Equita and Council Tax

[jessicax]

My lodger received a bill from a previous property for council tax. He agreed to make weekly payments as to what he could afford to pay off the bill but the debt had been handed to Equita. He approached Equita with a payment plan of £100 per month but they said they would not accept less than £300. He has been making regular payments to Equita on what he can afford - 2 weeks ago, 50 then last Friday £40 and prior to this he paid the council £80 directly.

 

The bailiffs have been relentless. Today they arrived at my property and noted my car. I phoned them and said that the car was mine and they said they did not care that they would clamp it and leave it to me to prove it was mine. I pinned my car reg document - V5 to the window and they returned and couldn't take the car but were verbally abusive saying I am in breach of the requirements of law in not notifying they were staying at this property. Patently ridiculous as this is the address the council addressed correspondence, as have the electoral 'wotsits' and yet the bailiff said they are not on the electoral roll. Well, we have the postcards to prove they are.

 

The man was incredibly abusive. Threatened me and my property. But more to the point, if my lodger is making regular payments and paying what he can afford, then how can they continue to treat people like this. Does anyone have a letter template that we can send to Equita. We note from other forums that payments should be made directly to the City Council and not to Equita.

 

Your advice and help is, as always, greatly appreciated.

 

Kind regards,

JessicaX

[i hate bailiffs]

The bailiffs have no right to come to your property the council are responsible for the bailiffs and can stop it at any point

 

Make a formal complaint to the council

 

contact your local MP

 

it would probably be best to deal with the council direct as what you said the bailiffs don't want to know and tell council how the bailiffs have treated and threatened you

 

If bailiffs re attend you don't have to answer door nor speak to them any levy would be classed as invalid against your car as not the debtor property

[brassnecked]

Send Formal Complaints to Head of Revenues, council CEO, eleccted leader, councillor and MP, detailing how Equita are in breach of regulations, and also note that the council may have outsoueced the back office to a company called Capita who happen to own a bailiff firm called Equita, and another colloquially known as Ross 'n Robbers, see where this is going? Which council is this? As if it is a Capquita stitch up, there needs to be complaints submitted at the earliest opportunity.

[jessicax]

Send Formal Complaints to Head of Revenues, council CEO, eleccted leader, councillor and MP, detailing how Equita are in breach of regulations, and also note that the council may have outsoueced the back office to a company called Capita who happen to own a bailiff firm called Equita, and another colloquially known as Ross 'n Robbers, see where this is going? Which council is this? As if it is a Capquita stitch up, there needs to be complaints submitted at the earliest opportunity.

 

We wrote to the local MPs and the council. We have made payments directly to the council. The bailliffs will not back off and now keep calling and texting saying they are going to get a warrant for arrest issued. The council have now replied with a letter that states:

 

"Thank you for your letter in respect to Bailiff action on the above account.

 

I note that you will need to call Equita Balliffs with any issues you may have in respect to Equitas collection of your outstanding council tax debt.

 

We are unable to recall the debt from Equita and you may need to discuss a payment arrangement with them. I also note that all payments should be made directly to Equita.

 

Please do not hesitate to contact us should you have any further queries."

 

THe issue is that Equita will not accept payments that we can afford and the council won't negotiate.

 

Arrghhh. What to do. It is Peterborough City Council.

 

Kind regards,

[AndyOrch]

Hi jessica

 

I have unapproved your attachments as you have left personal details showing.

[wonkeydonkey]

This would be my reply to that disgusting letter.

 

Dear Sir,

 

Thank you for your letter of (date)

 

That you suggest you have 'note' to the effect I need to call Equita Bailiffs to seek a resolve to the difficulties I have encountered with them, suggests you further 'note' Equita are not prepared to discuss my complaints to them other than to regurgitate the nonsense that is the cause to my complaint.

 

Peterborough Council as you will be aware, are vicariously liable for their appointed bailiffs, that it is apparant they are also failing in their obligation without reason, positions me to advise you, future payments to a debt previous to Council Tax, will in future be made direct to Peterbourough Council and I ask you also 'note' that should your appointed bailiffs continue to harass my household, I will take the matter through your official complaints procedure on to a complaint with the Local Government Ombudsman after calling the Police to report the threats being levied to that household.

[jessicax]

thankyou to everyone and particularly wonkeydonkey for the draft. we used the letter almost verbatim although added in that equita had threatened contacting our employer and issuing a warrant for our arrest. we received the attached reply from peterborough city council (and pretty quickly i might add). not the perfect result but a perfectly satisfactory outcome so to anyone else in the same situation, i recommend wonkeydonkey's letter and this course of action.

[jessicax]

it didn't come out clearly, so below the text from teh letter:

 

"Thank you for your recent letter in respect to arrears and Bailiff action on the above account. As per my previous letter the outstanding debt will remain with Equita and will not be recalled from them.

 

However, I have been in contact with Equita to advise that you have started to make payments towards your debt and they have set up an arrangement of £25.00 per week. This is in line with the payments that you have been making. The arrangement will stop the Bailiff from attending your home providing payments are made each week.

 

Payments can be made directly to Equita or the Peterborough City Council.

 

Equita will write to you to confirm the arrangements.

 

Please do not hesitate to contact this department if you have any further queries.

 

Yours sincerely,

"

[tomtubby]

Good response BUT do you know what charges have been applied to your account by Equita Ltd?

[jessicax]

Good response BUT do you know what charges have been applied to your account by Equita Ltd?

We have written to Equita and the Council to have the charges dropped as they called at the house after payments were already being made. I will keep you informed.