Urgent Help Needed Please

[Nic C]

Hi, I hope that someone can help me. Last night I got home from work to find a hand delivered letter from Rossendales stating that it is a distress warrant for unpaid council tax and that I had 24 hours to find £1242.66 or they would be back to take my goods. i rang the bailiff immediately and begged him to take weekly payments. He said it was too late for that and I have to find the whole amount. He has given me a week to find the money, he told me to find someone to borrow it off. I just don't have it and i dont know anyone who does have. I'm a single parent with a 17 year old son who receives no benefits, my son has no job and receives no benefits either and I have been struggling to support us both on less than 17k a year for the last 18 months since my tax credits stopped. I'm absolutely terrified that they will come and take my goods. My 17 year old is scared to death of them coming back while I'm at work and breaking the door down.

 

I should mention that a couple of months ago i did have a different rossendales bailiff contact me about this debt and he said I could contact the office to set up an agreement, however the only paperwork I had was in a handbag that I lost and never got back. I did try to call Rossendales anyway but the girl that answered refused to speak to me about the debt as I didn't know my reference number. I asked her to send me another copy of the paperwork but she never did and i admit i forgot about it with all the other money worries i have trying to keep a roof over our heads.

 

What can I do? I cant get any time off work until friday and I have to ring the bailiff on friday to let him know if I have the money or for him to arrange to come and take my things. I am so scared, I have never been so scared in my whole 44 years! Please please help me.

 

Thank you so much in advance

[2ltr16valve]

Only advise I can offer is DO NOT ALLOW THE BAILIFF IN.... UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES !

 

Speak to them through an upstairs window or through the letter box, they will try all the tricks.. of, e.g. We can not hear you... We have a package for you... You have to sign for this letter... etc...etc....etc... If you can, keep your car hidden... out of sight... or locked in a garage, ideally not linked to the house.

 

Others will be along soon

[Nic C]

At no time has any bailiff entered my house. All dealings I have had with them and Rossendales has been over the telephone. I have never signed anything nor been asked to do so. I asked him yesterday if i should ring the council and he told me there was no point at all as they wont do anything and advised me to come up with the money fast.

[ploddertom]

Whatever happens do not ring him, they have very selective memories about phone calls - unless you can record the call of course. You are correct in keeping him out and advise you keep to this. If he cannot gain entry then there is not a lot he can do apart from hand it back to the Council eventually. Do you know what they have charged you so far? Is the amount mentioned the amount the Bailiff has told you or what the Council say? You should ring the Council to ask them.

 

PT

[ploddertom]

I asked him yesterday if i should ring the council and he told me there was no point at all as they wont do anything and advised me to come up with the money fast.

 

The Council will be instructed to tell you to deal with Bailiff. You could of course start to make payments direct to the Council using their website or automated phone service but you may have to allow for the Bailff visit fees.

 

PT

[Nic C]

I have no idea how much is the council tax and how much is the fees they have added on. I'll try ringing the council tomorrow. i've copied the template letter and will fax it to them tomorrow. When I've sent that letter in to them does that mean they have to back off or can he still come round demanding money? My sister wanted to phone him and expalin my circumstances to him and ask if he would accept payments from me. I'm so upset that when i did try to ring Rossendales to arrange monthly payments they just wouldn't talk to me cos i didn't have my reference number and she didn't send me they paperwork again so i could get my number. I'm absolutely terrified right now. i'm out of the house from 7am to just before 6pm mon to fri and my son who has emotional problems is scared to death too as well as feeling really guilty cos he cant find a job and is aware that it's because of me having to support us both with no government help and a low wage that has caused this to happen. I found a carving knife under his pillow this morning that he had put there because he's scared they'll break in.

[Nic C]

The Council will be instructed to tell you to deal with Bailiff. You could of course start to make payments direct to the Council using their website or automated phone service but you may have to allow for the Bailff visit fees.

 

PT

If i make a payment to the council then does that mean the bailiff will have to back off? To be honest I can only afford £40 a month, well cant afford that really, but I'll pay it. i just want to be able to feel safe in my house. It's never been a question of my deciding i cant be bothered to pay my council tax, just that it's over £100 a month and that's with my 25% off and I just couldn't afford to do it. i feel so awful, like i'm a failure and I'm just so scared. My mother keeps texting me to tell me I'm in serious trouble, and i know that already.

