Equita - Council tax debt HELP!!

[tinkerbell65]

Hello

 

I am a single mum to 4 kids and recently two of them turned 18 (twins) and as such i was waiting for my new council tax benefit to be processed. In the meantime i was being billed the full amount by the council while my claim was being processed. I could not pay it, and i really did try to pay it, i sold all my jewelery and some of the kids games.

Now my claim has gone through and that is ok but i am still being chased for the debt.

 

I have agreed with the council to pay the outstanding debt at a rate of £10 per week but the baillifs Equita are still chasing me. When i spoke to them and explained that i now have an agreement to pay off the debt they said the fee's were for there time, which totalled £196!!! They have never called out to my house and all i have received from them is threatening letters about them coming out to take my goods.

 

Where do i go from here? There is now way i can afford to pay this amount and they will not leave me alone. Whenever i contact the council they say it is out of there hands now and that i owe the baillifs the money so i should pay them the fee's. I am at my wits end and feel like i am going to have a mental breakdown.

[josephbloggs]

Equita send a letter and charge a 1st visit fee where they should visit. They do this with a 2nd visit as well. Most shocking of all is they send a removal notice letter adding levy and attendance fees when they have never done a visit, only then will someone call out on should in effect be the fourth visit but is really the first. If you have the letters still they will of come with stamped envolopes. If you have this proof tell the council, they probably have no idea its going on, this shocking tactic is the reason they have recently lost council contracts and im sure i read they are under investigation.

[unclebulgaria67]

I thought that the bailff fees were £24.50 for a first visit and then £18 for a second visit.

 

Suggest that you contact the council and make a complaint about the bailiffs trying to make charges that they have not done the work for. They should try to help you and if they don't ask to speak to a manager about this.

[hallowitch]

get this sent of to Equita by e-mail also copy it to the revenues department of your council

 

can you tell us what council it is

 

when you did pay who did you pay council or equita

 

 

 

To:

Acme bailiff Co

Bailiff House

Ref: Account No: 123456

Dear Sir

With reference to the above account, Can you please provide me with a breakdown of the charges.

This includes:

a - the time & date of any Bailiff action that incurred a Fee.

b - the reason for the fee.

c - the name(s) of the Bailiff(s) that attended on each occasion a Fee was charged.

d - the name(s) of the Court(s) the Bailiff(s) was/were certificated at.

e - the date of the Certification.

 

This is not a Subject access request under the Data Protection Act S7 1998 so does not incur a fee of £10. You are obliged to provide this information.

I require this information within 14 days.

Yours faithfully

Ripped off customer"

[tinkerbell65]

Thank you for your advice, i have sent the email off to Liverpool city council and also to Equita.

 

I paid Equita the sum that i owed at the time, i think was £146 and i still owe more to the council but i have reached an agreement whereby i pay £10 a week to pay it off. However I now have this fee. Can the bailliff take goods for these fee's even if they are not legal (albeit not for that amount?)

[hallowitch]

Ok you need to contact the council and ask how much of your £146 was paid to them by Equita (this can be done by phone when you get the answer to this come back and tell us how much they have taken in fees ) everything else should be done in writing by e-mail

 

when you pay a bailiff/firm they are allowed to take there fees first from any payments made so don't expect the full £146 to have been paid to your council

 

your council employ a back office provider to administrate council tax this firm is Capita who just happen to own Equita bailiffs

 

don't let the bailiffs into your home don't even answer the door to them if they return legally the bailiff must have peaceful entry to levy or remove goods (you must keep your door locked they can open it and walk in windows closed at all times till this is sorted)

 

do you own a car ?