Another Scoop Council mess up Pensioner threatened wrongfully

[brassnecked]

Another one from Scoop, bailiffs sent to collect from a pensioner who owed nothing, this time it was the council who messed up, and sent bailiffs to collect the debt from an innocent pensioner. who was worried anout their threats to seize goods whether he was in or out, the usual implied threat of forced entry.

 

http://www.somersetcountygazette.co.uk/news/11477720.Bailiffs_threaten_to__break_into__innocent_pensioner_s_home/?ref=rss

 

" Somerset County Council has since admitted there was an error due to an incorrectly registered vehicle and apologised to 85-year-old Michael O’Loughlin.

 

It said a bailiff had called to ‘take control of your goods’ and that if I didn’t respond they’d get my goods ‘whether I was present or not’ – which sounds like they would force entry into my home to take things.

“Although it had my address on it, it was someone else’s name and the postcode wasn’t mine.

“I was frightened of going out in case they came back and broke my door down."

 

 

Wonder who would be blamed if a pensioner dies as a result of wrongful action like this from a stroke or heart attack? The bailiff who knocked on the door and the victim dropped dead in front of him, or the council official who got the wrong details?

[outlawla]

This is the sort of thing that happens when organisations rely solely on automation.

 

Kingston upon Thames Borough Council, provide some insight.....

 

 

5. Reminders

 

5.1 Due to the number of accounts administered by the Revenue Service it has been decided that reminders will not be checked individually before they are issued. Parameters are agreed in advance by the Senior Managers and reminders are issued on this basis. The parameters consist of number of days behind and the monetary minimum value.

[brassnecked]

This is the sort of thing that happens when organisations rely solely on automation.

 

Kingston upon Thames Borough Council, provide some insight.....

 

Yes automation in this sort of area should be banned, as too many Liability Orders etc are sought for a trifle, I know some have been obtained for £1, I wonder if any have been granted for a single penny as in £0.01?

 

It has become clearer where blame may lie in this case, if you read the comments it seems Ross 'n Robbers were the bailiffs, so another Crapita mess up then?

[tomtubby]

I read the story last night and it was only this morning that I realised that the letter was not addressed to the pensioner and neither did it have his correct postcode. Only the address was correct. This would also very likely be the reason why he did not receive a Notice of Enforcement from the bailiff.

 

As part of their investigation I would hope that Somerset Council also look into why the pensioner did not receive a Notice to Owner, Charge Certificate or Order for Recovery from the council.

 

It is not clear which company this was but it is known that Somerset Council use Ross & Roberts.

[brassnecked]

It was mentioned in the third comment below the article that it was indeed Ross & Roberts. It shows that automated systems with little human intervention as illustrated by Outlawla are going to come home and bite councils and EA Companies on the bum when a few more mess ups like this get into the press.

 

Wonder if Ross 'n Robbers used the old chestnut that as the debt is to the address you must pay it whether or not? Have seen that claim beforew when bailiffs were chasing PCN from a council and tried to imply a new occupier had inherited the previous tenant's PCN debt, threatened to to their car.

[Conniff]

The council will not give a toss about the error. All that will happen is the guilty party will be told they have to make the coffee that day.

[Gemma.]

I had one of these letters sent to my address but another person's name and when I contacted the council to say the person had moved out and I was the new tenant they really didn't believe me at all. They were very harsh and the letters still keep coming threatening to seize goods. Poor pensioner, I know I used to be very frightened.

[Gemma.]

The council will not give a toss about the error. All that will happen is the guilty party will be told they have to make the coffee that day.

 

No you mean they have to get the coffee from the nearest Costa or Starbucks nowadays lol!

[tomtubby]

It was mentioned in the third comment below the article that it was indeed Ross & Roberts. It shows that automated systems with little human intervention as illustrated by Outlawla are going to come home and bite councils and EA Companies on the bum when a few more mess ups like this get into the press.

 

Wonder if Ross 'n Robbers used the old chestnut that as the debt is to the address you must pay it whether or not? Have seen that claim beforew when bailiffs were chasing PCN from a council and tried to imply a new occupier had inherited the previous tenant's PCN debt, threatened to to their car.

 

I see what you mean. I didn't get as far as reading the online comments.