Equita bailiffs, Help!

[pregnant]

Hi, i am 5 months pregnant and have Equita chasing me for unpaid council tax.

I would like to add that our wonderful local council failed to tell us it had stopped the direct debits and only 1 month later took us to court without notifying us.

Anyway i owe them money which i do not have.

I have no savings, no money in the bank, and i am currently out of work. My husband works but we cannot afford to pay this debt plus the rent and household bills.

This morning i opened the door to a bailiff, oops!

He was quite understanding, but still wants the full payment. I didnt let him in, but was tempted just to let him come and take the furniture, although we dont have much and nothing of any value.

He said i could write to Equita and ask them to set up a monthly payment, but when i spoke to them last week on the phone they wanted quite a large payment first, which i explained i couldnt afford.

The bailiff has also added nearly 300 pounds to the debt?!

How can they charge this much?

I have heard i can get the council to take back the debt, how do i do this?

I would also like to know if the bailiff does come again will he take all my furniture? Will he take my car? its very old, only worth about 100 pounds!

I really dont need this added stress during my pregnancy, please help.

Any advise would be much appriciated.

[lamb to the slaughter]

hi and sorry to hear your plight, to be honest the bailiff has no right adding £300 to your case straight away, the first visit is £24.50 only if bailiff levies on goods can they then add a levy fee which is a percentage of the debt plus a £12 walk in pocession fee so i have no idea where they get £300 from.

 

My advice is to ring said bailiffs and find out where they get £300 from, see if council will take debt back but if not then make arrangement with bailiff but do not sign anything if the charges dont look right!!!!!!

 

if bailiff wants substantial amount upfront this is only to cover his fees, tell bailiff can only afford to pay a reasonable amount and stick to your guns, if bailiff does not accept then no go and speak to council and tell them bailiffs will not accept your offer!

 

i know many others will say not to deal with bailiff but sometimes you have no choice and you clearly want to sort this out, good luck

[Rachie1973]

Someone with some sensible advice will be along to answer you soon I'm sure Pregnant.

[lamb to the slaughter]

Someone with some sensible advice will be along to answer you soon I'm sure Pregnant.

 

 

this is why some dont even bother posting on this site anymore, if your not in the dont let them in brigade your clearly not welcome, well sometimes the only choice is to let them in, clearly if its avoidable then i would agree however this is not always the best course of action, like i said good luck to the op

[chris600uk]

Hi, i am 5 months pregnant and have Equita chasing me for unpaid council tax.

 

Then you fall into the "vulnerable" category and once the bailiffs are made aware of it in writing, a decent bailiff will

pull off the account and hand it back to the council.

 

I would like to add that our wonderful local council failed to tell us it had stopped the direct debits and only 1 month later took us to court without notifying us.

 

 

If you can show that that is true (I'm not doubting you) then perhaps the council will consider reinstating your original payment arrangements, although I can't see any reason they should in the regs.

 

 

I have no savings, no money in the bank, and i am currently out of work. My husband works but we cannot afford to pay this debt plus the rent and household bills.

 

You need to do and income & expenditure statement, because the council are perfectly capable of instructing the bailiff to accept payment at any rate they see fit - if they want to.

 

 

This morning i opened the door to a bailiff, oops!

 

Everyone makes mistakes......did he notice you were pregnant?

 

 

He was quite understanding, but still wants the full payment.

 

Of course he would, he's a bailiff, that's his job.

 

 

I didnt let him in

 

Yayy! Well done! That changes everything!

 

 

 

was tempted just to let him come and take the furniture, although we dont have much and nothing of any value.

 

Steady, steady, don't get carried away, with a deep desire to pay...

 

 

He said i could write to Equita and ask them to set up a monthly payment, but when i spoke to them last week on the phone they wanted quite a large payment first, which i explained i couldnt afford.

 

Please don't take this the wrong way, but you must stop speaking to people on the phone.

Please only write/email, that way you can prove what you said later.

 

The bailiff has also added nearly 300 pounds to the debt?!

 

Lets see, he knocked on the door, that's £24.50. You didn't let him in......good. He hasn't been in since. Right?

Answer is, he can't charge more than £24.50 for the 1st visit that didn't result in a levy.

 

 

I have heard i can get the council to take back the debt, how do i do this?.

 

You write to the bailiffs explaining that you fall into the category of "vulnerable" person and they should hand the account back, then send a copy to the council tax dept, your councillor and your MP. Don't miss anyone out.

 

 

I would also like to know if the bailiff does come again will he take all my furniture?

 

Not if he hasn't been inside your house.

