Andrew James again

[Puppysandwich]

Hi Guys, I've joined your forum after researching Andrew James Enforcement.

 

Last Monday I had a knock at the door from an Andrew James Baliff, he told me I had an outstanding Parking fine issued by The City & County of Swansea. The fine was £112.00 but he was demanding £401.59, he told me I had 5 days to pay it in full or he would take my car!

 

I admit I never paid the parking fine because we were going through a period of stress due to our mortgage company having applied for and been granted a repossession order for our home. Thankfully this is now resolved and we got to keep our home, but a few other bills went unpaid at the time.

 

Anyway, I rang Andrew James and offered to pay them £50.00 a month, explaining that this was genuinely all we could afford because we are a single income family. This offer was point blankly refused and I was told I had to pay the full amount by Friday or my car would be removed. I explained that I'm self employed and my car was required for work, again I was told that my offer would be put on the system but the recovery action would still go ahead on Friday.

 

Following this I contact the CAB and to cut a long story short they were useless, they put me in touch with the Community Legal Services, who told me they couldn't help me and gave me a number for a solicitors firm in Swansea, who couldn't see me before Friday. I then rang the councils parking dept. and explained the situation to them. within a couple of hours I had a call back from The parking manager telling me he had spoken to Andrew James and given them the authority to accept monthly payments from me. Relieved, I rang Andrew James to set up a payment plan. I was told that regardless of any phone call from the Parking Manager, they still wanted full payment by Friday or they would take my car!!

 

Once again i spoke to CAB who told me to visit the office in Neath the next day, which I did! Total waste of time, The advice I was given was to go home and read the information on the CAB website regarding Bailiffs!

 

I contacted Andrew James as a last resort to try and resolve this, but again it was like talking to a brick wall. I felt I had run out of options and couldn't get any help or advice, I was terrified of losing my car because without it I couldn't work and we would certainly lose the house this time if we failed to pay the mortgage.

 

In the end I rang friends and family and managed to beg steal and borrow the money to pay this debt.

 

I now feel emotionally drained and the more I have read over the weekend the I feel as if I've been ripped off.

 

Andrew James told me they had put a letter through my door prior to Christmas. I swear I never had any letter from them at any time! I want to make a complaint to somebody and I want an explanation of these ridiculous fees, I feel I was bullied and threatened and I'm not happy.

 

Can anyone advise me, should I start by complaining to the Council?

 

Thanks in advance

[wonkeydonkey]

I then rang the councils parking dept. and explained the situation to them. within a couple of hours I had a call back from The parking manager telling me he had spoken to Andrew James and given them the authority to accept monthly payments from me. Relieved, I rang Andrew James to set up a payment plan. I was told that regardless of any phone call from the Parking Manager, they still wanted full payment by Friday or they would take my car!!

Did you speak again with the manager at parking department?

 

WD

[king100]

Seems you have also been fleeced with the fees!!!!!

[Puppysandwich]

Yes I spoke to the Manager at the Parking dept, who was actually quiet decent about it, he even rang Andrew James and requested that they enter into a payment plan with me. This was ignored by Andrew James. I am now in receipt of information that proves to me that the fees levied upon me are unlawful and have written to Andrew James requesting a full breakdown of the fees applied to my account.