Hi all I am new here, We had a visit from Rossendale’s bailiffs about 5 months ago; unfortunately we had not found this website earlier, Although I did refuse entry to them, we owed about £600 for council tax about 2 years ago, it was a little bit of a shock that they had just turned up as we had got a letter from the courts 2 weeks previously stating that an order for detachment of earnings had been granted to the council and that my employer would be contacted to arrange this. I had taken the letter into work the day after we got it to make them aware. I explained this to the bailiff who just said well they won’t bother with that it is to much paperwork, and they have passed it over to us and you will pay us. He then demanded that I let him in, again I refused so he stormed off saying have it your way then, I then saw him leaning over our fence at the rear of our house. He then he posted a letter documenting that he had made a walking possession claim on a motorbike parked in my garden ( this was my fathers) I went straight out to him and said it did not belong to me, he just said it was tough. I contacted Rossendale’s to arrange a payment, they told me they where not interested and to send in the means testing form with an offer of payment. We completed the form and offered a payment of £50 per month. We paid the first month then it was getting close to the 2nd payment, so I rang them again and said I had not got confirmation from them, The lady on the phone was very snotty to me; I explained they offer and was told that I had not sent the forms back. She then said we will not accept your offer unless it is in writing, she said that she would send the paperwork out again. 2 days later we had a letter from Rossendale’s stating they had accepted our offer of £50 PER WEEK, I thought it was a typing error and by this time my wife and I had decided to just try and pay off as much as possible as quick as possible, so just paid at least £50 per week, one week we could not afford it on the Friday and paid £100 on the Monday, Then 2 months ago my son passed away and I forgot to make the payment on the Friday so paid double the following week, we got a letter from them again, and I made the mistake of ignoring it, we just kept making payments every Friday until the 3rd of July, we missed a payment again as my wife was in hospital giving birth after being rushed in poorly at the beginning of the week, So we forgot to make the payment….. We knew we only owed £149 so where going to pay £100 yesterday then the remaining £49 on Friday then it would be them off our backs. Well that’s where we went wrong. I got back from shopping at 9;30 am yesterday morning started putting it all away and my wife was sat with our 6 day old daughter feeding her, My wife came bursting into the kitchen crying saying there are 2 huge bailiffs at the door demanding money from Rossendale’s I went to the door and the 2 bloke said we are her from Rossendale’s to collect the debt of £323.53p for your council tax. I said hold on a min we have missed a payment and we only owe £149. I asked him if he minded waiting whilst I rang Rossendale’s to find out what was going on. He was nice enough and said no worries mate but your wasting your time. They will just tell you to deal with the bailiffs. I took me 25 min’s to get through to them I said that we where going to pay £100 to them today and the £49 on Friday, but I could make a payment now of £141 which was all I had in my account, for the representative to say well you will have to sort it with them wont you. So at this point my wife was getting very very distressed and just wanted them to go, I went out to speak to the bailiffs again and explained I only had £141 in the bank and enough change to make it up to the full amount of £149 which I could get now. but I have not got the rest for the unrealistic charges they where demanding. We where told in no uncertain terms that it was full payment today now of we will seize your goods, I had had enough and invited them in and said I will get the money out the bank give them the £149 and even though I don’t think the charges are very fair I get paid on Friday and could pay the remainder of there full fees then, We where then told that that was not going to happen they will take full payment or to the value today, so I said ok sod it take what you want and just go, we really don’t need this. The main bailiff just looked me straight in the eyes and said “we don’t want to take your ****, it will if I am honest only end up costing you more much more. More like £700 £800 at least” I just replied list I don’t have any family around here we don’t have credit cards so just take what you want and leave now. He then changed tactics and said “listen my mate I am going to do you a favour I have a few more calls to do around here then I will come back, that way it gives you chance to get my money together, I am not going to come back and take your stuff coz that mean someone else coming you will be charged for this charged for that, you just see