Hello everyone. I am new to this so forgive any mistakes on how to use it etc please.

I have debt collectors after me for a council tax bill incurred around three years ago. I had already paid off a big chunk of a bill that was in the flat I moved into from a previous tenant (my brother). I had sorted this out with the council but three years later it turns out that there was still £500 owing. I missed the letters from the council and so it was passed to debt collector. My most recent bill was for £950!

They are constantly phoning me and when I tried to set up a payment plan they said the best they could do was let me pay in three installments- £300 a month for three months. Impossible.

I have just read the OFT guidelines and see that this is not lawful. What should I do next?

In addition, I received a notice from them before xmas to say that my account had been paid in full. I called to find out what this was and they said they had no record of any payments.

How do I get to pay in installments and why do I have to pay the debt collectors and extra £400?

Please help!!

Thanks. anyoldiron

firstly, stay off the phone!

never talk to a DCA om the phone..ever!

now, can we please clarify this IS a DCA, as typically baillifs are the only one that deal with council tax arrears?

what is the name of the Co.?

if it is a DCA, then its a fishing letter & i'd simply ignore them totally!

dx

Thanks so much for replying..the company is called Newlyns. I have been dealing over the phone and have resigned myself to repaying the £500 as it would cause too much of a row between me and my brother to do anything else. Don't know what a DCA is!

The last time I spoke to them I told them that I had received a letter from them to say my account had been paid in full and for them to stop phoning me. They asked me to fax their letter and also the bank transaction for whoever had paid it. I said I didn't know but it might have been a friend. I am still not sure if it was a friend or not.

With the help of people on this website, I am going to write to them with a copy of the letter they sent me stating that my account has been paid in full. What should I write in the accompanying letter?

Apart from that, as I'm assuming they will say it was an admin mistake (any advice if that is the scenario?) and if I have to, I will be writing for a breakdown of costs and a copy of the part of the Office of Fair Trading doc that says they can't ask for the money back in full. I will still not be able to repay £900 (their cahrges included) or even £500 (the original council tax bill) in three parts. I can't see why I can't do it in monthly installments that suit my salary.

Much appreciated. AOI

a DCA is a debt collecting afency, they have no legal powers whatsoever, however, as suspected, newlyns are bailliffs.

that means that you must of had quite a bit of paper comms from the council & them for it to get thus far.

i would be inclined to do a wee bit of reading from the search about these people.

this will help

http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/bailiffs-sheriff-officers/176084-newlyns-bully-boys.html?highlight=Newlyns#post1902583

this tactic by them of not knowing outstanding balances have been paid seems pretty common.

anyhow

you should have enought to go on from the search

dx

Hello again. I have sent the bailiffs a letter with the copy of their letter they sent me telling me my account had been settled with them. I asked them to stop writing to me. That was a couple of weeks ago. Today I received a letter that says 'notice of committal to prison' on the top. The letter says that I have failed to make and maintain an acceptable arrangement to pay etc. I was only offered one way to pay and that was all the £900 in two or three payments in three months! My bill with the Council is only £500 so I don't know where the £900 comes from. What should I do next? I am planning to write to the Council with a proposal of paying back the debt and also asking them to call off the bailiffs. I note from an ealier post that I should just pay the Council direct bit by bit. I can't afford to pay more than £40 a month but I can't help that.

Is there anything else I should be doing? Do I still need to pay the extra £400? Also, if the bailiff wrote to tell me my account has been settled then shouldn't I take that as done? How can I enforce that?

Anyoldiron