Parking fine and bailiffs

[Bladesbird]

Dear All,

 

Apologies if this has been asked before however:

 

My partner received a parking fine from Sheffield city council. I normally deal with our paper work but last year I was heavily pregnant and in and out of hospital. So my partner never mentioned it and then forgot all about it. until we received notice that the fine had been deferred this to the Equita bailiffs.

 

My partner contacted them and agreed on a payment plan. We were told that we'd receive some payment slips in the post, these never arrived. So I emailed twice more requesting that the slips be sent out, they never were. So 14 days passed and we received a letter stating our file was now with a bailiff.

 

I then emailed them again requesting a breakdown of charges. We received this letter yesterday (dated the 13th November) -

 

Debt - 112.00

initial letter - 11.20

giro book - 4.85

V.A.T - 3.21

 

TOTAL 131.26

 

 

I tried to phone the bailiff yesterday to pay the full balance, she didn't answer my call. Then this morning I returned from taking my daughter to school, to find a hand delivered letter.

 

My partner rang her and as agreed on a payment plan of 50 pound a week. But she is saying that we now owe 376.00.

 

How can we owe a extra 245 pound in 48 hours ?

 

 

I would appreciate any insight.

 

Thank you.

[ploddertom]

Have you asked? Sounds yet again that Equita are front loading all fees hoping the debtor knows no better.

[Bladesbird]

Thank you for your reply.

 

I asked the bailiff yesterday how the fine can increase so much in 48hrs, even though the only thing that had changed was that we received a hand delivered letter.

 

Her response was that what happens when you don't pay a fine. So I asked her what costs had been had and she told me she didn't know. So I told her I'd contact her office again and ask for another breakdown of costs(which I have done).

 

Thanks again

[ploddertom]

Sounds to me as if the fees are all wrong, you need a current breakdown.

[seanamarts]

Sounds like 'she bailiff' is pulling a fast one.

 

Ive never seen a bailiff company charge for a giro book.

[old bill]

This bailiff is going the right way about losing her bailiff certificate. With Equita under investigation for fee irregularities and a large number of complaints against it currently being considered by OFT Credit Fitness Team, you would have thought Equita's senior management would have told their employees to toe the line. It seems not. Oh well, it will soon be "Adios Equita".

[tomtubby]

Does your husband have a car and if so, how old is it and roughly how much is it worth?

 

PS: The statutory fee scale DOES NOT allow for a bailiff to charge a fee for a Giro Book !!!

[seanamarts]

 

PS: The statutory fee scale DOES NOT allow for a bailiff to charge a fee for a Giro Book !!!

 

Thanks for clarifying that TT, I didnt think they could

[tomtubby]

The fees that can be charged are outlined in statutory regulations. Some bailiffs even attempt to charge an HPI fee. Not allowed either

[seanamarts]

Its amazing what they try and get away with. The little amounts that are added, which I suppose they think people wont notice. But they all add up at the end of the day.