... just to update you all .... it is monday 25th June 2012, 10.40am and since i spoke to AMIR at PHILIPS bailiffs/debt collectors on 21st i have recieved a text message everyday ( 5 in total so far) stating ""Andrea please call PHILIPS URGENTLY ...08445591659 quoting ref number xxxxxx"" when i call number i am put directly through to a payment line wher i am asked how i want to pay my £80 fine ... today i called them and asked to stop bothering and harrassing me as i want to go to court, i also asked them where they got my number from as i didnt give it to them .... they said DVLA - i said no way - the phonenumber is new - less than 1 yr old and i never ever give it out - they then told me they got it off their phone system when i last called on 21st ..... i said i want them to remove it, they said i have to put it in writing!! .... so user called hide id when phoning them !!

helloo! today i recieved a letter from a bailiff company stating if i didnt pay £80- the fine would go up and i would be taken to court and issued with a CCJ - EEK! the story is: on 14th november 2011 i wrote to DVLA to declare SORN, even though the tax did not run out until 30th November 2011. i did not fill in a SORN form as 1.) didnt have one and 2.) didnt know thats all they accepted. it was just a bog standard letter informming them the car was on private land (300 acres) in a barn and that it wouldnt be used for 5 months thereabouts. On that date i also cancelled the car insurance with the post office. (the car in question is my polo grooms car and he goes back to Chile mid november to mid march. ) I recieved a ''last chance'' renewal notice through the post end of December 2011 and telephoned them. they said the SORN had probably crossed in the post and all would be ok however I should probably write to them again, which i did, informing them that i had already declared SORN. on 1st march 2012 i recieved a letter stating that they had recieved my letter however i had not ''checked up 4 weeks later for an acknowledgement letter" when i informed them in November therefore I was still liable for the £80 fine, £40 if paid within one week. I was so angry i threw the letter in the bin and completely forgot about it .... .... until today, 21st June 2012 i recieved at bailiffs letter threatening that if i didn t pay £80 i would be taken to court....ooops! i telephoned the number (0844) and spoke to AMIR who bluntly told me it was my problem as i didnt read the SORN form correctly where it says ''if i hadnt recieved an acknowledgement letter in 4 weeks to call them''. i told him that i didnt even use aSORN form so how could i have known, he replied one would have come with the reminder letter so you should have read it. having now looked at the tax renewal form, where this SORN NOTICE is written, is not clear enough. it is in a small box, and it doesnt say ""YOU MUST CALL US FOR ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF SORN AS FAILURE TO DO SO WILL INCCUR A £80 FINE OR A CCJ" .... if that had been the case i would have chased them like crazy!! i told Amir that i want to go to court and that he should instruct DVLA to stop with the bailiffs and debt letters - hassle and bullying i said, as i feel i am being treated guilty when i am inoccent. i am 36 yrs old and never had a late payment fine/CCJ/points on licence and i have been driving since i was 17. any suggestions?? - shall i pay the £80 or go to court??

hello i read your notes above and i was in the same situation. my superiors victimised me and belittled me to the point of me resigning. i am now taking them to empl. tribunal. all i can give you as advice is 1.) stick with the job following all grievence procedures .. .. it's hard to prove constuctive dismissal in court if you have not gone through all grievence procedures ... dont walk out unless you really, really have to. 2.) get everything in email. snag them, trick them, ask why such and such gets away with it, name names, ask questions, be super polite though and keep within company procedure, but get it all on an email. .. no evidence = no case. 3.) make comparisons - do they treat a man/woman differently? a black/white person? do you have a disability?? etc .. if you want to resign and claim constructive dismissal you have to have hard evidence that they left you know option to leave. the legal process is long and tough ... hence why folk stick to jobs they hate and keep their head down ... you know in your heart whether or not you'll stay in the job or not - dont make yourself ill. no wage is worth that. good luck!

will def. keep you all posted .... knowing outcomes of problems is one way of knowing how you stand with your chances!!!! keep up the good work!! i'm off to walk my dogs feeling more positive than have done in ages!!

P.S: I've just donated £20 to this forum ..... wish i'd known it was here sooner .... could have saved me hours googling!! lolx

their evidence is weak ... but they have 2 witnessess and all my ex-colleagues are very reluctant to help me due to not wanting to be victimised ... but it's the daunting thought of going to court ... i'm a down to earth girl who's never even had a library book fine lol!! all the legal jargon just baffles me .. . i was offered £6k a month ago but turned it down as my annual pay is £24k and i thought £6k was an insult (i'm in the funeral business) they own all parlours in 40 mile radius!! so getting another job in my line of work is impossible - unless i move house or learn to drive!! yikes!! but i'm so, so grateful for all your comments and info .... if nothing else it makes me feel that i'm not alone in standing up for my rights, so thanks all you guys x:)

hello!! CMD said ""no later than the 12th March 2010 shall respondent send claimant the trial bundle"" just called ACAS - they said that its up to judge on E.T to decide to accept late bundle (but in his experience they are always accepted - a month late isnt that bad apparantly!!) boooo!! wish someone had told me you could send documents late .... i was up all night getting mine together ... seems Employment Tribunal court orders are'nt as strict as you think if they let respondents get away with submitting late info ... i thought the courts dates were final... obv. not ... makes a mockery of the whole thing really. if simple old me can get it all in in time, and a huge socirty with in house legal team can't .... there is no hope for any of us!! and what peeves me off even worse is some of my complaints were not accepted as they wre ''out of the time line to complain'' whaaaa!!

.. what i also didnt say is that i'm on holiday and due back two weeks before the court hearing .... am worried that i wont have enough time to peruse all the respondents bundle and it seems unfair that this big society can get away with it (or seems to be) after all, court dates are court dates ... are they allowed to just alter the goal posts mid game?? can i be sniffy and ask the tribunal to throw out the bundle as it breached their rules?

oopps!!! sorry abut that!!! okay - deleted company name now!! xx

i am currently taking my ex-company (the respondent) to court for constructive dismissal. after 7 yrs of bullying i finally walked out. little did they know i had kept all evidence against them. i applied to take them to the employment tribunal and the case was accepted. after a phone call CMD in feb 2010, the court date was set for NINE days (yes!! 9 days!! thats how much i have on them) we start in court at the end of May 2010. im nervous but excited!! david and goliath eat your heart out!! the paperwork was stressfull enough (6 copies of all documents to respondent, 1 to court, trial bundles, lists of documents etc etc) timelines, phonecalls, paperwork, all was sent to the respondent within the court order time line. HOWEVER, the respondent has yet to send me the trial bundle (which was due to me on 12th March 2010) they did phone me 5 days ago and tell me that due to easter holidays (??!!) they would be late sending me the bundle as two of the solicitors were on holiday (??!!) but i would get all the bundle by the 12th April. however today it is the 13th and still no bundle. so now, it is over a month late from the court order. they have not applied to delay this nor have i had an apology. i have sent two emails to the court asking what happens now without advice back, although they did acknowlege my letters. i have no office, photocopier - not even a pc, everything was done at my local internet cafe (it took DAYS and cost me over £260!!) so if i can get all info to them on time - why cant they? so, if the bundle is recorded delivery to my house - do i have to accept it? any advice will be gladly kissed upon!!!