Jacobs & Durham County Council

[tallulah59]

Hi there,

Does anyone know if Jacobs still 'work' for Durham County Council? I had problems with them last year and all three of the bailiffs have left Jacobs (according to the register). Rumour has it that Jacobs have also lost their contract with DDC, but they might have just left of their own accord. The reason I would like to know is because my case is currently being investigated and it seems strange that 3 people have jumped ship and the council seem to have changed their preferred firm of bullies..oops, I mean bailiffs. I'd feel a lot better if I knew that this firm had been given the boot!

DDC put the tender out in January this year but there is no further info available. Is there somewhere I could find out which bailiffs are employed by local authorities? Any info would be great.

Cheers!

[hallowitch]

send your council a freedom of information request asking what bailiff firms they employ to enforce council tax arrears and parking tickets

 

please let us know if they got the boot Jacobs are my favourite bailiffs the more shxxe they in the more i like them

[wonkeydonkey]

Hi

 

You could ring DCC and ask them, but failing that you have the right to request the info under the Frredom of Information Act.

 

 

WD

[tallulah59]

Thanks hallowich and wonkeydonkey,

 

Will try and find out. Might send the council an email to remind them that we are still after them. I expect the chap from the complaints department who claimed they had done nothing wrong might have joined the amazing disappearing bailiffs. They should be in the circus, although it would be a bit frightening for the kiddies!

Will update any info once I have any.

Tallulah

[ploddertom]

"Bailiffs cannot act illegally and are covered by law if you feel they have done something wrong, you should first contact the bailiff or contact the council. You can also get independent advice if the bailiff is involved with collecting money from you, free confidential advice is available from your local Citizens Advice Bureau. If you need any more advice please contact the council."

 

Taken from Durham County Council website

 

PT

[tallulah59]

Hi,

Believe me PT, I have campaigned relentlessly to bring the council to book over this. I have shed loads of emails and letters. They even admitted themselves at one point that the bailiffs may have acted wrongly, but they have refused to do anything about it (apart from maybe sack them?). The case is with the LGO so everything is on ice at the moment. I may sound like a delusional idealist, but I believe we will get them in the end. I have a lot of patience (quite surprisingly, considering this involves those bar stewards Jacobs).

Tallulah

[ploddertom]

Does this relate to your thread from July 09?

 

PT

[tallulah59]

Hi,

Yes, I haven't posted for a while as I am still waiting to see what the LGO are going to do. I was also a bit suspicious about giving too much information as I know bailiffs use forums like this. The fact that all three bailiffs who closed down my husband's business (including one who could never be traced on the register) have now 'left' Jacobs has cheered me up no end.

Tallulah

[ploddertom]

I agree with what you say about waiting for the LGO. Have you checked to see if the others have surfaced anywhere else?

 

PT

[tallulah59]

Hi,

Tne vilest of the three has no employer listing, but is still registered, the one who claimed to be in charge is working for Phoenix Commercial Collections Ltd. and the other numpty, who tried to hide his car number plate, has never been traced on the register, although I have an email from Jacobs claiming he was a registered bailiff.

Tallulah

Edited October 15, 2010 by tallulah59
mistake

[ploddertom]

If they claim he was registered they have to supply the details if you requested them. Did you ever receive a breakdown of the charges applied? Did you ever SAR both Bailiffs and Council?

 

PT

[hallowitch]

Hi,

Tne vilest of the three has no employer listing, but is still registered,

a lot of councils have it written into the contract that there bailiffs firms cant sub contract out work

 

 

the one who claimed to be in charge is working for Phoenix Commercial Collections Ltd.

every possibility that that his bailiff certificate was void if he hadn't informed the court he had changed employers

 

 

and the other numpty, who tried to hide his car number plate, has never been traced on the register, although I have an email from Jacobs claiming he was a registered bailiff

 

Tallulah

 

did you phone the Ministry of justice to confirm his bailiff status

[tallulah59]

Hi,

just tried to reply to PT's question but was distracted and got logged out!

Yes. I have a breakdown of costs. They are as follows:

Rates due: £443.12

Visit Fee: £24.50

Schedule 5 Header Charge: £24.50

Removal Fees: £150.00

Attendance/Van: £150.00

Walking Possession: £12.00

Levy Fee: £39.00

Quickfit Removals, low loader for oven: £220.00

Eden Transport, for other goods: £70.00

Electrician, disconnection of the oven: £75.00

Bailiff Waiting Fees: £439.55

Total: £1,647.67

 

Now for the bad news. The reason I was distracted was because I have just received the LGO's response (uncanny, since I have tried not to think about this situation for over a year and as soon as I mention it in a forum I get a result). It's not a good one but at least it is provisional so I can challenge it. Basically, they are using the old chestnut that another remedy was available, i.e. we should have paid the whole amount and then challenged the fees in the Magistrate's Court. British justice, eh? How can you be charged removal fees for someone NOT to remove your goods? Will battle on though, as a lot of lies appear to have been told. Haven't confirmed the bailiffs status with ministry of justice but I need to dig up some info on the one who wasn't on the register.

