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Reasonable amount to offer Equita when on benefits?


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I have two unpaid parking fines from March, that have been sent by Manchester City Council to Equita. I have had a total saga with Manchester (presumably run by Capita, who of course own Equita) denying they receive any correspondence from me. I paid the original parking fees using pay-by-text but accidentally registered a rental car registration with one character wrong. MCC deny they can retreive this information ("it's run by another company", etc) and place all the burden of proof on me - which makes it very difficult.

 

Anyway, to cut a long story short, I now have two demands from Equita to pay £96 on each in court costs, original fine and an Equita charge of £12 + VAT.

 

They are only giving me three months to pay - demanding £69 a month. I am on JSA and am completely broke. What amount can I offer? They say on the phone that they cannot accept less. Aren't they obliged to consider hardship?

 

Can I offer a small amount like £2.50 a month? Do I have any legal rights in this situation? It seems that the entire system is designed to work against me.

 

How should I phrase the letter to Equita?

 

thanks

James

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Am i right in thinking you have paid both of these fines before bailiffs got involved??

 

how did you pay card?

car will be vulnerable to bailiffs at this point

 

As I read the OP (and I could be mistaken) they paid for parking at the time but, because they were unfamiliar with the vehicle because it was a hire car, they put a slightly wrong registration number down therefore, when the database was checked, there was no valid ticket for the car in the parking space so they ended up with the pcn's.

 

Does the OP have anything on their mobile phone bill that shows they did indeed make payment on the date/s in question and something from the car hire company to show they had an unusual car to normal hence their error in the registration?

 

Feebee_71

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whatever the answer is if it was sounds like there was a payment if that is the case bailiff action should stop and a investigation by the council

 

i have never known the council to make a mistake as we all know they can do nothing wrong

if there is proof of payment bank statement ect it can be resolved easily

If i have helped in any way hit my star.

any advice given is based on experience and learnt from this site :-)

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Apply to the council to have this paid through your JSA. It is usually about £3.60 odd a week. They shouldnt refuse to do this, if they do contact your MP.

 

Just out of curiosity, can you do this with Council Tax accounts that are with bailiffs? I've got a friend who's forking over her entire monthly child benefit to a bailiff co. (which company it is escapes me at the minute).

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just out of curiosity, can you do this with council tax accounts that are with bailiffs? I've got a friend who's forking over her entire monthly child benefit to a bailiff co. (which company it is escapes me at the minute).

 

yes

If i have helped in any way hit my star.

any advice given is based on experience and learnt from this site :-)

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yes

 

Thank you.

"Then they came for me--and there was no one left to speak for me". Martin Niemöller

 

"A vital ingredient of success is not knowing that what you're attempting can't be done. A person ignorant of the possibility of failure can be a half-brick in the path of the bicycle of history". - Terry Pratchett

 

If I've been helpful, please click my star. :oops:

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Just out of curiosity, can you do this with Council Tax accounts that are with bailiffs? I've got a friend who's forking over her entire monthly child benefit to a bailiff co. (which company it is escapes me at the minute).

 

And I bet she's been had for the charges they have applied as well. Get the details and we'll see if she may be due a refund.

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I've just spoken to her - the company is Bristow and Suitor. As far as I can tell, the only charges that have been applied are 2 x £42.50 for bailiff visits, one visit where she spoke to the bailiff but did not let him in, and another where a notice was pushed through her door while she was out.

 

Sorry, feel like I'm derailing the OP's thread....if anyone tells me that the charges applied are unreasonable, I'll start a new thread for her.

"Then they came for me--and there was no one left to speak for me". Martin Niemöller

 

"A vital ingredient of success is not knowing that what you're attempting can't be done. A person ignorant of the possibility of failure can be a half-brick in the path of the bicycle of history". - Terry Pratchett

 

If I've been helpful, please click my star. :oops:

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I've just spoken to her - the company is Bristow and Suitor. As far as I can tell, the only charges that have been applied are 2 x £42.50 for bailiff visits, one visit where she spoke to the bailiff but did not let him in, and another where a notice was pushed through her door while she was out.

