Hi All, I've recently been contacted by a DCA for a debt which was left behind (not proud) in 2006. The last contact I had was in 2008. Taking into account the powers that DCAs do/don't have, and all the guidance on this forum, are there any legal practices in the UK who might offer some advice on liability? Thanks, in advance. Grape

I am writing this on behalf of someone else. Where i use the words me i or us means the person involved. Not me. I was employed as a mobile with a well known security company. My main job was to respond to alarms and deal with them. When i started my job off i was told that i was on a gauranteed 24 hour contract (weekly). I was not given any paperwork apart from some paperwork to show how and what i should be doing. I was told be my manager that i would recieve my contract in the post during the next 4-6 weeks. I also emailed my manager and he confirmed that i had indeed signed upto a 24 hr gauranteed contract that gauranteed me work of at least 24 hours a week. This manager left and work was going on well until october when my vetting was complete and i was sent a 0 hours contract by Human resources. I immediately phoned up and was told to query this with my manager. 2 emails were sent and nothing happened. Again in january this year my manager changed and i raised this again with hr. The new manager said he would investigate this. He came back to me and told me that the email i had was worthless and that i was on a 0 hours contract. Worst bit my days have been cut where i was without any income for 6 weeks. Since august last year i have put in several uniform requests and have had 0 back as manager keeps on claiming he has lost paperwork. This is despite sending 2 emails to him. I now come to the part After having nearly 6 weeks without work i started back a few weeks ago. The first night back i was pulled by traffic police and asked why i was watching a video playing while driving. The mobile is on a stand. I told the officer i was not watching i was only listening to the music and mobile was facing other way. Officer gave me words of advice and then took my details and after a few minutes told me i could go. No probs so far. He then phoned my employers and told them he was concerned for my safety. I only found out when a fellow officer came looking for me. As far as i was concerned the matter was finished. I did not log it either. Fellow officer told me that a call had been recieved and that the matter had been escalated to the manager. No probs here. The manager phoned me the follwoing day and told me i was suspended pending a investigation and that suspension would be unpaid. I have been to the investigation meeting and i was shown a picture of me sitting in my van with the mibile facing me. I was told this was taken by the other officer and he was allowed to do this. I have now been told that a decision will be taken and if needed a disciplinary will be held. I have been told not to contact any of my fellow workers. What do i do ?

Sergeant Matt Tonroe has been killed in action in the Middle East READ MORE HERE: https://www.gov.uk/government/fatalities/sergeant-matt-tonroe-has-been-killed-in-action-in-the-middle-east My Condolences to go out to the Family, Friends and Regiment. RIP

Hi All I received a letter today from South East Water stating at the top LEGAL PROCEEDINGS. Stating that I over £1600 is now due for payment? I have no idea what period this is for as it does not have any dates on the letter? I live in a 3 bedroom house and the water bill is on a meter. Is there a standard letter I can send to request a full breakdown of this bill i am supposed to now owe. Any templates would be really helpful Many thanks in advance

My Council (North East Lincolnshire) obtained a liability order on 30 October 2015 to enforce whatever sum it considered was outstanding at the time of the court hearing. In a letter received 13 November 2015 the council proposed the following payment arrangement which included an amount which I dispute (£120) and am not willing to pay: The following was sent to the council on 10 November and although the council aims to respond in 10 working days there has not yet been a reply. I have not agreed to the council's rescheduled instalment plan (01-Dec-2015 – £100.66) and continued making payments as per usual. It looks as though they'll be sending the bailiffs round as I have no income to which they can attach deductions. However, I have had no further communications from the council regarding this and wonder if they see the futility in appointing bailiffs when they know they have no possibility of obtaining the disputed outstanding sum.

I had a contractual agreement with an organisation with a company in Uganda and they have not paid me for my services. I have obtained a judgement in that country and the company still refuses to remunerate me for my services what are my options in terms of enforcement if I am a UK national can I take steps to obtain a judgemnt in the UK and if so how?