Tallulah

[ploddertom]

I note one or two there that could be argued - particularly the Waiting Fee. I appreciate you state Visit Fee, Levy Fee & Removal Fee - were these all done on the same day or different? I have to go out but will be back tonight - hopefully I'll get time to some reading!!

 

PT

[hallowitch]

its not just the bailiff who you couldn't find on the register you should be checking out

 

send the council a letter/e-mail under a freedom of information request ask for a copy of there service level agreement with the bailiff company

this will tell you if they are allowed to employ subcontractors

 

bailiff 2 if he was still certificated to another firm his bond may have been cancelled (bailiffs cant work without this bond being registered with the court )

 

perhaps none of these bailiffs should have been collecting this debt

 

I would subject access request the council (they don't charge for this ) and the firm of bailiffs (£10cost) if you haven't done this already

[tallulah59]

Hi,

Thanks PT and Hallowitch,

I'm about to leave for work so won't be back online til around 7.30. Will take all your good advice on board and act on it (emailed the council this morning under the FIA to find out which firm of bailiffs got the tender which they advertised in January 2010. Couldn't help chuckling when I noticed that the new contract started on April Fool's day). All of the fees were done on the same day. They simply turned up and handed my husband a bill for £1,647.67. He offered to pay the original amount plus the attendance fees which came to around £700 but the council refused to accept this.

Tallulah

 

[hallowitch]

All of the fees were done on the same day

 

ohhhhh thats a big no no

 

and if he phoned the council to pay the full amount they will have recording of this phone call it will show up on a subject access request

[hallowitch]

This was posted by tomtubby it gives you an idea of what to expect in a screenshot but you will need to subject access Jacobs

 

 

 

A Screen Shot is a VITAL document because it is the COMPUTER RECORD of you ENTIRE account and it will show the following:

Amount of Liability Order

Date received

Details of any telephone calls made to to bailiff co.

Details of messages etc from the local authority

Brief description of your house (colour of door etc)

Name of any bailiff who has visited your home.

Details of whether a person was at home or not.

Details of any "levy" made on goods to include a number plate of vehicle.

Full details of charges put onto your account and by which bailiff.

[tallulah59]

Hi,

Thanks for that, I will SAR Jacobs and the council a.s.a.p. The reply from the LGO is full of inaccuracies (They claim that Jacobs took the goods immediately because my husband had told them he was closing the business and they 'feared' they wouldn't get paid, which is an outright lie). The LGO also mention the fact that it would have been better if the bailiffs had contacted the DVLA before illegally seizing my mother-in-laws vehicle, which was parked outside the factory, but the decision to release the car and waive the fees 'appears reasonable in the circumstances'! They only did this because I bombarded them with emails and threatened them with legal action and no uplift fees were waived, only the 'fees' for the return of the vehicle which the ignorant b******s tried to get ME to pay. Have received a reply to my foi from the council saying that they will contact me within 20 days to comply with my recent request.

Tallulah

[hallowitch]

Have you read this

 

 

http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?262730-Has-a-bailiff-quot-levied-quot-upon-a-car-that-is-NOT-owned-by-you-...-LOCAL-GOVERNMENT-OMBUDSMAN-S-Report-!!!!

[tallulah59]

Hi,

Yes I have, and it's very interesting! I am planning to use some of this info in my reply to the LGO. I have emails from the council saying that I should 'contact the bailiffs and arrange to pick up the vehicle'. I told them to get stuffed (politely, of course) and get their henchmen to return the vehicle to my mother-in-law at THEIR cost. They did so, but feebly claimed that it was only as 'a gesture of goodwill'. Both the council and the LGO do not appear to have a clue about illegal levying of goods. No wonder the criminal bailiffs run rings around them. They even manage to make these slimy maggots look slightly more intelligent than themselves (only slightly, though!).

Tallulah

[hallowitch]

There is a post on here somewhere and tomtubby explains why a bailiff cant be employed by one firm and work for another its about the bailiffs bond being cancelled when they move firms (i will post it up when i find it)

 

do you know its the distress for rent rules 1988 that covers the legislation for bailiff certification

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1988/2050/contents/made

 

sent you a PM

[tallulah59]

Hi,

Thanks. Have added link to my favourites and will have a good look at it. Of the three who attended, number one showed ID, number two skulked around trying to hide his face as I filmed on my mobile He was not on register, and isn't on now unless he has changed his name, number three, who was truly the most obnoxious piece of s**t I have ever come across in my life, claimed that he wasn't even a bailiff and had his own limited company (I have some of this on film). He was on the register and his employers was named as Jacobs. He is still on the register now, but his employer field is blank.

Tallulah.