I have a appointment with the MP's Secretary tomorrow and will see the local councillor also. Today have sent two letters to Equita. One for the excessive charges and the other for a payment plan. Letter sent to council for them to get the debt back from the Bailiffs and except monthly payments. Sent a cheque for one month's payment also. From the conversation I had with the council today. The reason why they can't bring the debt back is because they are then liable for the Bailiffs costs.

Thanks for all the help. Just had the Baliffs around again, another letter and another £100.00 added to the total. I will contact the local MP which and my councillor. The company was not limited. Had not even started a business and if it was going to be Sole trader only.

I have spoken to the council this morning and they are not listening at all. They are saying that they have filled all their duties. A liability order was served at the business address which has always remained unoccupied and not at the home address. I was going to trade as sole trader. The tenancy was in my wife and my name. The account went to the Baliffs in December 2008 and its only on 24th Friday 2009 that they sent a letter by hand. The council have said just speak to the Bailiffs

On Friday 24th April I had a hand delivered letter by a Bailiff from Equita demanding full payment of £1806.70 in full or else goods will be removed next time when they come even in my absence. The Business Rates go back to 2007/08. The original rates were for £2750 and I was given 50% relief for the property being empty. The total owned was about £1400. The fact remains is that the shop which I rented was never opened for business not for one single day and last September 2008 I just handed the keys back and made a loss. I have been working part-time and I am currently on Working Tax Credits. I told the council about the situation and they said that they will look into this. The last letter which I got from the council was a invoice for £1400.20 in October 2008. After that I have never heard anything from the council or Bailiffs or anyone. I then got this rude shock on Friday. Some how another £400.00 has been added on to the total. I am willing to pay the £1400.20 but only in monthly installments. Can someone advice the way forward Please. I fear the council will say that its not in our hands any more and only in the Bailiffs.

I am also in the same boat as Felixx and I got the same letter from Equita asking for £1800.06 for last year's Business Rates in 24 hours. I have had no previous letters from Equita at all and even the council have not written to me since middle of last year. The property for the Business was on lease and I was paying rent. I never managed to open the Business and the shop was closed for the full period. It was never open for even 1 day. Last year in July I just gave the keys back and made a loss and moved on. I am willing to pay the Business Rates but not in full but on a monthly basis. How can I resolve this. I fear if I go back to the council they will probably say its too late and the debt is is with the Bailiffs. Its nothing that they can do.

Thanks for your great advice. We have not seen the official reciever yet as this only happened yesterday at about 4.00 pm. The solicitor did provide 2 written affadavits that the statutory demand and Bankcruptcy petition were given by hand but thats rubbish. They were just posted through the letter box. The situation was the same as toddle2U has explained. The judge said it does not matter how when the Statutory demand was sent. Are you admitting to the debt yes or no. Secondly as you can't afford to make the payment I have no choice to but issue the Bankruptcy order. It did not even last 5 minutes. We did not fight the petition on any other grounds except for just the statutory demand and BP were not served properly. This was the first hearing and no adjournments. I will go the local court today and the get form that's required for the anullment and fill it over the weekend and it in first thing Monday morning.

A relative of mine who is 62 years old recieved Statutory Demand on 24th November 2008 from Scott Raees & Co on the behalf of Vertex Data Science who are acting on behalf of HSBC. The amount in question is £4800. The debt goes back to around 1999 and since then he has been regularly been paying £10.00/£20.00 a month without fail. The date on the Statutory Demand was 5th November 2008 but it was hand delivered on the 24th November 2008. Unfortunately my relative was away at the time and came back in the second week of December 2008. He thought he had missed the 18 days period of setting the demand aside. On the 15th December a Bankruptcy petition order was made for a hearing on 26th Ferbruary 2009. In the Bankruptcy petition it is stated that Statutory Demand was actually served on the 19th November 2008. My reletive recieved another letter from the Solicitorsin which they have demanded the £4800 in full with £3000 legal costs.A total of £7800 to paid within 7 days. Last month he want to see a solicitor who demanded £1500 for him fighting his Bankruptcy case. Unfortunately he did not go to Citizen's advice Bareau. In the last few weeks he has also been writing to Scott Raees the solicitors acting behalf of Vertical Data science. He initially offered them £50.00 a month which was refused but they did ask for his income and expenditure. Last week before the petition he again sent another offer of £75.00 per month and that was refused also. Today at the petition Scott Raees alleged that both the Statutory Demand and the Bankcruptcy petition were both hand delivered to the person named. This is untrue and both times it was just posted through the letter box. The judge said as you are not denying the debt it would have not mattered you did receive the statutory demand in time or not. As you cannot afford to pay so a Bankruptcy order is issued. The whole thing lasted just 5 minutes. Even though he pleaded that he was willing to pay £100.00 a month and even took his income and expenditure deatails with him. It was unbelievable. The person is married and is on pension credits. The property is on his wife and has been since 2000. It has a small mortgage of about £8,000 or so. He does have other credit card debts since 1998/1999 and has bee paying around £10.00/£20.00 every month so all of them without fail. The bankruptcy order has got him really worried and he just cannot stand stigma of being bankrupt. He really wants the Bankcruptcy order to be annulled. Please can anyone help urgently. I have just read that they are 3 ways of how a bankcruptcy order can be annulled: the bankruptcy order should not have been made, for example because the proper steps involved in obtaining the order were not followed; or all your bankruptcy debts and the fees and expenses of the bankruptcy proceedings have been either paid in full or guaranteed to the satisfaction of the court; or you have reached an agreement called an “individual voluntary arrangement” with your creditors to repay all or part of your debts. He will probably want to go through the first step. Please can anyone help on this and that grounds are they for an appeal.

