Equita bailiffs, Help!

[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.

[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

[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 !