hi guys

Looking for a bit of advice. My wife has received 2 notices of enforcement from Dukes regarding council tax from 2002/2003.

The council obtained liability orders in 2004 against both her and her ex.

Now 14 years on out of the blue she has received these notices and giving 14 days to pay or have bailiffs knocking on our door.

She is on ESA due to depression & anxiety and this has tipped her over the edge quite a bit so I'm looking for advice.

What are dukes like to deal with?

I've not really heard anything good about them so far.

While I've talked to her about a DRO as she does have other debts, are there better options?

If anyone else has anything that I can use to either fight or find a solution to this quickly it would be really appreciated.

Thanks for your help in advance.

Hi Bart

The forum guys will be along soon - Unfortunately i know nothing about Bailiffs on CT

FKO

do not let them in your home.

you need to do the following

to findout the truth behind what is actually owe

.

Here is something to be getting on with.

First of all establish from the Council how much was owing etc

'

You need to speak to someone at the Council and ask the following questions:

1 - how many Liability Orders they have against you

2 - the dates they were obtained

3 - the addresses they were for

4 - the period of time each covers

5 - how much each one was for

6 - how much is still outstanding

7 - the dates they were passed on for enforcement

8 - the dates & amounts of any payments

.

Next you need to send off for a breakdown of the charges the Bailiff applied.

Here's an example, use and adapt at will and best sent initially by email backed up by a copy in the post.

.

"From:

My Name

My Address

.

To:

Acme Bailiff Co

Bailiff House

.

Ref: Account No: 123456

.

Dear Sir

.

With reference to the above account, Can you please provide me with a breakdown of the charges.

.

This includes:

a - the time & date of any Bailiff action that incurred a Fee.

b - the reason for the fee.

c - the name(s) of the Bailiff(s) that attended on each occasion a Fee was charged.

d - the name(s) of the Court(s) the Bailiff(s) was/were Certificated at.

e - the date of the Certification.

.

This is not a Subject access requesticon under the Data Protection Act S7 1998 so does not incur a fee of £10. You are obliged to provide this information.

.

I require this information within 14 days.

.

Yours faithfully

.

Ripped off customer"

.

hi guys

 

Looking for a bit of advice. My wife has received 2 notices of enforcement from Dukes regarding council tax from 2002/2003.

 

The council obtained liability orders in 2004 against both her and her ex. Now 14 years on out of the blue she has received these notices and giving 14 days to pay or have bailiffs knocking on our door.

 

She is on ESA due to depression & anxiety and this has tipped her over the edge quite a bit so I'm looking for advice.

With most local authorities desperately short of funding, many of them are seeking to recover 'historic' debts such as this. What your wife should be doing now is to contact Dukes to outline her vulnerability and to provide some sort of evidence in support. A payment arrangement may then be set up without the need to make a personal visit. Taking this step will also avoid the enforcement fee of £235 being added.

While I've talked to her about a DRO as she does have other debts, are there better options?

A DRO is a good option if she meets the eligibility requirements and her financial circumstances are not likely to change within the next 12 months.

Other options would include asking creditors to hold off legal action against her, possibly making token offers of £1 per month. However, that is not going to happen with the council tax debt.

Thanks for the advice guys.

I've contacted the council direct and explained the situation to them and asked them to recall the debt from dukes so we can pay them direct.

I'm guessing that there's a snowballs chance in hell of dukes accepting a reasonable offer such as £10 a month while we trace her Ex to pass his details on the council. I've mailed Dukes asking them to pause action while we wait for the council to respond.

I'll update you with the outcome, In the meantime I'm going to try and convince her to go down the DRO route.

I'm guessing that there's a snowballs chance in hell of dukes accepting a reasonable offer such as £10 a month while we trace her Ex to pass his details on the council. I've mailed Dukes asking them to pause action while we wait for the council to respond.

It won't really make any difference whether or not you pass on her ex's details, it is possible that the council are already pursuing the ex too.

Your partner and her ex are jointly and severely liable which means they are both liable for the full amounts outstanding.

As council tax is a priority debt and your partner is receiving benefits only, the minimum offer should be £3.75 per week as that is the amount which can be deducted from her ESA.

If the council refuses to take back the debt form the bailiffs, which is probably will, you can ignore the bailiffs, keep the door locked and do not let them in. Eventually the debt will be passed back to the council and you can offer them the £3.75 per week.

You could keep the £10 per month that you are offering Dukes and put it towards the £90 DRO fee.

Thanks for the advice guys.

 

I've contacted the council direct and explained the situation to them and asked them to recall the debt from dukes so we can pay them direct. I'm guessing that there's a snowballs chance in hell of dukes accepting a reasonable offer such as £10 a month while we trace her Ex to pass his details on the council. I've mailed Dukes asking them to pause action while we wait for the council to respond.

 

 

I'll update you with the outcome, In the meantime I'm going to try and convince her to go down the DRO route.

I sound like a broken record here, but the value of sending an email explaining the situation to the head of the local council concerned, along with the local councillor for the area cannot be underestimated.

This has worked for me and for countless others on here for a quick resolution to the problem.

Along the lines of

' I understand this is something I need to pay off but I am signed of on ESA, this means that I cannot afford the £235 the bailiffs are demanding from me.

I would be very grateful if you could arrange to take this out of the Bailiffs hands.

I would be more than able to pay the council back directly £x per month'