Equita Council Tax Debt - update nov2010

[distresseduser]

Hi,

 

I recently received a letter from equita regarding outstanding council tax for the current year. I had tried to contact them via their website as due to work i cannot call which i said in my contact. I had no response from this and when i have called them today as i have at last been able to they advised that the debt has been passed onto the removals officer who i have also spoken to today and they want me to pay in full on Friday. I should be able to do this however it means i cannot pay any other bill. They told me they no longer accept payment arrangements either. I wanted to make an arrangement with them which i what i have been stating from the first contact made with them which they did not respond to. I have also tried to contact the council who have told me they cannot do anything as it has been passed onto the bailiffs, surely they can stop action? i also applied for council tax benefit last year as my partner was not working due to injury and this was never applied.

Can someone please help me.

[wonkeydonkey]

Hi,

 

I recently received a letter from equita regarding outstanding council tax for the current year. I had tried to contact them via their website as due to work i cannot call which i said in my contact. I had no response from this and when i have called them today as i have at last been able to they advised that the debt has been passed onto the removals officer who i have also spoken to today and they want me to pay in full on Friday. I should be able to do this however it means i cannot pay any other bill. They told me they no longer accept payment arrangements either. I wanted to make an arrangement with them which i what i have been stating from the first contact made with them which they did not respond to. I have also tried to contact the council who have told me they cannot do anything as it has been passed onto the bailiffs, surely they can stop action? i also applied for council tax benefit last year as my partner was not working due to injury and this was never applied.

Can someone please help me.

 

 

You can pay the council direct on line (you will need your c/t ref no)

make part payments spread over the next few weeks (before end of financial year) and print off the receipts., If the Bailiff comes around DO NOT LET HIM/HER IN you do not have to deal with them, just give him a copy of the receipts and shut the door. Make sure all doors and windows are kept licked lthey do not have to use the loo,ring to see if granny is ok,speak with you in private,need a glass of water to take pills for a heart or come in to set up a payment plan. sign nothing if you have a car registered in your name get it into the garge or park it several streets away for you can be sure they will levy on it. This also applies to any thing you have in your garden (furniture etc).

YOU DO NOT HAVE TO SPEAK OR DEAL WITH THEM and DO NOT LET THEM IN.

 

wd

[distresseduser]

Thank you for this, when i spoke to the removals person, i said that i would pay friday, this was really stupid i know i will have the full amount to do it but means i will then end up in debt to other companies i can quite easily pay a couple of hundred without hassle.

[distresseduser]

Hi

 

I hope some one can help me very quickly. I have had a letter from Equita today stating that i have not contacted them despite numerous letters from them. I have contacted them and they have not responded. I have spoken to the bailiff and i am able to pay 50% of the monies owed i did think earlier in the week i would be able to pay the full amount but this is now not the case. the offices will not speak to me regarding this as it has been passed to a bailiff, i am worried about them turning up at my flat. i have contacted the council who have passed my query onto equita as i explained to them that equita will not respond to me. The council have said that i am making a reasonable offer. Can some one please tell me where i stand i do not understand a lot of the things people have put on here as i dont know all th ins and out of everything so if you can put it in simple terms it would be appreciated.

[hallowitch]

Hi

 

I hope some one can help me very quickly. I have had a letter from Equita today stating that i have not contacted them despite numerous letters from them. I have contacted them and they have not responded. I have spoken to the bailiff and i am able to pay 50% of the monies owed i did think earlier in the week i would be able to pay the full amount but this is now not the case. the offices will not speak to me regarding this as it has been passed to a bailiff, i am worried about them turning up at my flat. i have contacted the council who have passed my query onto equita as i explained to them that equita will not respond to me. The council have said that i am making a reasonable offer. Can some one please tell me where i stand i do not understand a lot of the things people have put on here as i don't know all th ins and out of everything so if you can put it in simple terms it would be appreciated.

 

 

 

This is nothing new they do this to try increase there fees

 

regardless of who you pay the bailiff will keep coming back as he wants a levy to increase his fees

If you don't have a car (or its on HP) and you don't let the bailiff into your house

 

you don't have to let the bailiffs in regardless of what he says he cant get you arrested he cant force entry (unless he has previously been in to levy goods )

 

keep all your doors locked windows closed remove anything from the garden they can levy lock garages and sheds

 

in other words batten down the hatches and pay the council direct on-line

 

And send a formal complaint letter (recorded delivery ) to the chief executive of your council regarding this

[distresseduser]

Hi

Thank you for this. I am willing to pay £600 of the money owed. if i pay this directly to the council what will the bailiffs then do? i do have a car and have no choice but to park it near my flat. we live on the top floor and keep all windows closed anyway. I have spoken to the bailiff over the phone regarding payment.

i hope you can help again

[distresseduser]

Hi

 

Can someone please confirm for me that if a bailiff calls and i do not answer the door then they cannot do anything?

