Hi. I'm new to this site so just bare with me!! I have had the day from hell today and i don't know how many times i have been reduced to tears from the dreaded Rossendales. 14 days ago we were contacted about a council tax debt which we had forgotten all about as they had been chasing us at a very old address, even though the council were fully aware we had moved, by a Rossendale Bailiff, to call her ignorant would be polite. Obviously we did not let her into the property but she stood at the front door demanding over 700.00 there and then. Like everyone else i accept my debts but i am a 'can't pay' and not a 'won't pay' so we offered full payment of one of the debts and then offered to settle the second debt with a p.a. She point blank refused our offer and then advised she would be putting a Levy charge on a car which was not ours!! When she left i called the dreaded call centre (was on hold for over an hour!) and asked why this was. They advised me she can make an assumption that a car parked on the opposite side of a busy terraced road no where near our property was therefore ours! We found this very funny seen as though neither myself or my partner can drive!...anyways, stupidy we just ignored it as i thoought they can't remove a car which is not ours!...anyways today we get a call from the Bailiff saying she will remove the car at 5pm, obviously then i begin to panick, i was more concerned over what the neighbour or resident would do to us when they found out it was being removed because of our debt, so hastily i rang the call centre. Again the agent advised she HAD the right to remove a car without doing any checks on the vehicle first and it was down to me to prove the car is not mine, now call me stupid, but how do i prove something is not mine??!! We live very close to a busy town centre, i don't even know whos the car is, it could be anyone's and im not going knocking on everybodys door asking them to hand me their car documents, who would?..i asked to speak to a manager who was very very rude, and advised me that although they employ the bailiffs they cannot have any influence on their decision?!! AGAIN the manager said the bailiff had the right to remove the car without ANY checks!...at my wits end i searched this site and found a really good website on debt advise and i gave them a call....straight away she advised me they cannot touch the car without doing a DVLA check to find out who the owner is, which is obviously not me!!! and that if we offered a part payment (or full payment of one debt) then they should then accept a p.a for the rest of the debt....

Another thing that really annoyed me was that the Bailiff informed us she was coming today but we had 200.00 for her on Friday, we called the contact centre, the bailiff god only knows how many times and she refused once again to come an collect the money!

We have now written a complaint to Rossendales and the council offering full payment of the debt on the 15/12/08 but only to the council as the bailiff had charged us incorrectly, putting on two call out charges with a van when only been the once, and also the levy on a car which was not ours, our starting debt was 507.20 with the council but the bailiff reconed we owed over 700.00!! when we challenged her for a breakdown over the phone she then advised that we didn't owe that much and it was about the 500.00 mark!!

I cannot believe how much trouble i have had with these ignorant low life people and i cannot believe that they have lied to us over and over, i am just giving a heads up to everyone on here of what they can be like, but we have not signed or allowed entry to our property at any point, and if they do put a levy against a car which is not yours do not give into their bully boy tactics!!

sorry about it being so long

Hello nutty.

Your first error was to be worried about someone elses car. You told them it wasn't yours and that is the end of your obligation.

The owner would have reported it stolen and the police would have investigated, but you wouldn't have been in any trouble.

I can't see why they have come in a van as you say you have not let them in so no levy can have been taken so no need for a van. Dispute this part.

There are no proper regulation of bailiff fees, but they must be reasonable and in proportion to the amount being collected.

If the council says they can't accept your payment, lots don't want to be bothered once bailiffs are involved, then pay it online.

They cannot reasonably refuse an offer of payment.

Report them to your local MP. Janet Anderson, isn't it? Rossendales got an award for business practice, their web site says...Rossendales (Collect) can help and has a dedicated team whose strong negotiation techniques and persistence help improve our clients’ (Council) collection rates beyond their expectations.