Not that long ago, when there were uprisings in many countries such as Egypt Libya and Syria, some politicians were getting carried away, saying it was a Middle East spring, with people wanting democracy and westernised freedoms. I can remember Cameron and Sarkozy making speeches in Tripoli, talking about how UK and France had helped the lion spirit of Libyans prevail over Gaddafi. If the current state of affairs is part of this spring uprising, it worked out well didn't it ! This all starts with good intentions, but when you don't know who you are helping with regime change, it is a bit risky. Cameron asked parliament to sanction UK helping anti Assad forces and if this had gone ahead, we may have accidentally helped ISIS. Obamas policy has been to use drones wherever possible and to not put US armed forces in harms way. This is down to the number of casualties incurred in Afghanistan and Iraq. I don't blame him for this, as i don't see why the US has to act as worlds Policeman. But the number of drone strikes may not be sensible, as it may just lead to terrorists spreading their bases, rather than be concentrated. Personally i think Corbyn talks good sense in saying that military actions have not worked and the only way forward is to talk to the people willing to take part in peaceful settlements. The UN, Arab league and African nations must be the ones to be leading on this. The current position in Iraq, Libya, Syria and elsewhere in the Middle East and North Africa cannot continue for too much longer.

Hi I have received a Parking Charge from UKPC because my car was parked in the Hospital car park without a valid ticket. I have received a final reminder. The charge is £65. What defences or legal reasoning can I use to avoid payment please? Thanks

Hi, I'm looking for some advice on a problem that has affected me. I'll begin from the start. I ordered a Stagecoach Smartcard (part of EMT so i gather) so i could commute to school (I'm 16) by Train. I went to use it as i went to my volunteer position on a Heritage Railway, I thought it worked like a trentbarton MANGO card, I scanned it on and the scanner bleeped at me so i thought i'd recieve a bill through the post or something (first time using one). I got on my train and as the Ticket Inspector walked down i explained what i had done and asked her if it was OK, she later turned out to be a Revenue Protection Officer for EMT. She took my card and said that the card was only for season tickets but took it and phoned the card place. She said there was no ticket on the card so i offered to pay for a paper one, she refused and said it's too late. She then got me off the train at Derby Station (I started at Long Eaton, commuting to Belper) and took me to the front desk. I asked her if i could use a phone to call my parent and she said she'd check my details and be a few minutes then i could. I gave her my details and version of events in full. I got my phone out (with no credit) to get my parent's number out and she said i couldn't use her phone because i had one, she said that i had a phone and im trying to waste her time. She even threatened to call the police and my volunteer work and 'see what they thought of it' in the end she said she'd be reporting it and i'd get a letter in the post to take me to court. I made her fully aware i was 16 and asked her for ID so i could write down her name, She flashed her name badge (pinned onto her shirt) at me and shouted 'I'm ****** and i'm a REVENUE PROTECTION OFFICER!' (Don't know if i'm allowed to post names). Afterwards when i got to my volunteers position (late) and spoke to two volunteers (One a Magistrate and one a former Police Officer) and they said what she did was out of order and they probably wouldn't do anything because of her behaviour (shouting, refusing me access to a phone, questioning me without a responsible adult, not showing me a badge of authority or cautioning me and apparently anything i said to her was inadmissible in court). Any advice? I'm still waiting on the letter. Thanks, Alphoria

I have written to east coast on a couple of occasions recently to complain about some shocking staff behaviour which, in view of the fact that many of their staff are excellent, I am not going to describe here. However, I have not had anything other than holding responses to these letters / e-mails. The question is what do I do next - no response from Passenger Focus either! East Coast need to be freed from the control of the DfT as soon as possible in my view as, although better than when they were part of National Express, they are not a patch on GNER. Thanks in advance.