[hallowitch]

I have spoken to the bailiff over the phone regarding payment.

what did he say

 

 

if i pay this directly to the council what will the bailiffs then do?

 

the bailiff wont be happy but there is not a lot he can do without a levy

 

i do have a car and have no choice but to park it near my flat.

if your car is on HP they cant levy it

 

 

if you chose to pay the council the bailiff will still come round trying to get a levy

 

If you pay the bailiff he will want to come to your house to collect payment and set up a payment plan for the rest (he will want to come in your house to levy goods to set this up )

 

keep your car a good few streets away from your home until your council tax is paid regardless of who you pay

under no circumstances let the bailiff levy goods

the most the bailiff can charge in fees without a levy is £42.50

[hallowitch]

Hi

 

Can someone please confirm for me that if a bailiff calls and i do not answer the door then they cannot do anything?

 

confirmed as i understand this is for council tax and he has never been in your home before

[distresseduser]

Thankyou for your response. I did think i was going to be able to pay the bailiff in full but do not have enough as i have had other payments taken from my account. I have spoken to them again and said i have enough to pay half. they said to call them again later. Since this i have been in contact with the council that have said they will put the account on hold for one week. Will this stop the bailiffs calling. If a levy is put on my car what does this mean?

[distresseduser]

No they have not been into my home. i have made my partner aware not to answer the door to anyone if they come round. i have not had any hand delivered letters so assume they have not even been to my home. I have been in contact with the council who have told me they have put a hold on the account for 1 week. will this stop bailiff action?

[viper0507]

Hi

 

i have just been through all this with baliffs for my council tax after some research i found.....

 

the baliff has got to gain peaceful entry so there not allowed to force there way past you or put there foot in door BUT they can climb in through an open window or walk through an unlocked door

 

they can charge you for 2 visits and no more until they have a walking posession order i think the charge for 2 visits is £42.50

 

if you have a car they can seize that without even being in contact with you so park in garage or away from your home

 

all i did in the end was refused to co operate with the baliffs and paid any money direct to the council and let them know this

 

think i annoyed the baliffs when they sent me a bill for over £200 for there charges so after telling them how to do there job i got it reduced to the £42.40 result

 

hope this helps a bit

[distresseduser]

Hi,

 

I have posted on here before regarding this howver just want a bit more advice. I have got an outstanding balance on my council tax with SODC. The bailiff is wanting full payment from me as when i tried to contact the equita offices after receiving a letter i could not get through as they were always so busy. Due to the nature of my job i am not always able to use the phone for personal calls. I also received al letter on saturday 27/2 dated 22/2 stating that i needed to contact their offices regarding outsanding monies owed and they had already passed the account to the bailiff at this point. I find this unacceptable but their offices will still not speak to me. I have half of the monies owed to them that i am able to pay immediately however the bailiff wants more from me. I have contacted the council who tried to hold the account for me but equita will not do this.

should i pay what i can to the council and get them to advise equita that i am paying or will this cause me more problems with the bailiff?

i have spoken to the bailiff and have been trying to arrange the funds so i can pay them in full but cannot get enough. I am panicing that my car will be towed by them as i fully own it.

can someone please help me as soon as possible as the bailiff has said that i need to pay today.

[ploddertom]

Hi,

 

I have posted on here before regarding this howver just want a bit more advice. I have got an outstanding balance on my council tax with SODC. The bailiff is wanting full payment from me as when i tried to contact the equita offices after receiving a letter i could not get through as they were always so busy. Due to the nature of my job i am not always able to use the phone for personal calls. I also received al letter on saturday 27/2 dated 22/2 stating that i needed to contact their offices regarding outsanding monies owed and they had already passed the account to the bailiff at this point. I find this unacceptable but their offices will still not speak to me. I have half of the monies owed to them that i am able to pay immediately however the bailiff wants more from me. I have contacted the council who tried to hold the account for me but equita will not do this.

should i pay what i can to the council and get them to advise equita that i am paying or will this cause me more problems with the bailiff?

i have spoken to the bailiff and have been trying to arrange the funds so i can pay them in full but cannot get enough. I am panicing that my car will be towed by them as i fully own it.

can someone please help me as soon as possible as the bailiff has said that i need to pay today.

