Hi Natalie Take a look at my thread about Marstons from a couple of days ago - http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/bailiffs-sheriff-officers/196514-bailiff-just-visited-fine.html My husband wrote to them on Monday stating that the charges are fraudulent and that he has also writtem to the chief clark of the Magistrates court and spoken to the Judicial Complaints office, who also agreed the charges were excessive. anyway he got a letter back from Marstons only today stating they are investigating it blah blah blah, seems to me they might be pooping themselves a bit as they've answered very quickly indeed and know they must be in the worng! Good luck Lisa

Hello Just looking for some more fantastic advice in regards to those classed as vulnerable and the ir rights. I've recently posted about being hassled by Marstons for a HMCS fine (train travel issue) which has been paid to the court and is solely to do with my Husband. I'm currently 32 weeks pregnant, so I know that I could fall into the Vulnerable Persons category so does this mean the Bailiffs shouldn't come to the house at all as I'm near enough always the one home and the fine is nothing to do with me anyway? Also our son, who is 5, is Autistic and on one occassion before has been present when a Bailiff turned up which caused him huge anxiety. Now as he has a mental health issue and is a minor living in this house with us as his carers, does the vulnerable status also refer to him too? Any thoughts/advice appreciated Thanks Lisa

Marstons turned up AFTER the mony had been paid to the court. We do not have another £225 to pay them and I will take it to the very top if I have to!!!! According to the Judicial complaints office ANY Bailiff charges have to be reasonable, to say that charging £175 to stand at my front door for 2 minutes is reasonable is ridiculous! If it comes down to it we will pay £355 direct to Marstons for the court fine and they can take us to a claims court to get the rest. We are still in dispute just about what this fine is as my Husband didn't even know he was being taken to court in the first place, we are not going to pay out £580 for something we knew nothing about when we have a new baby on the way and not a penny to our name as it is! Everything in the house, cars included, are in my name as well so they have no claim over that as the fine is in my husbands name, so they're wasting they're time anyway!

Top ammo, thanks, I have written to the chief clerk of the court with all the info.

The court has just called back to say that they have sent the money back by way of a cheque, my Husband has advised them that he won't be cashing it as it's for paying his fine. He also advised them of me being Pregnant and of Marstons fraudulemt charges and that the contract with Marstons is with the court etc etc, but they are refusing to listen to a word he is saying and they are basically saying Marstons have the right to do what they are doing HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thank you so much for your advice, I will get down to my local CAB as soon as possible. We're waiting for the court to call back with what whats (as far as they're comcerned anyway), I think we'll give them an hour and call them back advising them of the legal route we intend to take.

My Husband has just called the court and they are saying that even though we paid it 2 weeks ago, they aren't going to accept it and will bounce it back to us? We paid it by cash over the counter at a Natwest branch, so how can they "bounce it back", are they goping to send us a cheque back for that amount? If so that is bloody ridiculous as I cannot believe they are refusing my husbands paynent in full for the fine, surely they have to accept it? As for Marstons charges, on the original letter a few weeks ago they had added £50 in addition to the fine and today another £175 has been added, what for I don't know. Really don't need this crap at the moment, I'm 32 weeks pregnant and getting stressed out is not good!

Hi thanks for your reply. This is for a HMCS fine (train ticket) that the Bailiff showed up to collect, my C. Tax is being dealt with seperately and we are nowing paying the Council direct for that Are the amount of fees still unjustified?

Hello I could do with some of your expert advice please. A few weeks ago my husband got a letter from Marstons in regards to an unpaid court fine, which he is still in dispute over. Anyway as we could really do without the hassle of more Bailiffs coming round (got them for Counil tax too!) he borrowed the money from work and paid the £355 fine directly to the magistrates court on the paying in slip which they had provided him a couple of months earlier. Well 10 minutes ago a big fat scruffy looking thug was banging on my door, which I chose to ignore, so he put a removals notice through my letterbox. My annoyances over this are as follows: - The grand total which it now states as owing is £580 - £225 more than the original fine! Why did he come at all when the fine was paid to HMCS 2 weeks ago, surely they should have told Marstons it had been settled The notice isn't in an envelope, whioch I thought they were obliged to do for privacy reasons? Should we just put it in writing to the Magistrates court that the fine has been settled and we are still getting harassed by the Bailiffs, or should we write to Marstons as well? Also are the £225 pound fees allowed, considering this was a first visit and all he did was push the notice through my door and drive off? Any advice appreciated Thanks Lisa

Palomino Thanks for the link to the form, that is great. I note that having such items as a television and a computer are on the list. Will I be forced to sell these items?

with my outgoings being more than my income will I be forced to pay?

no defense was made, basically the debt was solicitors fees for the work they did on a housesale, the buyer pulled out of buying the house and everything went pearshaped from there. I was just wondering if I could be held in contempt of court?

Hi, I recieved a CCJ a couple of years ago for approx £350, as I didn't attend court no payment plan was set up. In short I haven't paid this CCJ as I just haven't been able to afford it, I have now been issued papers to attend court for questioning regarding my means to pay. What can the outcome of this be? Out of my salary I take home £1440, my mortgage is being paid at interest only £1100PM. Council tax £150 which leaves me £190PM for everything else. Any advice?

