help needed ccs enforcement baliffs letter today about parking fine

[tallica]

Hi all,

 

Recieved a letter yesterday from a baliff firm called CCS enforcement.........it says its regarding a parking fine from april and they will be visiting my home tomorrow to remove goods and also adding a £500 fee on for attending.

I didnt know anything about a parking fine from april, and i have not recieved any letters regarding this apart from this baliffs letter that landed on the mat yesterday.

I recieved a parking fine in october, which i appealed against, as it stated the reason for fine was not paying and displaying a ticket, but as i am disabled, i hole a blue badge which was clearly visable....the long and short of it is they fined me because the badge was invalid, as the council officer who issued the badge had written an incorrect date format " 29/DMR/2010".....the parking warden said that means nothing to them and it the expirery date should have been written either " 29/12/2010"...or...."29/DEC/2010".....anyway i appealed and have had the october fine quashed as it was the error of the council officer issuing the badge wrong. I have since got a correct badge issued.

I telephoned the baliff and said i know nothing about a fine from april, and had recieved no letters...and explained about the other fine being squashed. I asked how much i would have to pay and he said it was £450!!! i cant believe it....theres no way i can pay that im a disabled single parent. He said leave it with him and he would look into it, he would not attend tomorrow and would be back in the office friday and get back in touch with me.

I suspect this fine is for the same reason as the one in october...which again is the fault of the council and the incorrect badge issued. I am going into council offices shortly to enquire why i got this fine, and again i will request it squahed if it is the same reason.....

WHAT DO I DO ABOUT THE BALIFFS????

Iv never had any dealing with anything like this before, debt ppl and such.....im worried sick[/size]

[king100]

Hi all,

 

Recieved a letter yesterday from a baliff firm called CCS enforcement.........it says its regarding a parking fine from april and they will be visiting my home tomorrow to remove goods and also adding a £500 fee on for attending.

I didnt know anything about a parking fine from april, and i have not recieved any letters regarding this apart from this baliffs letter that landed on the mat yesterday.

I recieved a parking fine in october, which i appealed against, as it stated the reason for fine was not paying and displaying a ticket, but as i am disabled, i hole a blue badge which was clearly visable....the long and short of it is they fined me because the badge was invalid, as the council officer who issued the badge had written an incorrect date format " 29/DMR/2010".....the parking warden said that means nothing to them and it the expirery date should have been written either " 29/12/2010"...or...."29/DEC/2010".....anyway i appealed and have had the october fine quashed as it was the error of the council officer issuing the badge wrong. I have since got a correct badge issued.

I telephoned the baliff and said i know nothing about a fine from april, and had recieved no letters...and explained about the other fine being squashed. I asked how much i would have to pay and he said it was £450!!! i cant believe it....theres no way i can pay that im a disabled single parent. He said leave it with him and he would look into it, he would not attend tomorrow and would be back in the office friday and get back in touch with me.

I suspect this fine is for the same reason as the one in october...which again is the fault of the council and the incorrect badge issued. I am going into council offices shortly to enquire why i got this fine, and again i will request it squahed if it is the same reason.....

WHAT DO I DO ABOUT THE BALIFFS????

Iv never had any dealing with anything like this before, debt ppl and such.....im worried sick[/size]

 

You need to contact the council parking authority and ask what this parking ticket relates to?

 

You can fill out a stat dec form (I think in regards to this as well), but speak to the parking authority asap.

 

Just to make you aware, say you were accountable for the parking ticket, these are what the fees are likely to be.

 

Initial parking fee £50, doubles if not paid, then they add another £50 to fine.

 

Forgot court fee of £5.

 

Thats makes £155 ticket, as they have just sent a letter they can only add around £12 for the letter.

 

You have to pay £167.

 

If they visit they can charge a fee for the visit which if under £200 its 28% so that would raise it to £213.76.

 

They can only charge you for 3 visits. They cannot levy on your car as you are classed as disabled.