 

If he has not attended you previously then you don't have a great deal to worry about - easy to say i know. If this is the case the most he can charge you is for 2 visit fees totalling £42-50. If he has been to see you previously and gained entry to make a levy of your goods then that is a different matter - but I assume you would have mentioned this.

 

There is no law that says you have to speak with or deal with a Bailiff. You can pay the Council direct either online via their website or by automated phone service. If you do print a receipt. You can keep doing this until you have discharged your Liability. Do not believe anything the Bailiff or his Company tell you, they will have you believe that paying the Council is illegal etc.

 

The matter of his fees will crop up at some stage but worry about that later. For now pay the Council direct and no don't tell the Bailiff that is his problem. I would however park your car well away from your home for the forseeable. If you ignore him he will eventually get bored and move on.

 

PT

[distresseduser]

He has not visited my home as far as i am aware, i have had no hand delivered letters or anything. The only place i am able to park my car is near to my flat. i have spoken to the bailiff and discussed payment to him. will this cause any further problems for me? i had been trying to arrange to get the full funds but cannot do this. i have 50% of the money he is asking for. Willl the council take back my account if i pay them directly?

[hallowitch]

I have contacted the council who tried to hold the account for me but equita will not do this.

 

your council employ Equita they make the decisions on your account not Equita

 

 

are you sure it was a council employee you spoke to some councils don't employ there own staff to collect council tax they contract this work out one of the firms councils use is called capita which is part of Equita

 

for this reason it is better to put everything in writing

[distresseduser]

I have been dealing with them by e-mail, is it a capita e-mail address that i have been communicating with them via. I don't like doing things by phone as i like proof. They came back to me today and said that equita will not hold the account as there is no reason to. i am trying my hardest to do all i can with regard to paying the account. i'm a mess due to this and cannot concentrate at work.

[hallowitch]

I would suggest to write a Formal complaint to the chief executive of your council

[distresseduser]

I have contacted a coucillor regarding the issue. however they are a bit slow at responding to me. I do have some council offices near to me at work and do not know if i could go in there and see if they can help me? it is not my council but they have now joined together from the info i have found!

should i pay the council direct, will this stop the bailiff?

[hallowitch]

paying the council direct will not stop the bailiffs unless you can pay the debt in full

 

 

write the formal complaint letter(send recorded delivery) stating that you have offered to pay half the debt and the rest by instalments and this offer was refused send copy's of e-mails sent and received

 

keep your car well out of the way until this is resolved

[distresseduser]

I cannot pay the debt in full at present, i did even try to get a loan to do this and cannot get one! Should i pay what i can direct to the council or through equita? when i said to equita i can pay some they said it creates more paperwork for them!! I am trying all i can to resolve this i only have e-mails i have sent through the council none from Equita as they would not respond to me and passed it straight to a bailiff which i think is ridiculous when i was trying to resolve it before it got this far.

[hallowitch]

It wont stop the bailiffs regardless of who you pay

If i was in your situation i would pay the council direct and make that formal complaint

basically saying that that the bailiff wont accept your payment Equita wont speak to you and capita are not interested in helping you either

[distresseduser]

Hi,

I have some outstanding council tax for the current year which has been passed to equita. I rec a letter from them on weds 3/11 and sent a letter to them the next day recorded. when i eventually managed to speak to someone my account had been passed to a bailiff, less than 7 days after the letter was dated is this right?? Also i cannot make full payment straight away what is the best thing to do???

 

Please help me

[Rothman]

Hi,

 

Someone with more knowledge than me will probably come along soon.

At this early stage no-one is going to be knocking at your door yet. When they do decide to come knocking do not let them in and make sure that all doors and windows are locked, speak to them through the letter box. Do not pay any attention to any claims that they are entitled to force entry or that they can get you arrested, they are lies!

Also, if you have a car either put it in a garage or move it several streets away.

Without gaining access to your home or your car there is practically very little they can do.

 

I suggest that since this is very recent that trying to make an arrangement directly with the council may still be possible.

[distresseduser]

Thank you for this. I spoke to equita and they said it has been passed to a bailiff and to contact them directly. i have had different opinions on what to do. some say pay equita some say pay the council. i have £190 i can pay straight away but that is it!! i do not want someone at my door! When i have rec letter from Equita a few yrs ago they sent about 10 letters before anything happened!