 

Sorry, feel like I'm derailing the OP's thread....if anyone tells me that the charges applied are unreasonable, I'll start a new thread for her.

 

charges are wrong!!!!!

If i have helped in any way hit my star.

any advice given is based on experience and learnt from this site :-)

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Just out of curiosity, can you do this with Council Tax accounts that are with bailiffs? I've got a friend who's forking over her entire monthly child benefit to a bailiff co. (which company it is escapes me at the minute).

 

She is classed as vulnerable if she is a single parent and/or on benefits.

 

The council should be made aware of this

 

http://www.justice.gov.uk/downloads/courts/bailiffs-enforcement-officers/national-standards-enforcement-agents.pdf

 

look under vulnerability section.

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Vulnerable debtors are not supposed to have an account left with a bailiff, where a deductible benefit is in payment are they? Well Dossendales think that they should extract the maximum from people who have nothing along with crapquita, judging by their reluctance to recognise any obvious vulnerability.

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The bailiff: A 12th Century solution re-branded as Enforcement Agents for the 21st Century to seize and sell debtors goods as before Oh so Dickensian!

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Hi guys. advice on this thread has been really interesting. I'm going to see her tomorrow evening and will start a seperate thread for her when I have full information, so as not to hijack this one more than I already have!

"Then they came for me--and there was no one left to speak for me". Martin Niemöller

 

"A vital ingredient of success is not knowing that what you're attempting can't be done. A person ignorant of the possibility of failure can be a half-brick in the path of the bicycle of history". - Terry Pratchett

 

If I've been helpful, please click my star. :oops:

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Just out of curiosity, can you do this with Council Tax accounts that are with bailiffs? I've got a friend who's forking over her entire monthly child benefit to a bailiff co. (which company it is escapes me at the minute).

 

Mine refused to take mine back as they say can only have 1 attachment to benefits at a time and I have 2 liability orders so they refused to take it back!

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How much to offer Crapquita, diddly squat, council should have the account, wait a minute aren't Capita the back Office? Complaints to MP regarding the Crapquita stitch up.

We could do with some help from you.

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The bailiff: A 12th Century solution re-branded as Enforcement Agents for the 21st Century to seize and sell debtors goods as before Oh so Dickensian!

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As I read the OP (and I could be mistaken) they paid for parking at the time but, because they were unfamiliar with the vehicle because it was a hire car, they put a slightly wrong registration number down therefore, when the database was checked, there was no valid ticket for the car in the parking space so they ended up with the pcn's.

 

Does the OP have anything on their mobile phone bill that shows they did indeed make payment on the date/s in question and something from the car hire company to show they had an unusual car to normal hence their error in the registration?

 

Feebee_71

 

Your understanding is correct.

 

When I initially phoned MCC Parking to remonstrate, they adamantly refused to help, stating that the Pay-by-Phone system is "run by a different company". Clearly they have this formula well worked out.

 

I have now paid the first installmant to ripoff Equita (although it hasn't stopped them sending further threats!), so have some time to sort this properly.

 

I have the bank statements showing the pay-by-phone transactions on each day in question. I don't have the original texts and my operator does not itemise text numbers or store them that long.

 

What is my best way to appeal this now, am I too late to apply for N244 type of action and will that cost me more? Is there some independent adjudicator I can write to?

 

Talking to the Council by phone is monstrous and offensive. They deny they had paperwork I sent them. They refuse to check with the pay-by-phone company. They insist that the matter is only resolvable with the TEC and Equita.

 

Any advice on how to appeal this now much appreciated. I would also like to hear how I can get my money back from Equita once appealed if an appeal is somehow possible.

 

thanks

James

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Your understanding is correct.

 

When I initially phoned MCC Parking to remonstrate, they adamantly refused to help, stating that the Pay-by-Phone system is "run by a different company". Clearly they have this formula well worked out.

