Equita council tax arrears

[Elffie01]

Hi there

 

We are currently in arrears with our council tax for april 2011 to March 2012

 

I previously made a payment arrangement with the council directly, made one payment and unfortunately couldnt make the rest

 

Today we received a hand delivered letter from Equita bailiffs. This is the first time we have seen or heard from this company

 

It states

 

- Payment due in full - 24 hours

 

£1005.50 ( our council adjustment states £900)

 

It also states No further arrangements are acceptable and payment is now required in full by clear funds only - We have NOT made any payment arrangements with this company !

 

It also states - i will re attend at your address with immediate effect and may remove goods even in your absence

 

also - No contact will be taken as your refusal to pay

 

All stamped behind it with FINAL NOTICE

 

 

 

I am terrified that they ill turn up tomorrow and remove items. We cannot pay this amount in one go, its just not possible.

 

We have signed nothing with this company and this is the first I hacve heard of therm.

 

 

I have read on here not to contact them and not to answer the door,but this is stating no contact is refusal.

 

Please help.

 

Thanks

[cerberusalert]

moved to the Bailiffs forum.

[brassnecked]

There is no law that says you have to deal with a bailiff, and if you deny them entry, hide cars etc and deny thejm a levy there is little thay can do.

 

Ask the council, how much you owe

How many liability orders they have for you

how much they are for

When were they obtained

When were they passed to the bailiff

 

You couyld pay direct to the council using their online or telephone payment system, an amount you can afford every week regularly on the same day without fail, to build up a paymernt history but will have to allow for some bailiff fees. the key is to deny them a levy,

 

What council is this? Some councils have outsourced their revenue departments to a company called Capita, who own a bailiff company called, Equita......

[Elffie01]

hi thanks for the quick reply, my head is in bits

 

Its with Coventry council. As i said this is the first I have heard of this company, so unsure how to proceed.

 

I have read a bit on here and wont be answering the door, nor letting them into the house to write down items ( im assuming thats the Levy?)

 

I will pay some on the council website tomorrow against the reference number i have from the council, ( which is the same as the bailiff reference) but it wont be anywhere near the full amount probably only £20

[Elffie01]

Also, I might add

 

I have just checked to see if the bailiff is certified.. via a link posted on another thread on this site and his name doesnt show..

 

Company is Equita Name of bailiff is C Withers ... unless I am looking at it wrong . If this is the case what does that mean for me ?

[wonkeydonkey]

Hi Effie and welcome to cag.

 

Please try not to let yourself become worried about this, easy said I know but you have come to the right place to get all the advice and help you will need to put this matter to bed. It is a fact nothing will happen overnight and these things do tend to drag their heels which can wear you down only if you let them.The advice by caggers in that you do not have to speak or deal with a bailiff is correct and that they will attempt to tell you differently is also true but you must steel yourself to disregard all the empty threats they will throw at you.

 

Make payment to the Council by their online atuo payment system at an amount you find is affordable and sustainable to you, do this on a regular basis eg: £20 every Friday, adopting this action shows you are not refusing to pay and it cannot therefore expose you to a threat of arrest or imprisonment, which is without a shadow of a doubt the way Equita will try to convince you need to deal with them alone.

 

You say you owe £900 to the Council for this years Council Taxwhich suggests they will be looking for approx £40 pw to clear thecurrent years CT by 31st March

 

Obviously if you cannot afford to pay this amount we need to look at your circumstances and then compile a letter clearly outlining these to the Council.

 

Hope this helps and again do not worry over this. WD

 

Do you claim CT rebate?

 

Do you claim any benefits?

 

Do you have any reason to suspect you could be classed as vulnerable from the list below

 

 

Those who might be potentially vulnerable include:

 

1. the elderly2. people with a disability

3. the seriously ill

4. the recently bereaved

5. single parent families

6. pregnant women

7. unemployed people

8. those who have obvious difficulty in understanding, speaking or reading English.

Edited October 11, 2011 by wonkeydonkey

[ploddertom]

Also, I might add

 

I have just checked to see if the bailiff is certified.. via a link posted on another thread on this site and his name doesnt show..

 

Company is Equita Name of bailiff is C Withers ... unless I am looking at it wrong . If this is the case what does that mean for me ?

 

The list isn't always 100% accurate you should ring the MOJ to find out if he is listed.

 

PT

[The Ghost]

Good posts Wonky and Ploddertom. The only thing I would add is when you say you're going to make a payment tomorrow, be careful. Make sure that before you make any payment you work out what you can realistically afford, then pay it religiously, the same day, every week, week in, week out.

 

Meanwhile keep a very detailed record of all bailiff activities. They can be pretty determined, so steel yourself and as above do not let them in. If possible record them either on video or a voice recorder (most mobiles have these now) so you have a record. They will slip up before you do, as long as you stick to your repayments, then we can look at getting the council to take it back.

[brassnecked]

Just for the record, there is NO LAW that says you cannot record ofrfilm the bailiff in fact there is now a bone of contention with Marstons who are trialling those buttonhole cameras beloved of council parking enforcement operatives. A reasonable system is a cctv camera recording sound and video located in the porch, that puts a time/date stamp on the video.