what you can sort out and call me” he gave me his number and left with his mate in tow. Very luckily for me I have a very understanding boss, who after a very frantic call from me agreed to lend me the remaining £170 on the proviso that I paid it back in full directly out of my wages on Friday. I called the bailiffs and they returned within moments of me ringing them, When they got back the main bailiff stayed in the van and sent the second guy in to do the deal. He came in very nervously and I jokingly said your first day mate, he grinned and said “yes I am normally a plasterer, but things are so tight I though I would give this ago. But there is no way I am doing this again, he is so ignorant, I cant believe how much he makes ripping people off, I don’t know how he can do this every day” I was shocked and then just said “well you got to do something haven’t you, you have to put food on the table”, he said that it made him feel sick as he had kids of his own at home. I counted out the money on the side and said I hope you got change as I have only got £325 in notes and then the 53p, I also asked for a full breakdown of there charges. He took the £5 note leaving the rest in an envelope and said “I will see if he has any change in the van” He returned and asked where the nearest shop was, so I told him that it was about 50 meters either way there where shops both ways, he came back less that 2 mins and said “my mate has said we will pop your change and a breakdown a bit later if that’s ok, you cant trust us to bring back your change” I jokingly replied so long as you don’t leave town. So off he went leaving me with a receipt for my payment in full, and said they will drop the stuff in later. At 1800 hrs last night I text the bailiff with delivery report on to make sure he got it asking where my change was, I got a delivery report in seconds but no reply, I text again tonight at 1800 with delivery report on asking where my change was, I got a delivery report again in seconds but no reply. I then text the following at 2012 “please provide me with my owed change which you have failed to return as promised also at the same time a detailed written breakdown of your fees & charges you demanded, please post these through our letter box to prevent further distress to my wife who gave birth just over a week ago. please be aware that I taken legal advice and am starting action to recover the aforementioned fees and charges as I now understand that you have contradicted Regulation 45(2) of the Council Tax (Administration and Enforcement) Regulations 1992 as well as the decision handed down in a Detailed Assessment hearing by Judge Plaskow. I am allowing you 3 working days to comply with the request set down in this text, which is forwarded to my legal representative and to the editor of the Lincolnshire echo,” with delivery report on asking I got a delivery report again in seconds. And within 10 minuets he was ringing me I bounce his call And sent a text with the following “response via text only is welcomed. Thank you. My wife is now very worried that he will turn up at the house again whilst I am out, Sorry may just seem like me rambling on, but how the hell can they get away with this, I even have a letter from Rossendale’s that states that IF they send a bailiff out they will charge £110 to attend site… Any advice welcomed Marcus

Hi all I am new here, We had a visit from Rossendale’s bailiffs about 5 months ago; unfortunately we had not found this website earlier, Although I did refuse entry to them, we owed about £600 for council tax about 2 years ago, it was a little bit of a shock that they had just turned up as we had got a letter from the courts 2 weeks previously stating that an order for detachment of earnings had been granted to the council and that my employer would be contacted to arrange this. I had taken the letter into work the day after we got it to make them aware. I explained this to the bailiff who just said well they won’t bother with that it is to much paperwork, and they have passed it over to us and you will pay us. He then demanded that I let him in, again I refused so he stormed off saying have it your way then, I then saw him leaning over our fence at the rear of our house. He then he posted a letter documenting that he had made a walking possession claim on a motorbike parked in my garden ( this was my fathers) I went straight out to him and said it did not belong to me, he just said it was tough. I contacted Rossendale’s to arrange a payment, they told me they where not interested and to send in the means testing form with an offer of payment. We completed the form and offered a payment of £50 per month. We paid the first month then it was getting close to the 2nd payment, so I rang them again and said I had not got confirmation from them, The lady on the phone was very snotty to me; I explained they offer and was told that I had not sent the forms back. She then said we will not accept your offer unless it is in writing, she said that she would send the paperwork out again. 