Equita Bailiffs...help needed please

[caro]

I just went to make an online payment using my old card reference number and its showing a balance including this years council tax, so I typed in this years reference number and the balance is still the same.

 

Question is... if I make a payment how can I be sure that the council will credit this against the old bill and not the remainder of the current bill? Will this be enough to keep Equita off my back and pass me back to the council?

 

thanks in advance

 

Emma Royd

xx

 

I'd suggest that you phone and make sure of where the payment went - then ask for a receipt and written confirmation.

[ambershadow]

I thought this would have been done and dusted Now Emma

[ferrit071005]

i in similair situation....short story is in 2007 i though had benefit which i didnt....got pAYment plan from Equita.....rang to pay yesterday bnut they said paynment was 2 days late so i off the plan..i paid it anyway leaving £364.48.........so i paid another £200 wich i had to borrow as i got commitment to prison letter and removal notce.....this left £164.48 ...got home today to find another letter saying they were coming this weekend to take goods but i still had court if could not pay.....i managed to loan the money but the office closed 1pm and i just missed them...if they do come tom orrow will i be able to pay the money or will i be able to ignore door and pay over phone on mon..i terrifed to go work monday incase they come when i out......worried sick as just me and my 3 yr old girl....and couldnt bare losing her thimgs too....

 

Jen...i neeed help too.........

[blueboy987]

Provided they've never had access to your house before, do not let them in under any circumstances - so don't answer the door if they turn up. They cannot break in to your house unless they have had access previously, so just keep all your doors and windows locked and shut.

 

You should be able to pay them over the phone. Give them a call first thing.

 

Don't let them scare you, this is exactly what they are trying to do.

[ferrit071005]

Ah no,

 

think that where i at fault as they been in once back in september as i managed to pay something.

I got sis to put money in bank fot me in morning so i can [pay them asap tomorrow just worried they might turn up in meantime after i paid or just before....

 

does anyone know if they will be told from Equita that i cleared it tomorrow so they dont come or will they just turn up anyway....

 

i sat awake all last night listening to every noise and today....

 

scared i petrified especially about the prison part of it

[blueboy987]

There should be a phone number on the letter you just received for Equita and possibly for the bailiff it has been assigned to. Once you've paid it make sure that Equita know it has been paid (if you're not paying it direct to them), insist that they are informed immediately as you are due a visit.

 

Then confirm with Equita that they know it has been paid. Do the same with the bailiff if you've got their phone number. Keep calling everyone until they all agree it has been paid and that no further action will be taken.

 

Sometimes they don't pass the message on as quickly as you'd like and you need to ensure that if it is with a bailiff and they are scheduled to make a visit that they know it has been called off.

 

So keep calling everyone until you're happy. As long as you've got the money to pay it everything will be fine, as it makes it a lot easier for them all.

[ferrit071005]

Aww thank you...when i rang them they said no bailiff had been assigned to it yet...unless its the same one as before......

 

i will be paying them direct tomorrow as soon as money in bank......

 

I just so much a worrier I been manic with worry....thank you so much for the advise....

 

when i leave for work at 7:40 am i may have to use back door incase they watching......paranoid i know i just hope as i paying them direct it will go through....there is only equita tel number on letter no mobile number as b4

 

thanks so much

[tomtubby]

I think that there are three separate questions being asked on the same thread.

[Emma Royd]

UPDATE

 

apologies for not replying sooner but i've been having a birthday

 

 

Thanks to everyone for the replies.

 

I thought this would have been done and dusted Now Emma :grin:

So did I

 

Anyway to update...Got 2 letters saturday morning...one from council and a breakdown of costs from Equita. They both state that i'm on hold until 20/02/09. The council have sent me an income and expenditure form to fill in.

 

Now can somebody help me with this bit please.

 

Council letters says ' The amount of £334, which has been passed to Equita is outstanding from the financial year 01/04/2007-31/03/2008. It has been passed to them because a sumons was issued on 31 May 2007 resulting in a Liability Order being obtained from the Court Hearing on 21 June 2007 '.

 

This is the statement I got from Equita

 

STATEMENT

Bailiff Ref: xxxxxx53

Liability Order Date: 21/06/2007

 

Debt £364.00

Bailiff Fee £ 42.50

 

TOTAL £406.50

 

BALANCE £406.50

 

 

Bailiff Ref: xxxxxx57

Liability Order Date: 21/06/2007

 

Debt £334.00

Bailiff Fee £ 24.50

 

TOTAL £358.50

 

BALANCE £358.50

 

 

Sorry for being a thicko...but why have they got 2 different account numbers and 2 different totals when I only owe 1 debt?

 

Emma Royd

xx

[chris600uk]

Is the client ref the same?

 

If so, it'll be a mistake, so write to them, with all the usual email copies to uncle tom cobbly and all, and ask them to clarify suggesting they must have made an administrative error.

[sosumi]

It doesn't look like that other account is yours. You need to ask Equita to check their records?

Putting your account on hold till 20 Feb is at least a step in the right direction though - I hope.

Glad you had a good birthday xx

[Emma Royd]

Morning Chris and Sosumi

 

Had a lovely birthday thanks

 

Chris, on the statement they have sent me there is no client ref number at all, just my name. In fact the letter is on totally different Headed paper to the previous threatening ones and the envelope was plain. No indication that it was from a bailiff or DCA.

