Landlord sent Bailiffs around

[cherryDebt]

Hi All

 

I reaaally hope someone can help me. I have been living at a flat through a housing association for over 3 years now. From November 2011 until March 2012 I wasn't able to pay my full rent every single month due to some financial issues I was going through at the time. Since April 2012 things have been better for me financially so the housing association agreed on a repayment plan to clear my debt. I have not defaulted at all since then, however 2 weeks ago I received a letter shoved through my door from a company called Churchill Recovery Solutions Limited and that letter was typed on a letter head from my housing association.

 

It said that they came on behalf of my housing association to carry out a Tenancy Audit

 

It was even signed on behalf of (Housing association) with a photocopied signature.

Beside that signature is another photo copied signature from a Field Sales Manager of Churchill Recovery Solutions.

 

I am very confused and a bit worried because they have just shoved another letter through today. I hope someone can give some advice.

 

xxx

[renegadeimp]

CRS are just debt collectors. Not bailiffs. A bailiff cannot be called unless you have a CCJ against you which you have failed to pay, the court request that you return to court to explain non payment, and the creditor has been back to court for further enforcement orders. The people that came to your door were doorstep collectors, who can be told to go and jump off a bridge.

 

Can you post the letters you got from them, minus any info? And have you spoken to the Housing association to find out whats going on?

[cherryDebt]

Thanks for your input renegadeimp. Here is the letter:

 

One of our field agent representatives has called at your property today on behalf of (Housing association) in order to carry out a tenancy audit.

 

Could you please contact our field agent xxxx on his mobile number xxxxx to arrange for a visit to your property to complete the relevant information.

 

Yours sincerely

 

I haven't called the Housing association yet, as I am paranoid that they will inform those debt collectors that I am avoiding them. I speak to my rent officer every week to pay my installments and she hasn't mentioned anything to me.

CRS couldn't have fraudulently used the housing associations letterhead?! Its a very badly photocopied letter.

[renegadeimp]

Ok. Thats a doorstep collector for sure and not a bailiff.

 

DCA's and doorstep collectors have no legal rights, so you dont have any reason to worry about them whatsoever. First chance you get, pop down to the HA and ask them whats going on. That would be the best advice for now. They have no reason at all to contact a DCA that only has the power to ask for payment, if you are already in a arrangement and havent defaulted on it.

[cherryDebt]

Thank you so much, I feel much better now.

 

I will see the HA tomorrow and find out whats going on.

 

Thanks again x

[renegadeimp]

One other thing, did they say they are bailiffs, or did they leave any info claiming they were?

[cherryDebt]

No the letter doesn't say they are bailiffs but I don't really know the difference between all these various debt collectors discussed in this forum.

[renegadeimp]

Ok thats good. Breathe easy and get a good nights sleep. Theres nothing really to worry about. let us know what your HA has to say about them getting DCA's involved when you already have an arrangement to pay and havent defaulted on it.

[cherryDebt]

I will. Thank you very much for your help today x

[seanamarts]

Please keep us posted, I would be interested to know why the HA have decided to involve the debt collectors when you have not defaulted on your repayments.

[cherryDebt]

Hi everyone

 

I am back with an update! Called the HA yesterday and spoke to 2 rent officer neither of them had any notes on their system in regards to sending debt collectors around. This afternoon I called back and managed to speak to my allocated rent officer and confirmed that she did not send any requests to send them around. She promised to send out an email to one of her superiors to see whether they have anything to do with it - however he won't be in the office until Monday.

 

What exactly are Churchill Recovery Solution playing at? Has this happened to anyone else before?

[brassnecked]

Looks like another automated system, that sends accounts to debt recovery, without human intervention. many public bodies systems will do this if an account is in arrear after a set period

[seanamarts]

Looks like another automated system, that sends accounts to debt recovery, without human intervention. many public bodies systems will do this if an account is in arrear after a set period

 

It looks like it brassy. This sort of thing should not be happening.

 

I hope it gets sorted and they are called off. In the mean time I would just ignore the debt letters until you know more.

[brassnecked]

It looks like it brassy. This sort of thing should not be happening.

 

I hope it gets sorted and they are called off. In the mean time I would just ignore the debt letters until you know more.

Guess who is one of the companies offering these "integrated automated IT solutions" to the Public Sector? It's Capita the many headed hydra of course!

[seanamarts]

Guess who is one of the companies offering these "integrated automated IT solutions" to the Public Sector? It's Capita the many headed hydra of course!

 

[uk007]

Capita AGAIN.....

[brassnecked]

Capita AGAIN.....

The system may or may not have been supplied by them in this case, but they do provide automated IT systems to the housing sector and local authorities.