collectica letter on TV licence fine

[kgrant]

i received a distress warrant from someone called collectica this morning for a so called unpaid fine for unpaid tv licence,

 

the original fine was £175 and I had to pay it back at £5 a week , I have been doing

 

sometimes I would miss a week but pay double the following week and the courts were fine with this ,

I did once miss two weeks and got a letter from the courts but

 

I spoke to them and explained that I had paid double that day and they were fine ,

 

I then paid 4 weeks on the 21st of December but this letter I got today was dated the 19th of December and

 

says I have 2 weeks to pay £175 - I only owe £65 now

 

the only number to contact collectica on is an automated number to make payment on ,

 

I don't want to pay £175 when I have nearly paid off the fine ,

 

I don't know what to do because I can pay it but not for a few weeks and I don't want to pay another £110 on top of what ive already paid

[renegadeimp]

Call the courts and ask them what is going on. Sounds like you missed payments and they flagged it up. Especially since it was a regular occurrence and they had to send letters out to remind you. Normally they let it slide once or twice, but if they had to send a letter, then it can get serious.

[kgrant]

I have only had one letter , ive been paying since july , like I say im supposed to pay £5 a week sometimes ive missed a week and paid £10 the following week and they have been fine with it they know its due to when my pay falls , I only go the letter because I missed two but by the time I had received the letter I had already paid it up to date and rang to tell them and the courts said it was fine , and I am now a week in front , but this letter was dated the 19th of December and I made my payments on the 21st I had no knowledge of any problem until today 28th , I cant even contact this company because they don't have a proper phone number and I have emailed them but it says it can take 7 to 10 days to reply to me , and if I only had 14 days from the date of the letter that takes me up to next Thursday even though I have only just got the letter , has anyone got a proper contact number for this company other than the automated payment line that's on the letter ?

[renegadeimp]

The officer may say its ok, but the system will just see all the missed payments and flag it for bailiff action. You need to contact the court asap and get them to withdraw the bailiffs. The bailiffs have been instructed by the court to collect the debt. They will continue to chase you until the court tells them to stop or the debt AND their fees are paid

[kgrant]

can the court do that can the stop the baliffs ? ill contact them Monday , but a it stands at the moment I am a week in front with the original payment plan and I paid this before receiving this letter so ill ring the court and ask what they are playing at , plus the officer did say she would put a note on my account about my payments . I don't want to pay the fine all over again I owe £65 now and they are wanting £175

[renegadeimp]

Theyll be after their costs. Like I said. Youve missed payments a few times so its probably been sentbto the bailiffs automatically.

[tomtubby]

Before consideration can be given to issuing a Distress Warrant there is a LEGAL provision that the court must first send to the debtor a Further Steps Notice. This is like a final warning that unless the arrears are paid within 10 working days that a warrant will be issued.

 

Did you receive a Further Steps Notice and if so, did you speak with the court?

 

Have you called the court today ?

[kgrant]

I did receive a further steps notice , but I had brought my account up to date by the time I received it , I rang the court when I got the further steps notice and explained that I had paid and she said it was fine as long as it was up to date which my account was , I spoke to the court yesterday who basically told me there was nothing they could do now and I would have to call collectica and arrange payment with them , I told them I had tried contacting them but could not get through only to be told they are not open till the 2nd , I only actually owe £55 to the court now but now there is another £85 on top of that, I am hoping they will let me pay it in two instalments because I have no money now till the 14th and the 28th I can pay it in full by the end of January , I have nothing of value that belongs to me so I am just waiting till Thursday when I can ring them

[renegadeimp]

Sounds like the muppet you spoke to at the court was fobbing you off.

[kgrant]

I explained all this yesterday aswell but they just said there is nothing they could do and to contact collectica , im really annoyed because my account is in front at the moment or would be if they hadn't sent this. im not looking forward to speaking to collectica at all , I just hope I am able to split the payment in two I can clear it by the 28th January

[renegadeimp]

Could you ask for a judge to hear the case again?-

[kgrant]

I don't know , im not up on all this sort of thing Id just rather get it paid and forget about it , im annoyed because im having to pay more but its stressing me out with all the hassle

[tomtubby]

It is very important that you speak with the court asap. They CANNOT issue a Distress Warrant if the amount on the Further Steps Notice has been paid before the time specified on the FSN. This should be 10 days from the date of posting the FSN.

 

From what you have explained it would seem that you had cleared the debt. Can you please post back once you have called the court.

[kgrant]

I have always been around a week behind when making payments , I was supposed to pay £5 a week but I sometimes paid £10 a fortnight mainly because of the way I am paid, the time they sent me the further steps notice I was apparently 3 weeks behind ( my fault I had forgotten) but by the time I had received the notice I had already paid £10 which covered the weeks I missed and then I paid a further £10 the following week putting me a week in front . I explained to the woman at the court when I rang about the further steps notice that it was an oversight on my part and she said as I had paid it it was fine , I explained that due to the way I was paid I couldn't always pay weekly and that was why id been paying double some weeks she said it was ok . I explained this when I spoke to the courts the other day but they said if I couldn't pay weekly then I should have always paid infront , yet this is how I have been paying it since it started in july so why the problem now? but the courts just said there was nothing they can do now even though I am technically well in front now with my payments

[renegadeimp]

Give them a ring tomorrow first thing. Ask to be put through to the clerk and not a telephone drone

[geoffthechef]

Please next time do not admit the offence..

They can not prosecute you without evidence and you provided it.