Hi When my husband first received a letter from the train company about this "offence" he wrote back disputing it. The next letter received from them stated nothing about taking it to court and not to send any money to the train company and left it at that. The next letter he received a few months later was a judgement from Camberwell magistrates court, which is miles away from where we live, stating that he had been fined £355!!!! He immediately wrote to them stating that he hadn't even been made aware of it going to court and that it was grossly unfair he wasn't able to defend himself, and agian waitied for a response. A few months later a threatening letter from the court arrived in regards to the fine not being paid, so he wrote to them again stating he was disputing the fine and was still waiting to hear from someone at HMCS . This happened a couple of times until about 2 weeks ago a letter from Marstons arrived for him with another £50 whacked on top of the fine for their "costs". I paid the £355 yesterday using the last paying in slip the court sent back in january and the Bailiffs can sing for their money. Will he still be able to contest the fine even if he has now paid it? Thanks Lisa

I believe that as you are pregnant you would be classed as vulnerable and they wouldn't be able to force entry, tell them you are pregnant and any visits would be inappropriate to your vulnerable status. I am sure that someone more savvy will give you more info shortly.

We still have the original Girobank paying in slip to pay at Natwest direct to the court. Surely if the total fine amount was paid on this, the court wouldn't be abe to refuse it?

Very useful information. We have just received a first letter from some bailiffs in regards to an unpaid maigstrates court fine. They have wacked on £50 to the fine and they haven't even been out to our house yet! We will pay the court directly when it all starts again after the Easter break and then write to inform the bailiffs they need not bother us anymore:D Thanks Lisa

I've posted up on a new thread but thought I would ask on this one as well - can we pay this fine direct to the Court still and Bypass the bailiffs, I can't stand dealing with them as they are such liars and bullies! My husband did receive notification of the fine after it had been to court, but was never notified that it was going to court in the first place. The last correspondence he had from the rail company thanked him for his letter and stated that he was not to send them any money and the letter finished at that. We thought that they were going to be investigating his objections further and then a couple of months later the court order came through the door, why wasn't he told about the court date so he could go and defend himself? Surely Human rights have been violated somewhere along the line? Can we still contest all this as it's just ridiculous the amount of charges been added to something he was told not to send money to pay in the first place?!

Hello We have managed to get the money together to pay for a fine inflicted on my husband for not having his photo ID card whilst travelling on the train with a weekly ticket. Even though he has disputed this, both the rail company and the courts have ignored all his correspondance and they have now passed it to Bailiffs. I am damned if we are going to pay the Bailiffs £50 for something that we have been totally ignored over, so if we pay the court direct do the Bailiffs have to go take a running jump, just like they do for Council Tax collection if you pay the debt direct to your local council? Thanks Lisa

Hi Just a quick reply as I'm about to give my boys their Breakfast! Firstly the Bailiff is being nothing more than a nasty Bully and just trying to scare you into paying. Secondly as your Girlfriend is Pregnant then she is classed as a Vulnerable person so the Bailifs should not be visiting your property due to the stress it may cause her. I'm 29 weeks pregnant and when the great people on this board adised me of that and I told the Bailiff coming to my house my position he hasn't been back since. Third, I'm not 100% but if you are on Benefits then that's another reason they are not allowed to pay you a visit. Speak to CAB a.s.a.p and for now if the Bailiff turns up don't open the door to him or even say a word, he has no right ot enter your home. I'm sure someone will verify what I've said in more detail soon. Got to go, 2 hungry boys demanding breakfast! Good luck Lisa

Hi Just a quick question. Does a Bailiff have any more power if they are collecting a fine set by the Magistrates court for an incorrect ticket "offence" on rail travel, than they usually do, i.e can they force entry into your home etc? Thanks Lisa

Just spoke the supervisor at the Council (sorry didn't read the replies before I called! and even though it started off down the same track I've been, I kept on pointing out to her that I want the pay this debt off but refuse to give the Bailiff anything as all it will do is go in his pocket and not anywhere near the debt. It ended up with her agreeing to call the Bailiffs off for 28 days while I get a financial statement done and they can consider calling back the debt to accept monthly installments. I will get everything in writing, duplicated recorded delivery etc as well and won't speak another word to a Bailiff as long as I live, I promise! Thanks Lisa

well that went down like a sack of sh*t with the Bailiff He tried to say that my Husband could deal with it as it's in his name as well until I pointed out that my Husband is out at work from early morning till late evening so no he couldn't! He said I have to call the council to get them to recall the debt, no doubt they'll talk a load of twaddle at me as well Will offer them £40 a month to clear the debt, they can take it or leave it as that really is all we can afford

The bloke could clearly see yesterday that I'm pregnant, my bump is huge! I also pointed out the fact that "my 2 kids plus the one on the way" were my number one priority such as food heat and a roof over their heads! I'm going to phone the Bailiff company now to point all this out to them and let them know it's also being put to them in writing, as the Bailiff stated he's coming back today. If he turns up when I've already spoken to his company I will threaten him with allsorts rather than it be the other way round for a change

I'm not a single Mum though, I don't think I could get away with pretending either as my husband is also on the debt