 

Will he take my car? its very old, only worth about 100 pounds!

 

Well if it's old and knackered, he won't want to take it, but he'll seize it (levy on it) and charge you for that, and then if you don't pay up he'll take it.

 

Park it well away from your house, preferably outside a friendly neighbours house. Even better, sell it to your Uncle Angus for a fiver, register his interest in it on your insurance, and then the bailiff should leave it alone. But parking it away from the house is definitely the thing to do.

 

I really dont need this added stress during my pregnancy

 

That's the reason for the "vulnerable" category - to protect people like yourself.

Work out how much you can pay them.

Once the right kind of letter starts hitting desks or desktops you may find them all a lot more approachable.

 

Chris.

[chris600uk]

Perhaps I should have pointed out that I do belong to the "don't let em in" brigade.

 

However, there are times when people simply cannot face the stress of this, and if you get the council on your side they will get the bailiffs to accept a reasonable payment arrangement. Not all bailiffs are bad guys, some are just decent people trying to earn a living.

Don't think much of yours though....£300 fees, for what! If he didn't come inside the house then that was fraudulent in my view.

[lamb to the slaughter]

good posting as ever from chris whom clearly has more time than i do to reply to posts, i agree the bailiff must be in cuckoo land with his £300 so must be one of the bad guys, hopefully pregnant will take the advice offered and be ok, please remember to keep us updated

[FairPlay77]

Hi, i am 5 months pregnant and have Equita chasing me for unpaid council tax.

I would like to add that our wonderful local council failed to tell us it had stopped the direct debits and only 1 month later took us to court without notifying us.

Anyway i owe them money which i do not have.

I have no savings, no money in the bank, and i am currently out of work. My husband works but we cannot afford to pay this debt plus the rent and household bills.

This morning i opened the door to a bailiff, oops!

He was quite understanding, but still wants the full payment. I didnt let him in, but was tempted just to let him come and take the furniture, although we dont have much and nothing of any value.

He said i could write to Equita and ask them to set up a monthly payment, but when i spoke to them last week on the phone they wanted quite a large payment first, which i explained i couldnt afford.

The bailiff has also added nearly 300 pounds to the debt?!

How can they charge this much?

I have heard i can get the council to take back the debt, how do i do this?

I would also like to know if the bailiff does come again will he take all my furniture? Will he take my car? its very old, only worth about 100 pounds!

I really dont need this added stress during my pregnancy, please help.

Any advise would be much appriciated.

 

You DO NOT have to deal with the bailiff! The facts are these:

 

1. If you have not let the bailiff in and have not signed a Walking Possession form, which appears to be the case, the bailiff, who it seems has only made one visit, can only charge you £24. If he visits the property again, he can add £18 for his second visit but NOTHING thereafter so long as you do not let him in and do not sign a Walking Possession form

 

2. Technically speaking, you now owe the bailiffs £42.50. BUT it sems from what you say that they have ATTEMPTED TO OVERCHARGE YOU.

This is A CRIME. You know the saying that one good turn deserves another. Well here's a second saying: One bad turn deserves another.

Why the hell should you pay anything to the bailiffs considering that they have tried to cheat you.?They are not going to take you to court over the £42.50 that you owe, because to do so would expose their illegaility in front of a judge.

 

3. What you should do is this: If the bailiffs come again, do not let them in (they have no right of entry unless you have previously allowed them in) and keep your doors and windows closed. Do not speak to them if they knock on your door and beware of their standard tricks, such as asking you if they can come in and use your toilet! You should also write to their head office and explain that you are a vulnerable person and that, therefore, according to the rules they should hand the case back to the council. MAKE ALL FUTURE PAYMENTS to the council. Only pay them in instalments that you can afford.They have no right to refuse payment. You can speak to your council office about this, but if they turn nasty carry on making the payments anyway. You should also explain to the council that you are a vulnerable person (i.e. you are pregnant, have no work and very little money).

 

4. Also, if the council's jobsworths are unhelpful, contact your local councillor and explain your position to him or her.

 

5. Please remember that bailiffs depend on BLUFF AND BLUSTER. They habitually tell lies and pretend to have powers that they do not have. They most definitely cannot send you to prison, although this is one of their favourite lies. Nor, if you have never granted them access, can they break in to your home (unless they find an open door or window). They can take your car - if they can find it- but once they know you are a vulnerable person they should return the case to the council.

 

STAY STRONG and remember that the BAILIFFS ARE PAPER TIGERS and that the best people for you to deal with are the council.

[chris600uk]

£24.50 FP, he's only visited once.

