please help bailiff called me this morning demanding full amount by thursday!!!!

[seanamarts]

we im back and the woman down the LC was as much help as a wet paper bag! she said its out of there control they cant recall the debt nor can they tell equita to except my installments all she did say is they are well within there rights to add fees onto my account!!!

so i paid £300 there and then to pay some off because she said she cant refuse payments. not sure what to do now??

Personally I would inform the bailiff what you have done and tell them that in future you will be paying the £100 per month straight to the council until the debt is paid off, he might just hand the debt back to the council, he can only charge you for two visits if Im correct so the most he can put on top of what you owe will be no more than £45 or there abouts. Just dont let him in, at the end of the day you are showing willing and you cant get blood out of a stone, dont listen to his threats etc, and keep to your agreements

[maybelline]

ok, the coucil staff have behaved in a predictable way, but you have done the right thing, you have paid them some money, I would keep paying them, write down every phonecall conversation and todays events, keep a record and write to the bailiff as suggested. the bailiff will also behave predictably no doubt but you keep to your rights and your side, do not be intimidated by them. have a chat with the LGP also to see if they can help, when I had the same problem with my council it was the LGO who shook them up, did you ask the council for a complaints form too.

[jenjuly82]

no i didnt ask for a complaints form! but im sure i can make one online.

so let me just run this past you all, i should phone equia and tell them im not making any payments to them i am making them directly to the council, so what should i do when the actual bailiff calls on thursday?

so the bailiff can only charge for 2 visits but can visit up to 7 times! i wont let him in i will keep all windows and doors lock i will hide my car round a friends house 2 roads away from mine and just ignore him banging on the door! then pay my debt the same way i did today and all that gets added on is the 2 visits the bailiff made about £50

[casbah]

If I can put my tuppence woth in...............it may be of help maybe not but

The first thing I would do is contact the council and ask for the names and telephobne numbers of my borough councillors, ring one of them and explain the situation, he/she may be able to buy you some time, once this is done arrange a meeting with someone at the council and take All relevent paperwork, including your previous debts, show the council how much you have had to pay to your mortgage etc, and show them that there is a pecking order and Now the council is at the top, also point out that had you lost your home, you would have had to apply to the council for housing so you took this debt with the mortgage very seriously and had to give that top priority. Then suggest to the council that as you have this years council tax bill to keep up to date and this arrears where would they like the money to go? at the end of the day the council want their money until you show them how bad thnigs were they will assume you are a "won't pay" and not a can't pay.

Keep your calm, tell the council that things have been tough and show them, but you have got through this and you will and do honour your obligation to the council

best wishes

casbah

[jenjuly82]

hello i went to my LC council and spoke to a lady about my situation i even told a few porkys but it didnt make the blind bit of difference!

i paid £411 off this yrs council tax bill and an arrangment was set up for the rest to be paid by installments of the next 6 months as normal.

and then i pad £300 last yrs bill which should of been collected by the bailiff this thursday but i paid it into the LC counter so it came straight off bill. but it still leaves me £649 to find by thursday which i cant do so im just going to ignore the bailiff when he calls and the pay the £649 outstanding over 6 installments and pay them direct to my LC. klike the woman said today they will never refuse payment!! but they cant withdraw the account from equita nor can they stop the bailiff.....

[casbah]

Well done!!!

 

If this was me and I am only a layperson, i'm not a lawyer or anything but I would contact my local councillor, telling him/her that I have paid off 1/3, and I can pay the balance off in 6 months, that you wish and will pay directly to the council ( don't forget bailiffs take their costs off first then pay the council) insuring the council get their money instantly. Ask the councilor to advise the council that you have done this and have two VERY young children in the house and don't want them to face the trauma of having bailliffs calling. and see what he/she can do!

 

When I had this kind of problem my council informed me they had not recieved money I had paid to the bailiffs and this was 6 months after I cleared the debt to the bailiffs.

Did you get a receipt for the money you paid today?

 

Best wishes

casbah

[jenjuly82]

Did you get a receipt for the money you paid today?

 

yes i did get a receipt i also phone the council office for council tax and told them what id done but the money wont show on my account until tomorrow so ill call them and make sure the money i paid today has come off last yrs bill not this yrs.

[casbah]

in future I would make the payment online if you can, then you instantly have a receipt and record. Thanks to these lovely lovely people on here, I didn't know I could pay online Another thing that crossed my mind.........why didn't the council take the money of £411 (this yrs account) off the arrears? (A word of warning here, but I am facing court for the tax yr 07/08 next week and have my councillor involved to stop this going a head) that would have reduced you debt to £238. Which would have been cleared in two months, I know you would have been behind for this yrs but at least there would have been one debt finished

Best wishes

[jenjuly82]

in future I would make the payment online if you can

i cant pay online because i only have a visa electron card !

and i will contact the council now and see if they can do what u suggested and add the £411 + £300 together and take them off last yrs bill instead of seperate then pay exta installments to clear this yrs. ill get on the phone now

[jenjuly82]

well that was a waste of time wish i never even phoned now because i got the third degree. why have you paid us when you should of paid the bailiff etc. oh well ill just sit tight wait for the bailiff to arrive and then carry on paying installments direct to the LC until the debt is clear. ready for a total fresh start next yr. i am never getting myself in this situation again..

