Baliff arriving tomorrow to take belongings

rog2

Aylana wrote: »

Friday is payday and the day we were hoping to make our first regular payment to them. I have some giro slips they gave us so should I just make the payment anyway?

I think I would, Aylana - make sure you get the counterfoils stamped.

Aylana

Just had a thought, the bailiff keeps threatening to take our car which OH needs for work. It isn't on the walking possession though, so would it be ok for us to "sell" the car to someone (that we know so he could "borrow" it for work?) Or could they complain that we are obstructing them collecting payment or something daft?? Would they require any proof?? Surely it is up to us if we choose to get rid of our car or not?

Any thoughts?

Burlesque_Babe

I find it so sad how CT recovery has changed and got so nasty

I worked in poll tax registration and then CT recovery in the early 90s and it was all done in a much more civilised fashion! We only had 1 in-house bailiff who dealt more with business rates than CT - it didn't stop the money coming in for CT though because we made realistic arrangements spread over a financial year, did attachment to earnings or deduction from Income Support and didn't go down this nasty route that seems to have sprung up.

The rare time the bailiff did venture out to look at a car, more often than not, it would come back that the log book had changed names into someone not connected to the outstanding debt...........;)

rog2

Aylana wrote: »

Just had a thought, the bailiff keeps threatening to take our car which OH needs for work.

A Bailiff can NOT just 'take the car' if it is necessary for your OH's work:

http://www.insolvencyhelpline.co.uk/debt_basics/bailiff-guide.php#bg11

Aylana

Thanks guys. I know that they shouldn't take it. But it is Rossendales!! lol.

BlueFleur

I've just read through your thread, and although I don't have any practical advice I wanted to wish you well. It seems mad that you are trying to pay and getting nowhere. We've had some difficulty with the council trying to backdate our tax from before we had moved into the area, but nothing like this. Good luck with making your first payment.

Aylana

Cheers Herbie!

Thanks BlueFleur! It is a bit mad. I reckon he might turn up tomorrow if he suspects it is payday for one of us hoping to get us to part with any cash we have in the bank. Shame there won't be any to part with (Except the amount we have offered him anyway).

SingleSue

Aaah Rossendales...lovely bunch of people eh? :mad:

I had dealings with them too and despite offering weekly payments (I am on income support) they were very insistent on a lump sum. I did try to speak to the bailiff via the mobile and the stuff he came out with was rather eek to say the least (I pay my council tax ok and you should too sort of thing, that I was not a decent person, that it was not fair for me to expect others to pay my way while I swan through life not accepting my responsibilities etc)

After the conversation where I got no-where, I went online and found out a few bits of info and realised their charges on the form were slightly (as in a couple of hundred) wrong, so I made a quick call to the council.

Ok I cried but I also got the point across that the bailiff were being completely unreasonable and not listening to any offer of payment plus the charges listed were incorrect as the bailiff had not been allowed in the house so was unable to then list van and removal costs (which he had put on). When I told the council the amount of was offering a week, £20), they were not amazingly impressed with the bailiff as they said this was an extremely good offer of payment.

The upshot of it was the bailiff were told by the council they had to accept my offer....and also got a right telling off for levying charges that were illegal.

SUESMITH_2

did have a lovely bailiff once (we had lots of them), he just stood in our drive, looked about and said you've got nothing have you? i agreed cos it was true at the time and he told me not to cry and that it wasw obvious i was a can't pay not won't pay and said he would send the debt back to court with a note.

Aylana

Hi! Thanks for your posts both Sues!!

I am going to write a letter to the council explaining everything that has happened and how unhappy I am with Rossendales. Bailiff did not turn up on Friday. I am not waiting in all next week for him again! I am supposed to walk my mam's puppies a couple of lunchtimes a week when she works long days and it isn't fair to leave them just to wait in for some idiot in his ridiculously oversized BMW 4x4 who never turns up. Used the giro slips and made a payment of £120 anyway on Friday. £60 on each of the 2 years we have accounts for. Have "sold" our car to my mam.

Am going to request a statement from Rossendales of what we owe and how much of it is charges. Am also requesting a statement of payments from the council for the years we owe as OH recalls there being a problem at some point with them not receiving payments even though they left the bank, and he doesn't remember if he actually ever sorted it out (Men! You can't leave them in charge of anything! :rolleyes: ) Can I make the bailiffs leave me alone if the amount of the debt is in dispute?

On the plus side got over £400 worth of credit card charges refunded to my MBNA card the other day which has reduced the overall debt slightly! I am taking Capital one to court for nearly £700 once quidco money arrives in my bank account. That will clear that card and leave about £300 left over which I might give to the bailiffs if they are lucky!