Hi help please! East Surrey waters solicitors sent me a letter 17th June saying reply in 14 days or we will take yout to court for the approx £270 you owe. I replied in writing immediately explaining my difficult position (2 babies, recently become single parent) please could they accept payment arrangement of £50.00 per month by DD. I had not heard back from them until today i received a claim form from the local county court for the amount o/s and court costs etc. I called them up and explained i had sent the letter requesting payament arrangement but the girl said nothing she could do as it had not been received. I have to go to court. I send everything by recorded delivery but can I find the receipt for this one, NO!! Im so annoyed with myself, ive searched high and low, I have however found the receipt for the posting i did that day which shows i paid for a recorded signed for letter but just doesnt give me the tracking nuimber! Can someone advise what i could do about this. I have been working hard to repair my credit rating sp really upset this has happened

A NEW mental health service for veterans and reserves has been launched in East Yorkshire. Specialist nurses in the region are helping military veterans get help for a range of conditions, including depression, whether they are related to combat or not. The Veterans Outreach Service found many ex-military workers struggled to talk about mental health problems or found it difficult to approach their own GP. Now, Humber NHS Foundation Trust is providing specialist nurses to cover the region, chat to veterans and work with them to get the help they need. http://www.thisishullandeastriding.co.uk/Service-brings-mental-health-care-barracks/story-18088468-detail/story.html

Help!!!!!!!!!!!!! I feel so sick at the moment and really do feel like everything is getting on top of me and can no longer cope So, the past 18 months have been pure hell. I lost my job twice, have spent the past year earning next to nothing and my wife only works part time. We have a CT debt which I'm dealing with on another post, countless Payday loans which we are working through, and now this has just come through my door. I've been totally irresponsible and stuck my head in the sand and everything is just spiralling out of control but just when I think we're starting to get on top of things something else jumps up and knocks me down again. I came home from work yesterday to find that Marstons had visited us in relation to unpaid Water Bills. They have posted a letter through with the following: Debt £787.42 Costs £ 147 Execution Costs £111.75 Officers Fees £362.38 Total Levy £1358.55 It then follows with the wording regarding non payment in full, siezing of goods etc I've been reading about Stays etc but just don't know where to start let alone get this sorted before they come back again. I just feel like a complete let down to my family at the moment

Hi, newbie here. In February I had a letter from Marstons about my SE Water debt, around £1800, come to take your stuff and all that, rung the bailiff and eventually came to an agreement to pay back £200 a month which I am now down to less than £100. Got my bill from SE Water in April for about £36. Rung water people and asked how to pay it and they said it will be passed on to Marstons and I will pay through them. Ok I thought. Got another bill through this week and now asking for £900. Rung them up to find out why it was so high and I find out that out of the £200 I have been paying to Marstons they are keeping £50 for themselves and the Water people are only getting £150 so all the money I have been paying to clear this debt is only getting part cleared and now I am having to pay twice. Oh yea and they won't talk to me about it properly until I am payed up with Marstons. Is there anyone that can help me because I feel I am getting screwed by the big boys. Thanks in advance.

Hello! Everyone! I saw many threads about several parking companies but nothing on Parkrite. I live in a block of apartments that is also connected to a block of offices and a gym. Although the lower level spaces are free for us(the residents) to use, the upper level office spaces are for permit holders only and only one space free for the gym! I parked upstairs as there was a traffic jam to get through to the lower level without thinking twice about it. In the morning when I went to go to work I found a ticket on my windscreen.On this ticket it says PARKING CHARGE NOTICE. It claims I must pay 100 pounds but if payment is received in the first 14 days it will be reduced to 50. I called the office in the morning stating that I am a resident(did not tell them which flat) and a member of the gym and that I was no obstructing anyone's parking as it was empty and I left early in the morning when the offices were not even open yet! I said I did not realise that that in the same block of parking spaces some are free to be used and some not!They said there is nothing they can do as I was wrongfully parked. Should I bother communicating any more or pay or should I just ignore? THANK YOU!

I have received a huge bill from South East Water and an unfounded letter threatening legal proceedings. Does anyone who the best person to make a complaint to? I'd rather not write just a 'Dear Sir' letter Thanks in advance.