 

Do not let them in your house no matter what he says. Do not phone bailiff communicate in writing.

 

I have a feeling that he will visit and charge you even though he is asking for £450 and thats not the correct sum.

Edited February 9, 2011 by king100
forgot court fee.

[Surfer01]

I am not sure on the procedures but I would think that you can appeal it and get the clock re-set as you were never issued with summons or any other notification about the court case. Hopefully those more versed in this will be able to help better.

[tallica]

Hi

 

King, thanks for your reply....id feel a bit better if it did amount to £167, but the baliff on the fone said it was £450, that was without his visit!! When i asked why it was so much, he said its added his fees on....cant believe it is so high!!

Anyway, i went into my local council office, and spoke to the manager....he said he had been in contact with the parking offices to day, and recieved an email regarding my case. He said it had all been " delt with" and they had sent a letter to me telling me it was all sorted. I said well how come the baliff is coming tomorrow, he said they will be called off and that will be the end of the matter. On further enquiry, this april parking fine is for the same reason as the october fine, badge issued wrongly. I said to the manager, i hope they have squashed the april fine as thats what all the bother is about, and he said yes, its all been delt with, if the baliff comes just dont let him in.....but im not convinced my council have sorted it all, as the baliff on the fone seems to know nothing about it. I await this letter from the paring they have supposedly sent me, hopefully it mite come tomorrow and i can show the baliff it.

 

Hi surfer, thanks for your reply.....I have never recieved any letter or paperwork at all....i can only assume the wind blew the fine off my window or kids messing about pulled it off, i dont know.....but i certainly wouldnt just have ignored it and left it all this time, i would have appealed like i did for the october fine....im so annoyed about it all.....i cant understand how i have not recieved any letter or anything regarding this matter, but then i get a letter from a balliff....am i rite in thinking i would have recived a court summons then from what king says?? Anyway if no letter comes from the parking office tomorrow im going back in to hassel them....if i do end up having to pay this fine, will the baliff do a payment plan or something??? im a disabled mother and i just have not this £450 hes asking for....iv been into council today and made a formal complaint against the member of staff who issued the blue badge wrongly and explained all the hassel its caused me, and iv asked for them to pay all the costs involved, fine, ballif fees ect.... under there official complaints system.

Anybodys elses views opinions on this matter greatfully appreciated

Edited February 9, 2011 by tallica

[ploddertom]

Well it seems as if you may have a result, but beware the smiling assassin.

 

This has happened a few times on here where the Bailiff has supposedly been called off then hey presto next morning bright and early he is at your door denying any and all knowledge of being called off. I hope sincerely it has gone through but would advise you be careful for the next few days.

 

PT

[tallica]

Well it seems as if you may have a result, but beware the smiling assassin.

 

This has happened a few times on here where the Bailiff has supposedly been called off then hey presto next morning bright and early he is at your door denying any and all knowledge of being called off. I hope sincerely it has gone through but would advise you be careful for the next few days.

 

PT

 

 

thanks Plodder

 

i have just read a thread about baliffs and council tax and fees they can legally charge ect.....a few more questions

 

I foned the baliff and when asked what i owe he said £450....parking fine was for £50....i asked how it was so much he just said " its my fees and that"....is this correct he can charge all this?

 

In the letter i got off him yesterday it states that if he visits to take goods, he will charge £500....is this correct/ legal...can i be charged such a ridiculous rate?

 

Am i correct in thinking that because its a council debt and the baliff is acting on their behalf....can i just simple ignore this baliff and deal direct with the council??

 

I understand not to open the door to him, but do i simply ignore the door or speak with him at all through a window or such?

 

the council say today its all sorted out, but im not convinced

please someone reply!! thanks

[Thegreenpimpernel]

" have just read a thread about baliffs and council tax and fees"

 

It's a parking fine isn't it?

 

" its my fees and that"....is this correct he can charge all this?

 

His phrasing says it all. Yes, he can charge the (legitimate) fees, but not the "and that" bit.

