Chandlers bailiffs arrived today regarding unpaid Council Tax

[GR McD]

I opened the door this morning to find a bailiff on my doorstep. This was over Council Tax from 2011/2012 I think. He gave me a copy of the liability orders when I spoke with him.I was surprised as had forgotten I owed this, especially as I thought my husband had put it all in his name now and had been handling it. I do know at one point deductions were being taken from his wages, but they stopped when he lost his job. He is now back at work and I'm thinking he hadn't expected this to happen either.

 

As I can hardly talk at the mo due to laryngitis, the bailiff asked me to get my hubby to call him to make an arrangement. Hubby phoned him and the guy will be coming round tomorrow to do paperwork and make an arrangement. Seems we have to pay £50 straight off which we won't have until hubby gets paid. I don't work due to health issues and hubby is on a very low wage so is concerned we might struggle if they expect big repayments every month.

 

Am I right in thinking we shouldn't let the bailiff into the house as that gives him access another time, or is that old thinking these days?

 

Any advice on how we should handle this as I'm dreading losing our belongings.

 

Thanks.

[renegadeimp]

No. DO NOT let him come into your house. The second you do, he will perform a levy and your debt will increase substantially. If he comes, take him to the garden gate and speak to him there. Keep all vehicles a good 10 min walk away.

 

Do NOT pay the bailiff, and instead pay the Council direct through their online payments. That way, you will only be charged a visit fee by the bailiff, and even though they will shout and stamp their feet, there is absolutely nothing a bailiff can do. Even when they hand the LO back to the council or court, you can show you have been making payments direct to the council, and that will continue, or an AoE will be made.

 

If you let the bailiff in ( which is what he wants) then the whole game changes.

[GR McD]

OK thank you for this advice, will make sure my husband knows not to let him in and we will need to move our cars. Does it matter that he already saw them today? Or that our lounge window is at the front and if blind isn't down you can see in the house?

[renegadeimp]

IF he hasnt performed a levy on them and given you acopy, then get the cars moved a good distance away, as bailiffs are known to check the local area for it. They can look in the windows all they want, if they can get in to your house, then they can perform a levy, which is why you need to refuse them entry and keep all windows and doors locked.

 

 

My advice would be to ignore the bailiff if he comes round and deal with the council direct.

[GR McD]

Nope am sure he hasn't as all he did was hand me copies of the liability orders from the Council. Think my obvious lurgy was putitng him off having any dealings with me!

[GR McD]

My husband said he did have an attachment of earnings when he was working and was paying all this off then. He lost his job and went onto JSA and the payments stopped, he heared nothing more from the Council and knew nothing about a bailiffs visit. He wants me to query all this with the Council in the hopes we can get it taken back from the bailiffs and pay the Council direct. The bailiff had mentioned we'd have to pay £25 for him to do a levy so our first payment would be £50 for their charges. He now thinks it best to tell the bailiff it will be queried first with the Council before we make an arrangement so not to bother calling round. If he does, we won't answer the door and I said to hubby we need to move our car and bike away for the day!

Will we have any luck getting the bailiff to wait awhile until we talk to the Council?

[renegadeimp]

If you ignore the bailiff, then all that can happen is he wil shout a few times and pass the debt back to the council. If you are paying the council direct, then theres very little the council can do. Even a court would agree to you continuing repayments or reactive the AoE.

 

Don't fall into the bailiffs trap and start talking to him and allowing him access to your home.

[GR McD]

Can he still levy on our vehicles though if he turns up here anyway?

[renegadeimp]

Not if they are nowhere around. He needs to be physically able to touch them to perform a levy on them. If you keep them a good 10 mins walk away, then he will find it impossible. If you have an outside shed that isnt attached to the house, then he could levy things in there. But again, just ignore him completely and all you owe are his visit fee's and nothing more.

 

I think what you need to do is start payments to the council immediately and inform them you are doing so.

 

 

One question i forgot to ask earlier. The LO's. Are they the original ones, or additional enforcement LO's due to the AoE being stopped.

[GR McD]

So we still need to move them tomorrow just in case? Am planning to pay off a large chunk anyway to the Council, just don't know when it will be as waiting on some funds to come through. Maybe I can get the Council to put a hold on the bailiffs in the meantime if I'm lucky!

Out of interest, since our vehicles are parked right in front of our house, I asusme he can pop back at anytime and levy them?

[Homer67]

Move the cars away from the house at least 10 minutes walk away. Re-read the above advice, it's all good.

 

Do not agree to pay anything to the Bailiff.

 

IMO I would not even answer the door to him and just contact the Council on Monday and make your payment, do not let the Council tell you you can't make a payment.

[GR McD]

I will do, we can move our vehicles to the local shopping centre car park and keep them there for awhile today. I will then get onto the Council on Monday and see if I can get things sorted through the bailiffs held off.

 

Really good advice from this site as always. So nice to have somewhere to turn to when you don't have the answers yourself

[matt v atos]

The council may say its been passed to the bailiff and you have to deal with him this is rubbish they will try and fob you off stand your ground !

[renegadeimp]

100% agree with matt. Just keep paying the council direct through their online payments system, and inform the council each time a payment is made. Keep receipts, and the absolute worse that will happen is that an AoE gets put to your husband again.

 

As i said before, the bailiffs will stamp their feet and shout, but all they are legally allowed to charge is two visit fee's max, which comes to £40 something.

[matt v atos]

First visit 24.50 second 18.00 depending on who the bailiff is !

[renegadeimp]

Thats a good point. Was this a regular bailiff or a HCEO? If it was a HCEO, then its a completely different set of rules you need to play by.

[ploddertom]

HCEO's don't collect CT.

[renegadeimp]

Thanks for the clarification PT. My mistake, but works in the OP's favour

[zydeco]

If the bailiff can see you through your front window hope for a very wet, windy, snowy day and laugh as you film him but do not let him in, let him freeze outside.

 

If he seems dehydrated or needs to take his tablets you may turn your hosepipe on to refresh him or supply him with water.

 

If he seems at deaths door you may, if you wish, call an ambulance but under no circumstances allow him entry to you domicile.

And watch out for the miraculous recovery when the ambulance arrives.

[matt v atos]

If the bailiff can see you through your front window hope for a very wet, windy, snowy day and laugh as you film him but do not let him in, let him freeze outside.

 

If he seems dehydrated or needs to take his tablets you may turn your hosepipe on to refresh him or supply him with water.

 

If he seems at deaths door you may, if you wish, call an ambulance but under no circumstances allow him entry to you domicile.

And watch out for the miraculous recovery when the ambulance arrives.

 

The best one is can I use your loo !

[zydeco]

The best one is can I use your loo !

 

Forgot that one,

Simple answer, " should have gone before you came out"

[lookinforinfo]

The best one is can I use your loo !

 

Another one is can I use your photocopier so that I can get a copy of the levy.

[matt v atos]

Anyway guys the OP has been given some good advice regarding this matter the screw is tightening on these bailiffs.

[zydeco]

Another one is can I use your photocopier so that I can get a copy of the levy

answer, "why, got no lead in your pencil?"

it's all about letting the OP know that bailiffs are just things to tighten screws on, ouch.

[brassnecked]

Another one is can I use your photocopier so that I can get a copy of the levy.

To which you reply:

 

Can't afford the ink for that damned Lexmark all in one, you would have to remove your fees to pay me for the ink, so you can't come in !