The amount of £4800 is the one which has been demanded without the costs. It might include the monthly payments of £10.00 nut I am not sure.He does not own any property and yes he has other credit card debts for which he is on monthly payment plans varying from £10.00 to £20.00 and has been going on since 1999 or so. I also fear its too late for statutory demand. I have told him to give it a try and submit one on Monday by the latest. What else shall he do in the meanwhile. Any use of getting the CCA from them or not. He is getting benefits and what about the advice of a solicitor.

He is on Pension credits. How much does he have to pay to set the statutory demand aside. He is basically not disputing the debt as he has been paying £10.00 or £20.00 per month. Its a credit card account and he is not a home owner as the house is on his wife. On what grounds can he dispute the debt in the Statutory demand. Does he needs to go a solicitor for the Statutory demand. Is it also worth asking them for a copy of his CCA.

A relative of mine who is 62 years old recieved Statutory Demand on 24th November 2008 from Scott Raees & Co on the behalf of Vertex Data Science who are acting on behalf of HSBC. The amount in question is £4800. The debt goes back to around 1999 and since then he has been regularly been paying £10.00/£20.00 a month without fail. The date on the Statutory Demand was 5th November 2008 but it was hand delivered on the 24th November 2008. Unfortunately my relative was away at the time and came back in the second week of December 2008. He thought he had missed the 18 days period of setting the demand aside. On the 15th December a Bankruptcy petition order was made for a hearing on 26th Ferbruary 2009. In the Bankruptcy petition it is stated that Statutory Demand was actually served on the 19th November 2008. My reletive recieved another letter from the Solicitors this week in which they have demanded the £4800 in full with £3000 legal costs. A total of £7800 to paid within 7 days. My relative is very worried which is understandable. What about obtaining his CCA agreement. Its obvious too late to do anything regarding setting the statutory demand aside. What should be his course of action from this position.

Thanks but the person who is handling this is very persistant. The car was taken without my consent and can I still report it stolen then. Is it wise to get a solicitor involved.

I bought a E-Class Mercedes for £21,000 last year March 2007 at the local approved Mercedes showroom and the finance has been done by Black Horse. The finance is over last 4 years and up to last month I have paid 15 instalments. I am using the car for my business. Last week one of my workers gaved the car to a friend of his who in turn gaved it to another person. This person did not have any insurance or a valid driving licence. The car was stopped by the police and the vehicle got componded. My worker then without my Knowledge got the documents from the office and took a trader with an insurance policy and tried to get the vehicle released without my consent. The police refused to give them the vehicle and instead instructed Black Horse to collect the vehicle. Black Horse collected the vehicle on Thursday and I only found out about the whole scenerio on Friday. I got in touch with Black Horse and requested them to to gave the vehicle back to me. They unfortunately have refused to give me the car back and are stating that the vehicle is not safe with me anymore. I explained them about the scenerio that I was not responsible. The only way I can get the vehicle back is pay the full £15,200 which is the 12 month early settlement figure to Black Horse or if not then the car is going to be auctioned of. Basically Black Horse are repossessing my car. They given me until Thursday to came back on there proposal. The next payment is due on the 14th July. If I make that payment then I would have made 1/3 of the payments. Have Black Horse got any right to take my car back and reposse it. I am up to date with all my payments. Can someone help me in this urgent matter.