[maybelline]

Hi Jen, if you see my thread it was just like yours, I rang they told me rubbish, it went on and on but it was the LGO that put the wind up the council, I had t o start a complaint and ask for printouts of all my payments for all the years, that got them in a right state because it showed how they were putting the money where it suited and gave them the leeway to go to bailiffs, they will tell you till they are in blue in the face they cannot ake back the debt but it is not true. unfortunately until it is sorted out you will have to batten down the hatches, so to speak, hide the car but I bet once you kick up a big stink the bailiff will not come, but be prepared and good luck:)

[casbah]

Hi

 

I'm guessing you didn't speak to the same person that took the payment??? how does it go...............too many chiefs not enough........

 

Well I have spoken to my council this morning, and I have managed to convince them to let me set up a direct debit for this years have you tried that route???? its all time buying excercises but its time you need.

 

My council did tell me that I had an outstanding balance from 2 yrs ago, when I told her that I have a letter from the bailiffs telling me the account was now cleared the council told me they had not forwarded the money to the council, I believe that must go against me as the council must think I haven't paid it, hence the pressure

I will pm you with some more info I have

best wishes

 

Casbah

[casbah]

i cant pay online because i only have a visa electron card !

I paid by electron

[jenjuly82]

i have looked into it and my LC dont except visa electron online or over the phone!! so i have to go to my local housing office and pay it in over the counter i have tried paying it online in the past but it does state they Dont except visa electron or american express.

i have set up a payment plan with the LC as i paid £411 with brought my payments up to date for this yrs bill so i just carry on as normal with that only paying monthly.

[maybelline]

they are behind the times there arent they!

 

sometimes you can get the online systems to take your card if you punch in your details anyway as the software can do it but the page does not state this? not doubting you just something I have tried:)

[The Watcher]

i have looked into it and my LC dont except visa electron online or over the phone!! so i have to go to my local housing office and pay it in over the counter i have tried paying it online in the past but it does state they Dont except visa electron.

 

Correct me if I'm wrong - but isn't Electron a debit card (ie it cannot make payments unless you have the money in your account?)

 

How weird - they accept credit cards (getting you into possible further debt) - but won't accept the real money that is already in your account !

[jenjuly82]

i know its so stupid if someone is going to pay there bill then they should except all payments including any card debit or credit!!

but ill just take a stroll every month and pay it in over the counter at least then i get a receipt in my hand

[jenjuly82]

they are behind the times there arent they!

 

sometimes you can get the online systems to take your card if you punch in your details anyway as the software can do it but the page does not state this? not doubting you just something I have tried:)

 

i have tried typing my card details in but it comes up with the same page asking you to put the correct card number and it is highlighted in red i have tried tried and tried and double check the details im putting in are correct but still no luck

[casbah]

What about direct debit?

 

Theres a direct debit mandate in the front of your payment book and the good news is they can only take it out at certain times of the monthe, may give you a couple of weeks breathing space

 

 

Casbah

[jenjuly82]

i dont like paying by direct debit because my other half gets paid weekly so the date of the month never falls on the same day as he gets paid so i would rather pay it in as soon as he gets paid that way i know it has been done and i havent got a threat of bank charges being applied to my account if the direct debit doesnt go through!!

[seanamarts]

i dont like paying by direct debit because my other half gets paid weekly so the date of the month never falls on the same day as he gets paid so i would rather pay it in as soon as he gets paid that way i know it has been done and i havent got a threat of bank charges being applied to my account if the direct debit doesnt go through!!

you can set up a standing order, that way you can tell your bank what day to pay it and how much and this can be changed on a monthly basis, especially if you have phone/internet banking and all banks have that now especially the big banks..

[jenjuly82]

hello i am due a visit from a bailiff on thursay to collect my partly unpaid council tax bill for last year!

with the help of herbie i have found out that the appointed bailiff asigned to collect this debt is certified but he doesnt work for the company the court stamped his certificate to.

is there anything i can do about this? what?

any advice please as the bailiff is due at my door THIS thursday (12th)

and if there is a way i can stall him from coming would be helpful....

[smashedbobo]

The best thing for you to do is to go out on thursday. That way you wont be tempted to answer the door to him. If you cant go out then DO NOT let him in. Unless he has been in your house before he cannot come in. Talk to him from an upstairs window if you have to. And yes there is someone you can report him to about his certificate. Just cant remember who at the minute. But someone will be along soon to give you a fuller answer.

[jenjuly82]

thanks for your reply smaskedbobo i know all the low downs on the bailiff ie lock all windows doors etc hide car, as they can call really early in the morning it will be hard for me to get out of the house until after breakfast as having 2 young kids its not like i can just get up and go!! but as soon as im up and ready i will be doing a runner!!!

[Saffronflowers]

PM - Herbie she will know the answer to this,

 

SFx