 

Emma Royd

xx

[Emma Royd]

Just to update:

 

I'm still having problems with Equita 2 months later. I paid all my council tax off online as advised during February and March.

 

After another couple of letters from Equita, I rang them(yes I know ) and told them that i'd paid. They said they'd not been informed by the council...so I also rang the council asking if they would call the bailiffs off.

 

Well yesterday I got 2 more letters...a reminder notice and a removal notice

 

And on top of that, had my new council tax bill saying i'm still £34 in arrears even though it's all been paid and I have receipts.

 

How do I get rid of these idiots?....The letters make it so obvious to the postman who they are from

 

thanks

Emma Royd

xx

Edited April 1, 2009 by Emma Royd
wrong dates :)

[blueboy987]

1. Call the council and demand that they call off the bailiffs immediately, lay it on thick about the worry over all the letters and threats of visits. If they won't call them immediately ask to speak to their supervisor. Make a note of the person you speak to.

 

2. Call the bailiffs one hour later to see if the council have called them.

 

3. If not, go back to step 1 and ask to speak to the person you spoke to before. Eventually the council will get sick of you calling them and will sort it out.

 

This final step can be a nightmare, but once its done it will all be over.

[Emma Royd]

Thanks blueboy

 

I've tried to ring the council tax recovery department twice this morning and they aren't answering their phones. Even the girl on customer services was embarrased because the call kept going back to her...she even tried a different number.

 

I'll try again after lunch. No point ringing now for 2 hours

 

Emma Royd

xx

[blueboy987]

Make sure you confirm with the bailiffs that the council have called them off, don't just trust the council when they say they've done it as they don't always tell the truth (been there). I hope you get it sorted quickly, it will be a massive weight of your mind when you do.

[Emma Royd]

Well I managed to get through to the council at ten to 3 and the lady says give me 2 minutes and i'll ring you straight back.

 

She came back to me at 20 past 3. She was right arsey....telling me it's my own fault because I paid the council direct when I should have paid Equita. I told her i'd rang up a couple of weeks ago and said it had all been paid...she again said it was my own fault as i'd been told twice to pay Equita.

 

I told her i'd taken advice and to pay the Council Direct. She then said well the advice i'd been given was wrong.

 

I told her i'm finding all these letters really stressful...and again she tells me it's my own fault

 

Where's the scream smiley aaarrrrrrggggghhhhhhhh !!!!!!!!!!!

 

Anyway she then said she would ring Equita straight away and call them off. I'll ring them at 4pm see if shes rang them.

 

Emma Royd

xx

[Emma Royd]

Ok i've just rang Equita and asked them to confirm they'd received a call from the council this afternoon.

 

He said ******* ****** had rang up at **** to confirm that £**** had been paid in full.

 

I then asked him if that would be the end of the letters. He said 'hold on let me check with my manager'. He was only a young lad, bless him

 

Came back and repeated the earlier phone call from the council and I then asked him to put a note on my account that if I receive anymore letters I will report Equita to the relevant body. The line went dead

 

Hopefully this will be the end of the matter. My first payment of 2009 is due today. Think i'd better show willing and get it paid.

 

Thanks again for all your help guys. I really need to pull my head out of the sand and get back to DCA fighting now.

 

Emma Royd

xx

[caro]

Glad to hear it's sorted Emma. Keep a note of everything just in case someone messes up, but sounds like you've got a result there. Well done.

[Emma Royd]

Thanks Caro

 

I have paperwork everywhere

 

Hopefully thats one less to deal with. They are coming at me from me at all roads at the minute. My crime?...getting made redundant

 

Emma Royd

xx

[caro]

Well at least one of them's off your back.

 

I see you've got a few threads going, but if you haven't seen the Getting Out of Debt Forum, you may have missed these excellent threads.

 

http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/getting-out-debt/73030-taking-back-control-your.html#post631564

 

http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/getting-out-debt/120603-how-get-out-debt.html#post1236035

Edited April 2, 2009 by caro

[Emma Royd]

Looks like we spoke to soon Caro

 

Just had a letter from Equita saying:

 

Dear Emma Royd

I write further to your recent communication and can confirm that the current balance on your account number ******** is £42.50.

 

Am I right in thinking I dont owe them any money? I have had no visits from them. Just threatening letters, all delivered by the postman.

 

thanks

 

Emma Royd

xx

[caro]

I don't know Emma. What do they say it's for? Have they sent anything showing how they've arrived at that amount?

[Emma Royd]

Hi caro

 

No the letter is exactly as I typed in the above post.

 

I've paid them no money. Everything was paid online direct to my council. They have never rang me, nor visited me and as I said before all letters have been delivered by my postman.

 

Emma Royd

xx

[lamb to the slaughter]

Hi caro

 

No the letter is exactly as I typed in the above post.

 

I've paid them no money. Everything was paid online direct to my council. They have never rang me, nor visited me and as I said before all letters have been delivered by my postman.

 

Emma Royd

xx

 

well if this is definately the case then you owe the bailiffs nout sweet nothing as they have performed no visits, take it all the way