Desperately Need Help..Council Tax

[Raco]

I Currently Have with standing council tax arrears of £3.640 and the debt has been passed on to Dukes bailiffs ltd.

I have had a bailiff come to my door which i did not let in and provide me with the letters with the debt explaining they are instructed to enforce the court order.

I contacted the bailiffs by telephone and explained me and my partner only work part time and we have 4 kids and are on family credit and could only afford £20 a week to clear the debt off and basically they have said i have 7 days to pay the full ammount or they want to come and do a walking possesion to levy goods.This will leave me and my kids in hardship if it is carried out and im not prepared to let them in.

I contacted the council explaining our situation and they say there is nothing they can do and it now stops at the bailiffs even if im willing to pay it off weekly at £20,they also told me if it does come back to them they will apply for imprisonment.

My partner currently has council tax took out of her wages but she like me is only part time so its to little.

I have been to the CAB and they can not help me so i have no were to turn,I have a solicitors appointment to see if they can help but i very much doubt it.

I just do not know what to do it is killing me with worry,Is my only option to let the bailiffs in and do a walking procession and take what little goods we own?

 

Any advice would be great thanks..

[Saffronflowers]

Hi there - I hope you find the help you need here!

 

Why did the CAB say that they could not help you?

 

How come the debt is so high?

 

Is there anyway that you either of you could go full time one working int he evening and one during the day?

 

It is a general rule that they only imprison wont pay not the cant pay, I hope that allays your fears,

 

SFx

[Raco]

Hi,

The CAB said i will have to take it up with the council office and try and get them to take weekly payments which i did and basically the council said it now stays in the hands of the bailiffs and even though i am willing to pay £20 a week it needs to be cleared in full.

The debt is so high because we have ignored it basically it has been coming out of our wages but with us working part time it just has been building up over the years.

We both work part time because we have 4 kids the youngest being only 19 months and was born 3 months premature with all kinds of problems with her brain,so we work it so i work at night and my parnter works during the day so one of us is always the for our youngest child,The other 3 go primary school and someone needs to be there when they finish school.

We get working familys credit to boost our money up but we are always short of money due to have four kids and i simply can not find this type of money to pay the bailiffs off.

I just dont no which way to turn do i let the bailiffs in as my only options and levy our goods or do i not let them in and face imprisonment.

Also would seeing a solicitor help in any way?

 

thanks..

[Saffronflowers]

YOu will not face prision if you do not let them in!!!!!!!!!! What ever they say,

 

SFx

[rl123]

from what i understand, you have not said you won't pay them you are just asking for time to pay, so dont worry about being sent to prison it is a threat to try and get the money out of you now. someone on here will be able to help you i am sure, take a deep breath and try not to worry. i am going through the same thing and after the wonderful help i have recieved from this site, i feel alot stronger and less worried.

[zigster]

If you are offering to pay what you can afford, then you will not be imprisoned. Bailiffs use fear to try and get a walking possessions. Do not let them in and do not let them bully you. I am sure someone will be along very soon with some detailed advice. Good luck and don't worry...

[Citruspunch007]

I am in a similar situation. My husband & I owe £1200+ and we are on a low income with bills coming out of our backsides with 2 children under 5.

I have been on this site every day since I was visited by my baliff and from what I've read you should not let the baliffs in.

Once they get peaceful entry they can come back without your permission and gain entry when you are not at home.

It also opens up another can of worms in letting them in that first time because say you open the door and they try to push past you into the house, if you try to stop them it's classed as 'assault'.

So it's very important that you don't let them in and keep all windows and doors locked when you are in and out of your home.

It's a horrible way to live I know, but they have to be kept out.

Hopefully they will then leave you alone and refer your file back to your council. They say they will apply for imprisonment but no court would imprison somebody in your financial position- I don't know much on the law but I know that to be right. It is every council's policy to use imprisonment threats as mainly a detterent.

I was kind of tricked into letting my baliff in and now I am facing a levy a walking posession next week so problems or no problems I will have to then meet my repayment arrangement or I will lose what little we own.

I really hope things will turn out ok for you. I am sure somebody in the know will be able to help.

In the meantime keep the doors well & truly shut.