[Elffie01]

thanks for the replies all

 

The situation is i start work at the end of the month so payment amounts 'can' go up but would prefer to keep at £20 a week and if i have extra pay a lump sum off it when i can

 

The bailiffs are due again today if the letter is anything to go by. Should I talk to them? Or just ignore the door?

From reading other threads im not so sure how to go about this.

I have read some answer the door and others dont.

 

I am also assuming they cannot gain entry unless something is open like a door/window?

 

I have made a payment of £20 today online and will do so from now on every Wednesday

 

We are not eligible for CT benefits or rebates and not classed as vulnerable. Just lazy in paying the CT ( i admit it )

 

thanks all for the help so far, still worried but not as much lol

[wonkeydonkey]

thanks for the replies all

 

The situation is i start work at the end of the month so payment amounts 'can' go up but would prefer to keep at £20 a week and if i have extra pay a lump sum off it when i can If £20pw is all you can afford then that is what you pay, if you can see your way to clearing the balance by the end of March that would be an end to the matter and all you will then owe is the £42.50 in Bailiff fees , they can be paid also at an affordable rate.

 

The bailiffs are due again today if the letter is anything to go by. Should I talk to them? Or just ignore the door? This would be the 2nd visit and last time they can charge you, if they want to make further visits then that is entirely up to them but they cannot add any further fees for doing so. From reading other threads im not so sure how to go about this.

I have read some answer the door and others dont. Do not open the door to them and you will not be faced with their vile threats, speak to them from an upstairs window or through the letter box if you feel the need to tell them you are paying the Council direct.

 

I am also assuming they cannot gain entry unless something is open like a door/window? That is correct so if you refuse them entry their is little else they can do. As you are making regular payments they cannot say you are refusing to pay.

I have made a payment of £20 today online and will do so from now on every Wednesday It is vital you never miss this payment

 

We are not eligible for CT benefits or rebates and not classed as vulnerable. Just lazy in paying the CT ( i admit it )

 

thanks all for the help so far, still worried but not as much lol

that is only natural but you will worry less as the weeks go by.

 

 

They will try to levy on goods and cars are their favorite food, if you do have a car there are ways in which you can protect it and of those the easiest is to "sell" it to a family member or close friend and change the V5 to their name. Any items you have outside is fair game to them so if you have goods of value out there get them inside or under lock and key.

 

WD

[Elffie01]

I have actually made a payment of £25 today not £20 and will do so every week on Wednesdays. the total bill is for £900 but the bailiff amount is £1005.50.

 

I am now concerned about the cars, my partner works from 7.30 -7 so his car is away from the house from 7am till between 6 - 8pm. Mine is at home with me at the moment as I dont start my work training till the 31st Oct. I can however park mine away from the house.

can they take the car if it is needed for him to get to work ? Im assuming they can.

 

The council tax is in his name so I'm assuming they cannot take my car ? Or am I wrong?

 

 

What is my next step of action in regards to bailiffs/council ? Is there any form/letter I should be issuing to them.

 

I printed a receipt off for my payment. Is it worth drawing up a letter stating the offer of payment and sending a copy to the bailiffs and council ? Also asking for the debt to be reclaimed by the council.

 

I have read people asking for the breakdown of fees included in the bailiff total.Should I be doing this ? Will this stop any bailiff action on the cars ?

 

also I am still in doubt about the 'Bailiff in Charge' as his name doesn't come up on the search, I have rung but only get automated answer and it still doesn't come up on that.

 

Another thing is, can they issue a 'Final notice' if it is the only notice they have ever issued ? Nothing has been received from this company prior to this hand delivered letter.

 

 

Sorry for all the random questions thrown, just when I think we will be okay I read more and then more doubt pops into my head

[brassnecked]

They WILL take your car as they regard any motor, even a random one parked outside as fair game to ground a levy, If you can hide it a few streets away it would be better, They have been known to clamp motors at 5:30 in the morning and may even call at 6am, they could also call up to 9 pm Monday to Saturday, but not on Sunday.

 

Ifyou follow wonkeydonkey's advice you should be OK, but pay every week without fail, and if you can keep the bailiff from making a levy all will be well.

[wonkeydonkey]

Have sent you PM

 

WD

[caledfwlch]

They WILL take your car as they regard any motor, even a random one parked outside as fair game to ground a levy, If you can hide it a few streets away it would be better, They have been known to clamp motors at 5:30 in the morning and may even call at 6am, they could also call up to 9 pm Monday to Saturday, but not on Sunday.

 

Ifyou follow wonkeydonkey's advice you should be OK, but pay every week without fail, and if you can keep the bailiff from making a levy all will be well.

 

But of course, do remember what scamps the local Chavs tend to be.... its amazing how many clamps get cut off cars and sold for scrap metal! And not of course thrown in the nearest river/canal.

[brassnecked]

But of course, do remember what scamps the local Chavs tend to be.... its amazing how many clamps get cut off cars and sold for scrap metal! And not of course thrown in the nearest river/canal.

 

Correct Caledfwlch, these chavs are everywhere, I think some even carry portable angle grinders whilst looking for clamps to nick and weigh in at the scrappy, along with a few Corsa shells