 

I know I know I'm being picky....

 

And it was a better post than mine

[FairPlay77]

£24.50 FP, he's only visited once.

 

I know I know I'm being picky....

 

And it was a better post than mine

 

YOU'RE right about the £24.50 As he's only been once, she only owes £24.50 (the £18 only applies if he makes another visit). HOWEVER, as it appears he has tried to cheat her big time, she should respond by not paying him anything and only deal with the council, and there's sod all he can do about it!

[chris600uk]

I second that...

[chris600uk]

good posting as ever from chris whom clearly has more time than i do to reply to posts,

 

Thank you sir.

 

I'm a retired husband to a soap addict...........what else am I going to do?

 

I already know far too much about Neighbours, Home and Away, Emmerdale, Holby City, Coronation Street, Eastenders.

 

 

This is where I escape to

 

sorry pregnant, that was offtopic, hope you aren't a telly addict as well !

[Tau]

Thank you sir.

 

I'm a retired husband to a soap addict...........what else am I going to do?

 

I already know far too much about Neighbours, Home and Away, Emmerdale, Holby City, Coronation Street, Eastenders.

 

 

This is where I escape to

 

sorry pregnant, that was offtopic, hope you aren't a telly addict as well !

 

I am in the same situation with her indoors mate, enders comes on and Im out to me shed and on the puter.

 

Sorry off topic I know

[Mumof21985]

Hi pregnant

 

Please dont worry. This is my advice up to you if you choose to take it of course.

 

Write to EQUITA recorded delivery. Include an incoming and outgoing sheet and an offer of what you can afford each month to pay off the debt.

 

In the letter tell them you have sought the neccassary advice and you were told that the £300 charges were wrongly added. Tell them you would like a breakdown of what these charges are for.

 

I have been there with equita and they dont listen via phone, by sending a letter I have managed to get my case passed back FROM the baliff back to equita and have set up a payment plan.

 

Dont worry, and try your best not to let the baliff in your home.

 

I know it plays on your mind, I have a 3 month old baby and a 4 year old daughter so really didnt need the worry (Like yourself)

 

Best of Luck

 

Kerry x

[pregnant]

Thank you all for you advice and help, I feel much better now.

I will write a letter to Equita and the council explaining my situation, and asking the council to take back the debts.

I will keep you up to date with my progress, Thank you again.x

[tomtubby]

Sadly, with the severe effects of the recession, out office are finding that bailiffs are throwing the statutory fee scale out of the window and trying to get away with a much as they can. In this case, the fees are WRONG.

 

As I have said MANY times on here, it is VITAL that you WRITE to the bailiff company and do NOT rely upon telephone calls with a bailiff !!!

 

The following letter can be adapted:

 

 

To: Bailiff Company

Date:

 

 

Dear Sirs,

 

Re: Account reference.

 

I refer to the above account relating to unpaid council tax due to xxxx and the visit to my home by your bailiff Mr xxxx.

 

During this visit I made your bailiff aware that I am unable to pay this debt as I am currently out of work and 5 months pregnant. I do not have any savings and neither can I borrow any money from family or friends.

 

At the time of the visit, your bailiff advised me that he had applied charges of £300 for this visit.

 

Since this visit I have sought advice and I am now aware that due to my pregnancy it would appear that my circumstance are classed as "vulnerable" according to the National Standards of Enforcement Agents and that in cases such as this, your firm should consider returning this debt back to the local authority.

 

In addition, I am advised that your bailiff should have charged a fee of just £24.50 for "attending to levy where no levy was made". As a matter of urgency can you please ensure that you remove the fee of £300 with immediate effect.

 

Ca you please confirm safe receipt of this letter and confirm also that this account has been put on hold until this matter has been fully addressed.

 

Yours faithfully.

 

In your letter you state that you will be visiting/returning to my home to (seize/auction etc my goods.) unless full payment of (enter amount) is made by return.

 

The purpose of this letter is to advise your company that I believe that (my/our) circumstances fall within the category as contained within the National Standards for Enforcement Agents of “vulnerable situations”. The reason for this is that (explain your circumstances, and provide some evidence, if possible) see note below).

 

Accordingly, I would like to request that you do not visit my property as this would cause undue stress and anxiety. Instead, I would like to request that you (return this case back to the local authority/or accept payment terms as outlined etc)

 

I would be grateful if you could confirm safe receipt of this letter, and confirmation that (payment terms have been agreed/or case returned to the council)

 

I am copying this letter to my Local Authority. (ensure that you keep a copy)

 

 

 

 

 

Yours Faithfully.