2 days later we had a letter from Rossendale’s stating they had accepted our offer of £50 PER WEEK, I thought it was a typing error and by this time my wife and I had decided to just try and pay off as much as possible as quick as possible, so just paid at least £50 per week, one week we could not afford it on the Friday and paid £100 on the Monday, Then 2 months ago my son passed away and I forgot to make the payment on the Friday so paid double the following week, we got a letter from them again, and I made the mistake of ignoring it, we just kept making payments every Friday until the 3rd of July, we missed a payment again as my wife was in hospital giving birth after being rushed in poorly at the beginning of the week, So we forgot to make the payment….. We knew we only owed £149 so where going to pay £100 yesterday then the remaining £49 on Friday then it would be them off our backs. Well that’s where we went wrong. I got back from shopping at 9;30 am yesterday morning started putting it all away and my wife was sat with our 6 day old daughter feeding her, My wife came bursting into the kitchen crying saying there are 2 huge bailiffs at the door demanding money from Rossendale’s I went to the door and the 2 bloke said we are her from Rossendale’s to collect the debt of £323.53p for your council tax. I said hold on a min we have missed a payment and we only owe £149. I asked him if he minded waiting whilst I rang Rossendale’s to find out what was going on. He was nice enough and said no worries mate but your wasting your time. They will just tell you to deal with the bailiffs. I took me 25 min’s to get through to them I said that we where going to pay £100 to them today and the £49 on Friday, but I could make a payment now of £141 which was all I had in my account, for the representative to say well you will have to sort it with them wont you. So at this point my wife was getting very very distressed and just wanted them to go, I went out to speak to the bailiffs again and explained I only had £141 in the bank and enough change to make it up to the full amount of £149 which I could get now. but I have not got the rest for the unrealistic charges they where demanding. We where told in no uncertain terms that it was full payment today now of we will seize your goods, I had had enough and invited them in and said I will get the money out the bank give them the £149 and even though I don’t think the charges are very fair I get paid on Friday and could pay the remainder of there full fees then, We where then told that that was not going to happen they will take full payment or to the value today, so I said ok sod it take what you want and just go, we really don’t need this. The main bailiff just looked me straight in the eyes and said “we don’t want to take your ****, it will if I am honest only end up costing you more much more. More like £700 £800 at least” I just replied list I don’t have any family around here we don’t have credit cards so just take what you want and leave now. He then changed tactics and said “listen my mate I am going to do you a favour I have a few more calls to do around here then I will come back, that way it gives you chance to get my money together, I am not going to come back and take your stuff coz that mean someone else coming you will be charged for this charged for that, you just see what you can sort out and call me” he gave me his number and left with his mate in tow. Very luckily for me I have a very understanding boss, who after a very frantic call from me agreed to lend me the remaining £170 on the proviso that I paid it back in full directly out of my wages on Friday. I called the bailiffs and they returned within moments of me ringing them, When they got back the main bailiff stayed in the van and sent the second guy in to do the deal. He came in very nervously and I jokingly said your first day mate, he grinned and said “yes I am normally a plasterer, but things are so tight I though I would give this ago. But there is no way I am doing this again, he is so ignorant, I cant believe how much he makes ripping people off, I don’t know how he can do this every day” I was shocked and then just said “well you got to do something haven’t you, you have to put food on the table”, he said that it made him feel sick as he had kids of his own at home. I counted out the money on the side and said I hope you got change as I have only got £325 in notes and then the 53p, I also asked for a full breakdown of there charges. He took the £5 note leaving the rest in an envelope and said “I will see if he has any change in the van” He returned and asked where the nearest shop was, so I told him that it was about 50 meters either way there where shops both ways, he came back less that 2 mins and said “my mate has said we will pop your change and a breakdown a bit later if that’s ok, you cant trust us to bring back your change” I jokingly replied so long as you don’t leave town. So off he went leaving me with a receipt for my payment in full, and said they will