Visited By Bailiffs please help

[LukeGreen]

Hi I was wondering if anyone can help me!

 

Last week equita bailiffs visited my parents address for payment on council tax

i was unaware of due the fact I dont live in that property any more

and all correspondence was sent to my parents address so I didn't receive any summons or anything.

 

On Tuesday last week an equita bailif delivered an enforcement notice to parents

stating I owe 621 plus 75 compliance fee and 235 enforcement fee.

 

 

There was then a second stating i owe 247 plus 75 compliance plus another 235 enforcement fee.

 

 

Firstly I don't understand why it has been split up.

 

 

The bills are from the same address and sent on the same date.

 

I have also read only one enforcement fee can be charged no matter how many liabilities have been charged.

 

 

Do i have grounds to write to council to get them to return my debt and cancel my fees?

 

Also the bailff was threatening action on my parents address where i have no property.

 

 

I contacted CAB to make a payment plan and got an appointment

because he was threatening to visit my current address

even though no enforcement notice has been delivered here.

 

From everything I have read on here and other sites

it seems to me that this guy has breached regulations

and I am being charged excessive fees

 

 

I have rang the council and told them but

they said there was nothing they could do and I had to talk to the bailiffs

but I wanted to confirm that before i sent the letters you provide so not to make the situation worse.

 

Also this is causing me alot of stress and

I have a history of depression and anxiety.

 

 

I have felt the need to go back onto my prescription pills due to this

and have a doctors appointment tomorrow so I want it sorting asap.

 

 

Would it be quicker if i wrote the letters to the council asking them to reclaim my debt

or take the directly into the council offices?

[Bailiff Advice]

Luke,

 

Can you please post back to let us know the date on each of the Notice of Enforcements and the date by which payment has to be made. I recollect seeing your query on another site and I will have a look there now to remind myself of the background.

Edited November 17, 2014 by honeybee13
Reference to another site removed.

[HCEOs]

It's disappointing to see what appears to be the charging of multiple fees for the same visit. Any decent software system should prevent this unless they are being added manually by the enforcement agent.

 

It would be prudent to clarify the fees with the enforcement agent, advise that you do not live or have goods a t the address and that you may be considered vulnerable.

[brassnecked]

It's disappointing to see what appears to be the charging of multiple fees for the same visit. Any decent software system should prevent this unless they are being added manually by the enforcement agent.

 

It would be prudent to clarify the fees with the enforcement agent, advise that you do not live or have goods a t the address and that you may be considered vulnerable.

I trhink it is probable that the EA is manually adding fees.

[ploddertom]

It's disappointing to see what appears to be the charging of multiple fees for the same visit. Any decent software system should prevent this unless they are being added manually by the enforcement agent.

 

It would be prudent to clarify the fees with the enforcement agent, advise that you do not live or have goods a t the address and that you may be considered vulnerable.

 

I agree wholeheartedly but this is Equita who seem to have a different handle on everything. For instance they thought it permissible to deliver the Notice of Enforcement personally and only allow some 3 days or so before then attending at the Enforcement stage.

 

Capita working at its absolute best.

[brassnecked]

I agree wholeheartedly but this is Equita who seem to have a different handle on everything. For instance they thought it permissible to deliver the Notice of Enforcement personally and only allow some 3 days or so before then attending at the Enforcement stage.

 

Capita working at its absolute best.

We need to be monitoring the antics of Capita, and passing any transgressions to the Council who has been silly enough to engage them, and the MOJ they are out of control.

[mikeymack2002]

If you fall into the catagory of a vulnerable household the first thing to do is inform the EA and the LA, this way they will have a better understanding of the situation you are in.

 

If neither departments know this then they will assume you are avoiding payment and will continue to enforce.

 

Check out the vulnerable household in the stickies at the begining of this forum, or Follow this link

 

You may also want to ask the LA if they have any further accounts in arrears and get this dealt with.

 

Has the LA got your correct address? if so then they will continue to enforce at that address, if it is wrong this needs to be rectified.

 

Have you ever received the required notices from the LA in regards to the arrears?

 

Have you been given/sent the notice of enforcement from the EA? You will have had 7 clear days in which to contact/deal with or make an arrangement to pay after this you will be charged a fee for the EA to attend to take control of your/any goods of value.

 

Have you ever been aware that the case had been to Court and that you had a L/O issued against you?

 

The EA can only enforce at the address on the Warrant of Control, has one been left with your parents/your address? or have you seen it at all?

[Bailiff Advice]

Hi I was wondering if anyone can help me!

 

Last week equita bailiffs visited my parents address for payment on council tax

i was unaware of due the fact I dont live in that property any more

and all correspondence was sent to my parents address so I didn't receive any summons or anything.

 

On Tuesday last week an equita bailif delivered an enforcement notice to parents

stating I owe 621 plus 75 compliance fee and 235 enforcement fee.

 

 

There was then a second stating i owe 247 plus 75 compliance plus another 235 enforcement fee.

 

 

Firstly I don't understand why it has been split up.

 

 

The bills are from the same address and sent on the same date.

 

I have also read only one enforcement fee can be charged no matter how many liabilities have been charged.

 

 

Do i have grounds to write to council to get them to return my debt and cancel my fees?

 

Also the bailff was threatening action on my parents address where i have no property.

 

 

I contacted CAB to make a payment plan and got an appointment

because he was threatening to visit my current address

even though no enforcement notice has been delivered here.

 

From everything I have read on here and other sites

it seems to me that this guy has breached regulations

and I am being charged excessive fees

 

 

I have rang the council and told them but

they said there was nothing they could do and I had to talk to the bailiffs

but I wanted to confirm that before i sent the letters you provide so not to make the situation worse.

 

Also this is causing me alot of stress and

I have a history of depression and anxiety.

 

 

I have felt the need to go back onto my prescription pills due to this

and have a doctors appointment tomorrow so I want it sorting asap.

 

 

Would it be quicker if i wrote the letters to the council asking them to reclaim my debt

or take the directly into the council offices?

 

Luke

 

The matter of charging multiple enforcement fees on both cases is very serious indeed and from reading your thread on another forum it would seem that the local authority have dismissed any responsibility and instead are telling you that you have to deal with the bailiff. The local authority in question are out of order......they are wholly responsible for all actions of their account in pursuing THEIR debts !!!

 

As HCEO has correctly mentioned, decent computer systems should prohibit charging of 'multiple fees' and I am wondering whether the individual bailiff attending the property has tried to add a second enforcement fee to your account. At this present time the Ministry of Justice is reviewing the new regulations and if there are any serious problems that have arisen (yours is an excellent example) these need to be brought to the attention of their anyalists asap. I have sent a message to one of the moderators to contact you off the forum.

 

The Ministry of Justice is working closely with other government agencies and external working groups to overhaul and improve the National Standards and to combine it with the Local Authorities Guidance that was released last summer by Eric Pickles. Hopefully it will make local authorities take responsibility when cases such as yours are brought to their attention.

 

PS: A most welcome addition to the revised National Standards is that they are to be endorsed by various external organisations and working groups etc.