opps Allowed B&S into my house re CTAX debt.

[Marianne7]

Hi, just a quick bit of advice please. Someone knocked on our door today and said they'd come about us owing council tax. My husband thought they were from the council and let them in. Of course, it turns out they were from Bristow & Sutor.

 

Have I got it right that once you let a bailiff into the house they are entitled to enter at any time?

 

The other point is that the letter is addressed to me, so had this woman any right to talk to my husband and hand him the letter?

 

We will be dealing direct with the council, but I just wanted to established if there is a problem, now that they have entered the house.

 

Many thanks for any advice.

[i hate bailiffs]

First mistake was to let them into your home

But as they have been in at this point they can NOT force entry or come back in unless you let them in

Keep property secure at all times

 

 

If they said they were a bailiff you would of not let them in so they used he working for council as a cover up

 

What paperwork have they left you

What di they have a levy on

How much us owing

[Marianne7]

Thanks for quick reply.

 

They left a sheet saying "Notification of Enforcement Agent Visit". It says I owe nearly £5000 but this includes a fee for £469 for today's visit. This is a debt from several years ago when I lived on my own with my son and was on benefits (ESA, then JSA + HB and CTB). I have paid a lot of it off (including one payment of £2000, which was loaned to me) so I really am not in agreement with their figure, but am not very good a record keeping ~ the amount still astonishes me. There is no breakdown of dates that this debt applies to.

 

I don't know what a levy is. There is nothing on the sheet about a levy, or is that just the amount they say is owing?

 

The arrangement on the paper says £510.67 on May 6th and then 10 weekly payments of £510.

 

My husband didn't know about this old debt but he says we should be able to pay the whole lot off in one go. I would prefer to deal with the council directly. Am I allowed to do that? I'm going to call the council for an appointment in the morning and I will ask them for a proper breakdown of this figure.

 

So can I just confirm that, having been in the house once, they have no right to enter again? Many thanks for advice.

[josephbloggs]

unless you signed a controlled goods agreement ( an adult can sign one on your behalf with your permission) then they have no right to regain entry.

this is a great deal of council tax, is it several years worth?

if the bailiffs were passed this debt pre 6th april and have not levied, then fees they charged before will act as new compliance stage. if it was after then the initial letter fee would of been £75 per liability order. then the visit will of incurred £235 plus 7.5% of the total debt amount over 1500 pounds.

to be clear - whether you deal with the council or not you are legally obliged to pay the charges for the bailiffs to attend your property.

also the maximum amount of time a bailiff can give you now to pay a debt is 12 months.

[Marianne7]

Thanks, joebloggs

 

Yes, it would be several years worth, but I'm still unsure as to how that figure is reached ~ it seems excessive to me too, given that I hae already paid some off, as well.

 

I will get a breakdown from the council and get everything sorted, hopefully. Just can't bear the thought of them coming round again and wish my husband had not let them in but he thought the woman was someone from the council offices.

[i hate bailiffs]

 

The arrangement on the paper says £510.67 on May 6th and then 10 weekly payments of £510.

 

 

 

So can I just confirm that, having been in the house once, they have no right to enter again? Many thanks for advice.

 

They have done weekly arrangements of how much they know that you won't be able to stick to that

 

THEY HAVE NO RIGHT TO ENTER YOUR HOUSE NO POLICE NO LOCKSMITH

NO RIGHT OF ENTRY BY FORCE only if you let them in so don't

 

That is a impossible arrangement bailiffs have set up formal complaint time to council

Copy in local MP and councillors

For refrence council tax debt can be included in bankruptcy

But seek help should that be a option