drop the stuff in later. At 1800 hrs last night I text the bailiff with delivery report on to make sure he got it asking where my change was, I got a delivery report in seconds but no reply, I text again tonight at 1800 with delivery report on asking where my change was, I got a delivery report again in seconds but no reply. I then text the following at 2012 “please provide me with my owed change which you have failed to return as promised also at the same time a detailed written breakdown of your fees & charges you demanded, please post these through our letter box to prevent further distress to my wife who gave birth just over a week ago. please be aware that I taken legal advice and am starting action to recover the aforementioned fees and charges as I now understand that you have contradicted Regulation 45(2) of the Council Tax (Administration and Enforcement) Regulations 1992 as well as the decision handed down in a Detailed Assessment hearing by Judge Plaskow. I am allowing you 3 working days to comply with the request set down in this text, which is forwarded to my legal representative and to the editor of the Lincolnshire echo,” with delivery report on asking I got a delivery report again in seconds. And within 10 minuets he was ringing me I bounce his call And sent a text with the following “response via text only is welcomed. Thank you. My wife is now very worried that he will turn up at the house again whilst I am out, Sorry may just seem like me rambling on, but how the hell can they get away with this, I even have a letter from Rossendale’s that states that IF they send a bailiff out they will charge £110 to attend site… Any advice welcomed Marcus

Hi all I am new here, We had a visit from Rossendale’s bailiffs about 5 months ago; unfortunately we had not found this website earlier, Although I did refuse entry to them, we owed about £600 for council tax about 2 years ago, it was a little bit of a shock that they had just turned up as we had got a letter from the courts 2 weeks previously stating that an order for detachment of earnings had been granted to the council and that my employer would be contacted to arrange this. I had taken the letter into work the day after we got it to make them aware. I explained this to the bailiff who just said well they won’t bother with that it is to much paperwork, and they have passed it over to us and you will pay us. He then demanded that I let him in, again I refused so he stormed off saying have it your way then, I then saw him leaning over our fence at the rear of our house. He then he posted a letter documenting that he had made a walking possession claim on a motorbike parked in my garden ( this was my fathers) I went straight out to him and said it did not belong to me, he just said it was tough. I contacted Rossendale’s to arrange a payment, they told me they where not interested and to send in the means testing form with an offer of payment. We completed the form and offered a payment of £50 per month. We paid the first month then it was getting close to the 2nd payment, so I rang them again and said I had not got confirmation from them, The lady on the phone was very snotty to me; I explained they offer and was told that I had not sent the forms back. She then said we will not accept your offer unless it is in writing, she said that she would send the paperwork out again. 2 days later we had a letter from Rossendale’s stating they had accepted our offer of £50 PER WEEK, I thought it was a typing error and by this time my wife and I had decided to just try and pay off as much as possible as quick as possible, so just paid at least £50 per week, one week we could not afford it on the Friday and paid £100 on the Monday, Then 2 months ago my son passed away and I forgot to make the payment on the Friday so paid double the following week, we got a letter from them again, and I made the mistake of ignoring it, we just kept making payments every Friday until the 3rd of July, we missed a payment again as my wife was in hospital giving birth after being rushed in poorly at the beginning of the week, So we forgot to make the payment….. We knew we only owed £149 so where going to pay £100 yesterday then the remaining £49 on Friday then it would be them off our backs. Well that’s where we went wrong. I got back from shopping at 9;30 am yesterday morning started putting it all away and my wife was sat with our 6 day old daughter feeding her, My wife came bursting into the kitchen crying saying there are 2 huge bailiffs at the door demanding money from Rossendale’s I went to the door and the 2 bloke said we are her from Rossendale’s to collect the debt of £323.53p for your council tax. I said hold on a min we have missed a payment and we only owe £149. I asked him if he minded waiting whilst I rang Rossendale’s to find out what was going on. He was nice enough and said no worries mate but your wasting your time. They will just tell you to deal with the bailiffs. I took me 25 min’s to get through to them I said that we where going to pay £100 