 

I have now paid the first installmant to ripoff Equita (although it hasn't stopped them sending further threats!), so have some time to sort this properly.

 

I have the bank statements showing the pay-by-phone transactions on each day in question. I don't have the original texts and my operator does not itemise text numbers or store them that long.

 

What is my best way to appeal this now, am I too late to apply for N244 type of action and will that cost me more? Is there some independent adjudicator I can write to?

 

Talking to the Council by phone is monstrous and offensive. They deny they had paperwork I sent them. They refuse to check with the pay-by-phone company. They insist that the matter is only resolvable with the TEC and Equita.

 

Any advice on how to appeal this now much appreciated. I would also like to hear how I can get my money back from Equita once appealed if an appeal is somehow possible.

 

thanks

James

 

I cannot see why you would pay a first installment to the bailiffs?

 

you will get no where on the phone have you made a formal complaint to the council in writing?

 

have you contacted local MP and councilors ?

 

as you have paid in the first place nothing more than a mistake

 

Stop paying bailiffs unless you are happy to pay car is vulnarable at the moment

If i have helped in any way hit my star.

any advice given is based on experience and learnt from this site :-)

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I cannot see why you would pay a first installment to the bailiffs?

 

you will get no where on the phone have you made a formal complaint to the council in writing?

 

have you contacted local MP and councilors ?

 

as you have paid in the first place nothing more than a mistake

 

Stop paying bailiffs unless you are happy to pay car is vulnarable at the moment

 

I paid them because I know from past experience that they are ridiculously uninterested in facts or dealing properly with cases and would only cause me grief with evening pounding on the door, etc. I have no vehicle so am not concerned about them taking that, just seeking to get them off my back for a while. Maybe that's a mistake but it seemed right at the time.

 

Writing to MP and councillors seems a waste of time as I am not from Manchester.

 

I did send full information by post to MCC Parking, but they simply claim they never received it. Tactics again. They lie and lie on the phone, they are rude, abrasive and uninterested in anything other than making a fast buck for Crapita as far as I can tell.

 

I am thinking of writing to the Chief Executive of MCC with full details querying how they can claim the Pay-by-Phone system is nothing to do with them, as it is clearly advertised as the payment method for them on all meters. It seems they want their cake and eat it.

 

However it does seem clear that I also need to know if there are any legal recourses left, as I assume that I will just get a bland reply back saying they have referred it to Crapita and Crapita state that I need to pay the penalties, etc.

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Formal complaint to council followed to taking things further to local government ombudsman

 

MP route still worth doing

 

Regarding bailiffs they have no right of entry so no levy little they could do:-)

If i have helped in any way hit my star.

any advice given is based on experience and learnt from this site :-)

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Formal complaint to council followed to taking things further to local government ombudsman

 

MP route still worth doing

 

Regarding bailiffs they have no right of entry so no levy little they could do:-)

 

When you say "formal complaint", is there anything specific that makes it more "formal". Eg, are there specific things I should raise? I am concerned that they will just send it to the Parking contractor they use (Crapita) and simply repeat their version.

 

What legal appeal steps if any are still open to me?

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When you say "formal complaint", is there anything specific that makes it more "formal". Eg, are there specific things I should raise? I am concerned that they will just send it to the Parking contractor they use (Crapita) and simply repeat their version.

 

What legal appeal steps if any are still open to me?

Mark the letter Formal Complaint in capital letters on the envelope and as a title on the letter, address to Head of Parking council CEO, Elected leader, councillor and MP.

We could do with some help from you.

PLEASE HELP US TO KEEP THIS SITE RUNNING EVERY POUND DONATED WILL HELP US TO KEEP HELPING OTHERS

Have we helped you ...?         Please Donate button to the Consumer Action Group

If you want advice on your thread please PM me a link to your thread

The bailiff: A 12th Century solution re-branded as Enforcement Agents for the 21st Century to seize and sell debtors goods as before Oh so Dickensian!

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