Equita warrant of arrest without bail

[lekzi]

Hi All

 

yesterday I get home from work and find a letter from equita stated that I have unpaid council tax.

the letter says:

I have today called to your property with regards to a WARRANT OF ARREST WITHOUT BAIL.

which has been issued by Coventry magistrates court.

please contact me on the number below to discuss the situation.

should you fail to comply with the terms of this letter, we will have no alternative other than to arrest you and take you into custody without further warning.

it is signed by warrant office: then there name (not my mistake, that's how it is signed office not officer ) then his mobile number.

 

yes I know I owe council tax, but am still paying 30 pound a month for arrears, I was paying 195. then that finished but still pay the £30 for the previous years c/tax, I did however miss two months paying it but just paid it this month. the £30 is for a different address.

this is the first time I have had equita here at my property it used to be newlyn until I joined your site and promptly stopped paying them and went straight to paying the council online through my bank.

 

can they do this and if so what can I do now, I don't remember having a court summons through to attend court at any time.

please help as this is stressing me out.

[tomtubby]

Can you please make sure that you call Coventry Magistrates Court at 9am and ask them what this is all about.

 

After that make sure that you call the LOCAL AUTHORITY.

Please make both calls before posting back here and do NOT all Equita.

[citizenB]

Have they supplied any other details regarding the warrant. I guess you could telephone Coventry Court and find out what this is all about.

 

sorry tomtubby, I didn't realise you were posting the same time

[lekzi]

ok tomtubby thank you, and citizenB the letter was posted on equita headed paper which doesn't look at all official very plain with no more info than I already told you in my first thread.

[citizenB]

As soon as you have spoken to the Court and the council, come back and let us know what they have to say.

[lekzi]

I guys, Coventry city council don't no what im talking about, but the court said there is a warrant, and the dates are for 2003/2005 I lived in Suffolk then but refused to pay as we were on sickness benefits, when we first applied for council tax and rent rebate because we were both on the sick , long term sick, they paid the council tax and rent then for some reason stopped paying, we couldn't afford to pay on sick benefits and didn't see how we could so refused. they gave no reason at the time why they stopped the benefits, my partner at the time was self employed so didn't get sick pay only benefits from social, I got half my wage which was reduced the longer I was off, I never returned to work, im not sure If I have the energy to fight this just cave in and pay what do you say

[unclebulgaria67]

I guys, Coventry city council don't no what im talking about, but the court said there is a warrant, and the dates are for 2003/2005 I lived in Suffolk then but refused to pay as we were on sickness benefits, when we first applied for council tax and rent rebate because we were both on the sick , long term sick, they paid the council tax and rent then for some reason stopped paying, we couldn't afford to pay on sick benefits and didn't see how we could so refused. they gave no reason at the time why they stopped the benefits, my partner at the time was self employed so didn't get sick pay only benefits from social, I got half my wage which was reduced the longer I was off, I never returned to work, im not sure If I have the energy to fight this just cave in and pay what do you say

 

What you need to do is arrange to speak to Magistrates at Coventry to explain what has happened and hopefully they can put this on hold whilst it is investigated. You need to be able to make a complaint to the council in Suffolk about whether you are liable for the council tax for the period and for this to be investigated properly. There is a process for appealing the council tax for the period.

[tomtubby]

If the court have confirmed that there is a warrant did you ask them for the date that it was authorised and who can enforce it? You really have got to call the council as somebody at the council must have requested the warrant !!!

[wonkeydonkey]

Why am I getting the feeling this 'warrant' might not be associated with Council Tax....you really do need to speak to someone further up the ladder as per TT's post #3 to find put who requested this warrant.......hmmm most unusual.

[tomtubby]

It would not relate to a court FINE as Equita are not one of the companies contracted to enforce such debts

[lekzi]

hi guys

unfortunately I had no such luck with the council and had no choice but to call the mobile number on the letter from equita to find out more info.

when I spoke to the council they asked me for any other addresses I had lived at, for the life of me I couldn't recall the proper address of one of them as this was a new build and I was given a house number and the post office later changed it to a different number due to other houses being built the first number was the only one I could remember so when the council did a search with the one I could remember it came up with nothing, the other address I lived at id completely forgotten about it, it was that long ago and not a good time in my life.

anyway, it turns out that yes, there was a warrant on me for two properties in Coventry, for non payment totalling 1,400, but as I moved away from Coventry it has taken me coming back for this to catch up with me,

I called the bloke from equita back and he took me into court where I spoke to a bloke from the council and explained to him that I got into arrears with last months bill and payed it off, I am also still paying £30 a month for previous arrears so why am I in court, he said he didn't have any paperwork about this years tax nor previous years, just the years that were in question and to give his office a call tomorrow to find out what the £30 is for.

so I went into court at 11am (home by 11.50) and now have an attachment of earnings on my wages for £100 and if the £30 is for the same arrears then to stop making that payment,

sorry for not following your advice on not calling equita but I couldn't get any answers from anywhere else, but thanks guys for all your help.

[tomtubby]

What a dreadful experience. Thankfully it was resolved very quickly.

 

PS: Did the bailiff actually take you to the court or did you go yourself?

[lekzi]

the bailiff picked me up and dropped me off tomtubby, I must say, for once the bailiff was quite pleasant compared to the few ive had at my door. and yes a very unpleasant and dreadful experience, its the first time ive had to do something like that and don't want to do it again.

[tomtubby]

Given how popular this forum is the information that you have provided will I hope be of assistance to the many people viewing the forum.

[lekzi]

that would be nice to know tomtubby, im all about helping others where I can and if my experience does that then its good to know, if it weren't for you guys and other users on here newlyn would have screwed me ages ago.

these days if I have a problem the first place I go to is this site, you and the other members are the real hero's, thanks for everything. x