to them today and the £49 on Friday, but I could make a payment now of £141 which was all I had in my account, for the representative to say well you will have to sort it with them wont you. So at this point my wife was getting very very distressed and just wanted them to go, I went out to speak to the bailiffs again and explained I only had £141 in the bank and enough change to make it up to the full amount of £149 which I could get now. but I have not got the rest for the unrealistic charges they where demanding. We where told in no uncertain terms that it was full payment today now of we will seize your goods, I had had enough and invited them in and said I will get the money out the bank give them the £149 and even though I don’t think the charges are very fair I get paid on Friday and could pay the remainder of there full fees then, We where then told that that was not going to happen they will take full payment or to the value today, so I said ok sod it take what you want and just go, we really don’t need this. The main bailiff just looked me straight in the eyes and said “we don’t want to take your ****, it will if I am honest only end up costing you more much more. More like £700 £800 at least” I just replied list I don’t have any family around here we don’t have credit cards so just take what you want and leave now. He then changed tactics and said “listen my mate I am going to do you a favour I have a few more calls to do around here then I will come back, that way it gives you chance to get my money together, I am not going to come back and take your stuff coz that mean someone else coming you will be charged for this charged for that, you just see what you can sort out and call me” he gave me his number and left with his mate in tow. Very luckily for me I have a very understanding boss, who after a very frantic call from me agreed to lend me the remaining £170 on the proviso that I paid it back in full directly out of my wages on Friday. I called the bailiffs and they returned within moments of me ringing them, When they got back the main bailiff stayed in the van and sent the second guy in to do the deal. He came in very nervously and I jokingly said your first day mate, he grinned and said “yes I am normally a plasterer, but things are so tight I though I would give this ago. But there is no way I am doing this again, he is so ignorant, I cant believe how much he makes ripping people off, I don’t know how he can do this every day” I was shocked and then just said “well you got to do something haven’t you, you have to put food on the table”, he said that it made him feel sick as he had kids of his own at home. I counted out the money on the side and said I hope you got change as I have only got £325 in notes and then the 53p, I also asked for a full breakdown of there charges. He took the £5 note leaving the rest in an envelope and said “I will see if he has any change in the van” He returned and asked where the nearest shop was, so I told him that it was about 50 meters either way there where shops both ways, he came back less that 2 mins and said “my mate has said we will pop your change and a breakdown a bit later if that’s ok, you cant trust us to bring back your change” I jokingly replied so long as you don’t leave town. So off he went leaving me with a receipt for my payment in full, and said they will drop the stuff in later. At 1800 hrs last night I text the bailiff with delivery report on to make sure he got it asking where my change was, I got a delivery report in seconds but no reply, I text again tonight at 1800 with delivery report on asking where my change was, I got a delivery report again in seconds but no reply. I then text the following at 2012 TONIGHT “please provide me with my owed change which you have failed to return as promised also at the same time a detailed written breakdown of your fees & charges you demanded, please post these through our letter box to prevent further distress to my wife who gave birth just over a week ago. please be aware that I taken legal advice and am starting action to recover the aforementioned fees and charges as I now understand that you have contradicted Regulation 45(2) of the Council Tax (Administration and Enforcement) Regulations 1992 as well as the decision handed down in a Detailed Assessment hearing by Judge Plaskow. I am allowing you 3 working days to comply with the request set down in this text, which is forwarded to my legal representative and to the editor of the Lincolnshire echo,” with delivery report on asking I got a delivery report again in seconds. And within 10 minuets he was ringing me I bounce his call And sent a text with the following “response via text only is welcomed. Thank you. My wife is now very worried that he will turn up at the house again whilst I am out, Sorry may just seem like me rambling on, but how the hell can they get away with this, I even have a letter from Rossendale’s that states that IF they send a bailiff out they will charge £110 to attend site… Any advice welcomed Marcus:(