 

You should inform that having looked at the regs, you agree to pay fees of £xxxx, and will gladly pay the "and that" portion on receipt of a court judgement or evidence that they are due.

 

I wish them luck finding the "and that" header in the regs / contract.

[tallica]

thanks Pimpernel.....

 

Thats what i wondered...are the council tax baliff laws the same as if its for a parking fine??...you say he can charge the legitamat fees, but what actually are they? Can they mount up to the £450 he is asking?

 

Do i pay nothing until he provides a breakdown of these?

thanks

[Thegreenpimpernel]

I don't tend to get involved with parking fines, but in the absence of someone who does:

 

I see many caggers get parking charges reverted back to the £150 odd original by applying to the traffic enforcement center (TEC) , via certain forms. A contributer called 'tomtubby' is a professional in this field and if you search her posts i'm sure you will see relevant information repeated again and again. A site search for TEC or Traffic Enforcement Center, should yield something.

 

I don't know the fees off the top of my head, but this guys figures are garbage, by a big margin.

 

As to your question, it's normal to be freaked out at this stage - your first experience. We've all been there, me included. If you follow the good advice, don't open the door etc. you will be fine.

Whether you want to talk to them through the door or not is upto you.

 

But be aware, they will probably bull ***t you about calling the police, forcing entry - summoning the Kraken - all nonsense.

 

Back in the day when i was subject to this kind of thing, after i had gone from 'hide behind the sofa mode', to 'empowered and informed mode' my favorite method was to sit at the computer (in sight of my front window and letter box, put on a pair of headphones (something loud), and tap away on the internet.

 

Sparing just the odd moment to turn to my right, smiling, nodding to the music and giving them the bird!!!

Edited February 10, 2011 by Thegreenpimpernel

[tallica]

" have just read a thread about baliffs and council tax and fees"

 

 

 

You should inform that having looked at the regs, you agree to pay fees of £xxxx, and will gladly pay the "and that" portion on receipt of a court judgement or evidence that they are due.

 

I wish them luck finding the "and that" header in the regs / contract.

 

 

Can someone explain what this means " having looked at the regs"....that are the regs?

 

sorry if i seem dumb but iv never had any runs ins with debt ppl b4, this is all new to me

[Thegreenpimpernel]

To be be frank tallica, i don't know the regulations, or enforcement contracts the bailiffs have with councils regarding parking fines / charges, but others on here do. They will be along at some point. I have a particular interest in business rates and council tax.

 

But having read many a thread on parking fines / charges, the amounts people pay are a lot less than you are facing at the moment. It also seems to be one of the easier areas to get 'justice' from the authorities.

[tallica]

Just found this on local councils website:

 

 

The progress of a PCN is as follows:

Processing Timetable

Cost to settle PCN

Activity Statutory Days Lower Higher

Issue of PCN Day One £25 £35

Deadline for discounted Payment Fourteen £50 £70

Issue of NtO (see notes below) Twenty Eight £50 £70

Deadline for receipt of Appeals Fifty Six £50 £70

See below for how adjudications effects PCN progress

Issue of Charge Certificate Fifty Seven £75 £105

(see notes below)

Issue Pre Debt letter Sixty Four £75 £105

Debt Registration Seventy One £75 £105

Warrant application (see notes below) One Hundred & Six £80 £110

 

 

my fine is classed as " lower"....and im assuming if its gone to baliffs, im at the bottom stage....warrant application.....statuary days 106.......so to clear it will cost £80....yet the baliff has said its goin to cost £450....can he really charge me £380 costs? all iv had is one letter, no visit!!!.....advice please!!

[king100]

He cannot charge you £380, you need to write to the bailiff company and the council concernin this. When you spoke to the council they said that the ticket was cancelled. You really need this in writing. You then need them to inform the bailiff this and state that you are not liable for any fees occurrd especially as they are not justified. Send them also a copy of what he says are his fees as well. Will post more when on proper comp and not phone.

