They couldn't take the sofas as they would leave you with no seating, they could take the TV, but 32" LCd is really a bog standard TV these days and would only fetch £50 ish at auction

Which council is it?, as if they are an outsourced front office they may be linked to the bailiff and you may need to contact CEO, of the counci , head of Revenues, local councillor, and possibly MP elected representative details their details can be found on http://www.writetothem.com/ stating your problems and pointing out that due to your vulnerable status, as per the National Standards For Enforcement Agents (Revised 2002) bailiff action will only compound the problem by spiralling the debt out of control, with no means for you to pay it. and that the council should take it back and deduct a nominal sum directly from benefits.

Again a copper sides with a bailiff, without any knowledge of the law, complain as suggested,

make sure you email the CEO and councillor, as well If they have an outsoursced front desk, you could be in a Capita/Equita type scenario so will have to push this upstairs. Whixh council ios it?

As per wonkeydonkey write to the council, and email copies to the head of revenues, CEO of the council, your councillor and MP, and also add that they have been as per your first post enforcing the arrears of a previous occupant on yourself which is wrong and tantamount to fraud.

morsy I agree with ploddertom, get onto the council by email as suggested ASAP if you don't know who your councillor is, try here http://www.writetothem.com/ where you can find your councillor and MP contact details.

You are most likely classed as vulnerable, and being in receipt of benefits, bailiff action may well be inappropriate. contact the council and tell them this as deduction from benefit is the preferred option, adding bailiff fees to someone on benefits is an obnoxious proceedure. I would check with the council when and for what address the Liability Order was obtained. Others will likely be along who know more.

That is correct, so do it first thing tomorrow, and make several copies. before the bailiff can come back

They probably could list them, but there would have to be sufficient value in the goods to pay his fees, the removal, auction fees and a proportion of the debt. They like to levy on cars if they can also. if you check the stickys there is a fair bit on there

WHow much is the order for? and do you receive benefits, like Incapacity, or ESA and DLA, ?, and as you are disabled you are likely vulnerable under the guidelines for enforcement. If you are on inciome based bensfits you should be in receipt of some Council Tax benefit/ Housing benefit if you rent

It tells the bailiff that the property he has listed is not yours and he will be liable if he brings a van charges fees and takes property. I think it also invalidates any levy he has made, others will know more Cut and paste and adapt hallowitches letter, your mother will have to sign it and swear at a solicitors or notary for this to be a legal documant that binds the bailiff, the swearing on oath carries the same weight as the oath whilst giving evidence in court

The policewoman needs to go back to plod school, as a bailiff can only force entry for most debts after first gaining peaceful entry (by guile and cheating and asking to use the toilet, or phone), You are not going to let them in are you. Trespass is the same whether you rent your property or are an owner occupier.

If the debtor is not the householder, and is basically a lodger, or a non dependent relative would the walking possession order be invalid, as the goods like a neigbours car wrongly siezed don't belong to the debtor?

Double check it and make sure, as the contents will dictate the next step, and you will need to post up certain details for the others to advise you further

Has the bailiff posted anything through the letterbox, and if he has, has he scribbled a list of property on the back? I feel that others will be along with specific advice soon. Try not to panic, and do not let them in under any circumstances.

I think they probably are if they have levied correctly on it, for general info whilst waiting for those who know more to post you could check CAB guidelines here: http://www.adviceguide.org.uk/index/your_money/money_management_index_ew/action_your_creditor_can_take_index_ew/bailiffs_index_ew/letting_bailiffs_into_your_home.htm#what_if_the_bailiffs_force_their_way_in But others here will have more specific advice, on how to proceed imho

As you suffer from a degenerative condition that adversely affects your mobility, it may be worth applying for the Mobility Component of DLA, if you are given High Rate you could get a lease car through Motability that the bailiff could not touch. As you have a disability you are potentially vulnerable, and the council and bailiff should treat you as such. Email, your local councillor, MP you can find their details on http://www.writetothem.com/ and copy in the CEO and Head of Revenues of the council, as you have issues that may make bailiff action unsuitable.

You could pay the council directly online, but hopefully the experts like tomtubby, and ploddertom will be along soon, to point you in the right direction. I would contact the CEO of the council copying in head of revenues with a complaint. What council is it? If the council has outsourced it's front office, the provider may actually be linked to the bailiff, as in Capita and Equita, this would help explain their pushing you back to the bailiff. If you are a student with children there may be some entitlement to Income Support Housing Benefit, and Council Tax benefit. It might be worth doing a benefit check on turn2us: http://www.turn2us.org.uk/benefits_search.aspx or with the CAB

I agree with night-watchman unless you have let them in previously they cannot force entry. If you have a video facility on your phone, or some other recording device, try to record what they are saying whilst keeping out of sight. Don't worry things can be sorted out

As you have used a personal loan for the car, rather than HP or a lease, the title vests in you, therefore the bailiff could seize and sell your £20k car for the £545.24. However all is not lost, and the experts will likely be along to advise the best way of dealing with this.

DO NOT send them the original V5 (registration document) under any circumstances, they could send it off and transfer keeper to themselves or AN Other, and it is then easier to sieze and sell, as with V5 it would make more at auction,

Thanks for the clarification tomtubby, so if they clear the debt directly including the £24.50, that would clear the matter, or would adding £42.50 for visits and having the extra noted as being for fees on the receipt be OK? The point being if the council fails to pay the bailiff, as the debtor has paid the fees into the council, the bailiffs remedy is now with the council: If they continued action after this and carried on with a levy, van fee et.al would this be legit or could the fees then be challenged? Sorry if this is possibly nit picking, but I agree with you that it is best that no one is under any illusion as what needs to be done to rid someone of a bailiff, and prevent their return,

I think you need to escalate a complaint via the council CEO, Head of Revenues and your Councillor and MP, and as you are pregnant and in the later stages, you may well be classed as viulnerable. The experts will be able to point you in the right direction, as I think they owe you, according to your original post you paid off arrears from a previous occupant, monies that the council were not entitled to recover from you, and to cap it all they set the bailiffs on you for THEIR mistakes. This is gross maladministration, and if you have forked out (sorry fork-it) £2k or so of someone else's debt, you should owe the council at this stage a fat zero, (possibly they owe you) and the bailiffs should owe you at the least any fees paid to them returned.

This call they said was a courtesy call, and the number was withheld, and was diverted to my mobile, as i was expecting another call. The phone automatically records unlisted calls if I answer them. So i will extend the courtesy of being able to correct their admin errors if they phone rather than write.

Thanks ScarletPimpernel, That is also an option, and may be something to look at as a general response where these organisations, are always saying the call is being recorded blah de blah