £235.

Equity are one of four companies contracted to TfL.

There is nothing suspicious with the charges applied by Equita. Instead, there is a typo error in the hand delivered letter.

The letter states the following. The compliance fee should read £75 (and not £235).

Thanks for the clarification BA.