[king100]

Road Traffic (parking penalties)

 

Fees

 

For preparing and sending a letter advising the client that a warrant is with bailiff and requesting the sum due £10 (this has changed to something like £12

 

For levying distress where the sum due is not more than £100 £25

For levying distress where the sum due is more than £100 25% (this has changed to around 28%) on the first £200 and 5% on any sum over £200.

 

For attending to levy distress but where no levy is made Reasonable costs, but not more than the fees that could be charged if a levy were made.

 

The fee for sending a letter to the debtor can be charged only if the letter is sent before a first visit is made.

 

Bailiffs are allowed to charge the fees for a maximum of three visits only.

 

Charges

 

Walking possession 50p each day for the first 14 days and 5p a day after that.

Valuation Reasonable fees, charges and expenses of the broker.

Removing goods or attending to remove goods where no goods are removed Reasonable costs and charges.

Sale of goods 15% of the proceeds of sale if the sale is held on auctioneer's premises to cover the auctioneers commission and out-of-pocket expenses, plus the reasonable cost of advertising, removal and storage.

 

OR

 

7.5% of the proceeds of sale where the sale is held on the debtor's premises to cover the auctioneer's commission, plus out-of-pocket expenses actually and reasonably incurred.

 

 

Ok so your ticket was £50, it would then increase to £100, if you didnt pay

 

Then to £150, then they would charge you £5 court fee.

 

1 letter with no visit

 

£167

 

1st visit

 

£213.76

 

2nd Visit

 

£200 @28% plus £13.76 @5% = £270.44

 

Where he thinks he has these charges is beyond me.

 

If he has written down these charges I would be enclined to start an official complaint about him. The council is liable for the conduct of the bailiff so you should address 2 letters. 1 to the bailiff company and one to the council.

 

 

From another website

 

Road traffic fines

 

Bailiffs collecting money owed for parking fines can charge you £13.16 for sending you a letter telling you that the bailiffs will come round, only if the date it is sent is before the bailiffs visit.

If they take 'walking possession', or actually take your goods away, they can charge for 'levying distress' - this is £28 if you owe less than £100. If you owe more than that the fee goes up. The rules are complicated - as a rough guide, if you owe £200 its £56, if you owe £500 its £72.50, if you owe £1000 its £100.

If they come round but can't do anything - for example, because you don't let them in - they can charge you reasonable costs of the visit. These cannot be more than the amounts they could charge if you had let them in, and they can only charge you for the first three visits. However, many firms will charge you for the cost of bringing a van on each visit, even if you haven't made a 'walking possession agreement'. Most firms make multiple attendance charges, increasing the amount you owe, often by hundreds of pounds. These can be challenged on the basis that they are disproportionate to the original debt and also because, if there has been no entry to the premises, it is not known if you have anything which could justify the addition of such large extra expenses. If these charges are high, get advice from your local advice centre.

If they take 'walking possession' they can also charge you 55p a day for the first 2 weeks, and 5p a day after that. And if they actually take your stuff they can charge you expenses for taking them, storing them, and valuing them. As well as covering their expenses, if they sell your stuff at an auction they can charge 15% of the total amount your stuff was sold for or 7.5% if it was auctioned from your home

[brassnecked]

If you get no sense, and the bailiff still calls and is insistent even when the council say he has been called off, get anything to the effect the tickets are cancelled in writing then you can show them to the bailiff if he is a pest.