[ploddertom]

If i make a payment to the council then does that mean the bailiff will have to back off? To be honest I can only afford £40 a month, well cant afford that really, but I'll pay it. i just want to be able to feel safe in my house. It's never been a question of my deciding i cant be bothered to pay my council tax, just that it's over £100 a month and that's with my 25% off and I just couldn't afford to do it. i feel so awful, like i'm a failure and I'm just so scared. My mother keeps texting me to tell me I'm in serious trouble, and i know that already.

 

To pay this way you have to pay a regular amount on a regular basis and if that is only £5 per week then so be it, this also proves you are not refusing to pay. Providing you keep the Bailiff out then eventually it will go back to the Council - however they may decide to take it back to Court and you may have to submit I & E and the Court may set a payment level. Don't forget CT is classed as a priority debt and you may be told to forego paying Credit Cards etc - vicious circle I'm afraid.

 

PT

[ploddertom]

Any payments or letters that go back and forth to the Council will NOT stop the Bailiff calling or trying to enforce on you. From what you say about you being out leaves your son on his own to face any callers - best bet is an instruction to open the door only to those he knows. What he has under his pillow in my view is not a good idea at all and could lead to further problems.

 

PT

[fork-it]

Hi, I hope that someone can help me. Last night I got home from work to find a hand delivered letter from Rossendales stating that it is a distress warrant for unpaid council tax and that I had 24 hours to find £1242.66

 

If you dont have the money there is not alot the bailff can do about it. Put simply, they cannot take what you havnt got.

 

They will have to give you more time to pay.

 

or they would be back to take my goods. i rang the bailiff immediately and begged him to take weekly payments. He said it was too late for that and I have to find the whole amount. He has given me a week to find the money, he told me to find someone to borrow it off. I just don't have it and i dont know anyone who does have. I'm a single parent with a 17 year old son who receives no benefits, my son has no job and receives no benefits either and I have been struggling to support us both on less than 17k a year for the last 18 months since my tax credits stopped. I'm absolutely terrified that they will come and take my goods. My 17 year old is scared to death of them coming back while I'm at work and breaking the door down.

 

To set your mind at rest, it is urban myth that council tax bailiffs break down your door. it will never happen.

 

Just make sure you never let a bailiff into your house, even if that means putting the chain on the door or speaking through the letterbox. If the bailiff gets shirty then ask that he quietly leaves your property and you will speak to the council.

 

I should mention that a couple of months ago i did have a different rossendales bailiff contact me about this debt and he said I could contact the office to set up an agreement, however the only paperwork I had was in a handbag that I lost and never got back. I did try to call Rossendales anyway but the girl that answered refused to speak to me about the debt as I didn't know my reference number. I asked her to send me another copy of the paperwork but she never did and i admit i forgot about it with all the other money worries i have trying to keep a roof over our heads.

 

What can I do? I cant get any time off work until friday and I have to ring the bailiff on friday to let him know if I have the money or for him to arrange to come and take my things. I am so scared, I have never been so scared in my whole 44 years! Please please help me.

 

Stop faffing around with the bailiffs, they will only wind you up and pester you until you have paid. Speak to the council and see if you can set up a repayment plan you can afford. If you are not working then you must apply for benefits, this can cease enforcement: You may be classed a vulnerable person for the purposes of civil enforcement. http://www.dca.gov.uk/enforcement/agents02.htm#part10 If you need help from a professional body in dealing with bailiffs then Z2K might be able to help. http://www.z2k.org/supporting-vulnerable-households

 

Thank you so much in advance

 

One last thing, did the council write to you saying the intended to apply for a Liability Order in the magistrates court? - very important.

[fork-it]

I have no idea how much is the council tax and how much is the fees they have added on. I'll try ringing the council tomorrow..

 

The law that sets bailiffs fees for unpaid council tax is the Council Tax (Administration and Enforcement) Regulations 1992 and provides £24.50 for a first visit. if the bailiff charges you for work he hasnt done then he has cooked his own goose and you can make a complaint to the Local Government Ombudsman for being defrauded by a bailiff contrary to Section 2 of the Fraud Act 2006. http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2006/35/section/2