Bailiffs enforcement fee on business rates - extortionate

[anney63]

My son has just paid his business rates by credit card after the bailiff levied on goods.

The original debt was over £4000.

 

After a visit to the council it was reduced to £2888.

 

I paid the bailiff an amount of £3489 Making a difference of £601.

 

When I enquired as to what the extra fees were for I was told Enforcement.

 

Today on the phone I was advised that the fees were 101 for charges and £500 because the debt was over £3000 .

 

I have been looking into this further and found this web site and the chrges just dont compare what do I do now. I have paid

http://www.bdl.org.uk/images/02_EW_NDL_Bailiffs%20and%20Council%20Tax.pdf

Any help would be appreciated

[ploddertom]

The Legislation and Regulations concerning the enforcement of Business Rates

- NNDR

- are broadly similar to those for Council Tax.

 

He needs to ask them for a breakdown of the fees they have charged.

 

How many times has the Bailiff visited?

 

What goods were levied on exactly as described on the Notice of Seizure?

 

What paperwork have you been left?

[ploddertom]

"From:

My Name

My Address

 

To:

Acme Bailiff Co

Bailiff House

 

Ref: Account No: 123456

 

Dear Sir

 

With reference to the above account, Can you please provide me with a breakdown of the charges.

 

This includes:

a - the time & date of any Bailiff action that incurred a Fee.

b - the reason for the fee.

c - the name(s) of the Bailiff(s) that attended on each occasion a Fee was charged.

d - the name(s) of the Court(s) the Bailiff(s) was/were Certificated at.

e - the date of the Certification.

 

This is not a Subject Access Request under the Data Protection Act S7 1998 so does not incur a fee of £10. You are obliged to provide this information.

 

I require this information within 14 days.

 

Yours faithfully

 

Ripped off customer"

 

Send them something like the above. Best done initially by email followed by a copy in the post.

[ploddertom]

Also worth getting the correct details from the Council. You need to speak to someone at the Council and ask the following questions:

1 - how many Liability Orders they have against you

2 - the dates they were obtained

3 - the addresses they were for

4 - the period of time each covers

5 - how much each one was for

6 - how much is still outstanding

7 - the dates they were passed on for enforcement

8 - the dates & amounts of any payments

[tomtubby]

It would seem that the company have applied an 'attending to remove' fee to the account. The amount is simply dreadful. Fortunately, the present situation is that the local authority are wholly responsible for the fees and charges of their AGENTS and accordingly, all enquiries should go to the council. May I ask which bailiff company this was?

[anney63]

It would seem that the company have applied an 'attending to remove' fee to the account. The amount is simply dreadful. Fortunately, the present situation is that the local authority are wholly responsible for the fees and charges of their AGENTS and accordingly, all enquiries should go to the council. May I ask which bailiff company this was?

 

Equita

[lookinforinfo]

"Equita"

 

 

Say no more!

[brassnecked]

Council must be infested with Capita which means any complaints must be to Head Of Revenues, CEO, Elected Leaser as when you phone the council you will be speaking to a Capita minion.

[tomtubby]

In some perverse way I am pleased to read that Capita have charged a fee of £500 for 'attending to remove' and this because under the new regulations that take effect on 6th April the fee that they can legally charge is set by law at £235. Given that this company have for a very long time been charging fees far in EXCESS of this demonstrates one thing very clearly........

 

They will very likely be the FIRST company to abuse the fee scale.

 

It is already a known FACT that Equita have been responsible in many cases that I have seen over the last 7 years of dating a letter as much as 4-5 days earlier and sending it by TNT mail. The letter arrives on the same day as the visit.

[brassnecked]

Capita PLC should be investigated and compulsorily wound up. Oops too many vested interests would lose out so that's a no no then.

 

But yes they must be watched very closely, for multiple fee charging and fees in excess of the new scale.

[anney63]

I have checked further and we have 1 letter with a ref number no date no amount Delivered by hand in large red letters and headed bailiffs removal . I have discussed this further with my son . The original debt the bailiff had was over 4k on the one and only time he met the bailiff he argued that the figures were wrong and in fact the bailiff called the council and it was amended . He actually called me last night not a nice person and advised that charges listed on websites and by the CAB were all rubbish. The payment was made on the phone and my son paid the figure he asked for to get him off his back. There is or never has been any paperwork from the bailiff which shows any charges or in fact any sums at all. Do we write to the council or the bailiffs. Have we any chance of getting any of this money back ??? WE have CCTV footage of his visit which shows that no paperwork was handed over . I really appreciate your help

[ploddertom]

Post 3 - send to Bailiffs

 

Post 4 - contact Council

 

Any response from Equita will be like drawing teeth. They have form for dragging their heels and not complying with requests for confirmation. You could make the Council provide all the information but I guarantee they will say the Bailiffs have done nothing wrong. One thing to be aware of is of anyone suggesting you do a chargeback on any card payment as this could leave you open to further charges/fees.

 

Do you have answers to what I posed in Post 2.

[anney63]

We have got no notice of seizure. Nothing to say what the charges were for only verbal from Bailiff when he said 101 was for charges and £500 as the debt was over 3k. I have requested info from Bailiffs but so far nothing

[ploddertom]

OK that's good so far. Equita do tend to drag their heels over things so you may have a little wait for it to come. The 14 days listed for receiving details is what we believe to be a reasonable time for them to produce details but has no bearing on how long it actually does take.

 

You can help jolly things along by contacting your local Councillor(s) over this. As it is for business premises you get 2 bites of the cherry - 1 Councillor(s) for where the business is located & the other for where you live.

[anney63]

had an email from Bailiffs on 3/4 asking for ref no. Sent that over but nothing chased up yesterday . Not veruy forthcoming with responses.!