 

Copy the whole sorry mess including "their cock -up" on the badges which means the whole sorry affair was their fault to the CEO of the Council, your Councillor and MP to highlight the inefficiencies in the administration of the Blue badges, and spurious charges resulting from mistakes down to them, reminding them that the council is liable jointly and severally for the actions of the bailiff and any consequential loss to yourself as a result of any wrongful levy by him to collect on the cancelled penalties

 

Others can offer more precise advice though, regarding the actual challenge,

[tallica]

UPDATE

 

well, i recieved two letters this morning from the council, one stating that the October fine has indeed been cancelled.....and one letter stating that the April fine, which this whole baliff mess relates to....HAS NOT been cancelled!! They say they are unable to cancel or do anything further as it has gone to far to the courts and is out of their hands....the letter suggests to fone the TEC and get an "out of time" statement....i have telephoned the TEC and the woman has emailed me the relevant forms, which i have just filled in and returned....the advisor says it will be done within 24 hours. Then just now, the council complaints dept rang me, and we went through the whole thing, she confirms that the parking letter is correct and because its gone too far after such a length of time, i have to get this out of time statement in place, which will hold off the baliff and no further action will be taken, and i have to start an appeal again about the parking fine....he council complaints advisor says she is keeping the file open should it not come to a satisfactory end, i can put a claim in for costs........I am now going to fone the council and try and fine out if i can speak to someone regarding getting a breakdown of costs....how much i owe basically, as this baliff must be trying to b****** me saying its for £450....but i need to be armed with this info incase he does turn up, yeah?

Also, someone said in an early reply the baliff cant touch my car as its disabled tax class....is this indeed correct? or do i need to " hide" it?? I keep thinking im gonna go out and find a clamp on it!!

Advise please of my next step anybody? thanks

[Surfer01]

If you have disabled road tax licence then they should not be touching it, but bailiffs tend to do their own thing. Every time you park up, put your Blue Badge on the dashboard and then they have no excuse and cannot clamp or remove your car.

[ploddertom]

Is your vehicle from Motability or your own with a Disabled Tax Disc? If the former a DVLA check will reveal Motability as the owner with yourself as the present keeper. If the latter then it reveals you as the Registered keeper but in both cases the Tax Disc gives the game away as being listed as Disabled. If you are in need of a new car then by all means encourage him to take it as you can replace it at his expense.

 

PT

[tallica]

Hi Plod,

 

the car is my own with a disabled tax disc....iv taken surfer's advice and put my blue badge in the window, so hopefully he wont touch it.....i sent the out of time statement to the tec via email, so hopefully that will be in place soon, keeping the baliff at bay and giving me chance to appeal....i really cant see why this fine wont be squashed as its the same as the october one...surely they cant do one without the other when its for the same reason

[ploddertom]

The wonders of how the Council machine ticks is something we will never fathom out. Fingers crossed for you.

 

PT

[Chris2121]

this seems to be an arm of (CCS Collect) to me be careful with these they are fruadulent company and i would advice you to report this to the baliffs accociation as im sure they can be done for this the adding £500 on for visiting as bristow and sutor did this with my dad £45 for visiting i contacted council as it was them who hired them and i demanded they pull it back and they did wait for the prank phone calls if it is an arm of CCS Collect yes if they have your phone number they will prank you approx twice per day and they use different mobile numbers very unprofessional could be some dodgy guys making a company to con people and harass them i would also report to OFT they may be able to tell you if its an arm of CCS Collect

[Thegreenpimpernel]

"be careful with these they are fruadulent company"

 

I'll second that.

 

They are part of the CCS / Birchalls / Rundle & Co axis of evil (basically the same company run from the same office.)

 

When they tried to hit me for £350 for one visit on one day, the lady in the office (after a long pause and deep breath) admitted that deliberatly falsifying charges was fraud.

 

The charges were ALL removed.

[Chris2121]

Submit complaint to OFT if we get enough complaints CCS Collect could lose their licence if we keep the complaints flowing the CCS **** wont be able to operate anymore i have so far submitted 5 complaints against CCS Collect all regarding prank calls

[Thegreenpimpernel]

Does the axis operate under one licence?

 

Or do they get three goes?

[Chris2121]

off hand really not sure i assume it would be 3 different licences 1 for each one but if one loses its licence then all 3 should because them being owned by the same people they wont let one lose its licence and 2 keep theirs as that would be asking for trouble