Whoops... Missed a payment. Send the bailiffs!

AndrewLondon

So I fell out of work for a while and got behind on my council tax payments, which ended up being sent to debt collectors. I was paying them an amount monthly, but then for some reason I forgot to pay them this month. ARGH! So I had a text message arrive this morning saying 'A BAILIFF IS SCHEDULED TO ARRIVE TOMORROW'.

I phoned them and explained that I was sorry and would make a payment to catch up next week when my salary clears. I was told that is not good enough and a bailiff will be sent anyway.

My problem is that I'm staying at a friends house with no possessions there, and I probably won't be there when they arrive anyway. So I explained to them that it is pointless even sending someone but they said they will send one anyway and then charge me for the privilege. So now I'm worried they might start taking away my friend's belongings while I'm not there.

What can I do to stop them?

roughyed

Has the bailiff (or debt collectors) ever visited before? If not don't worry, as long as you don't let them they can't take anything. Do you have the liability order from the council? Does this match what the bailifs say you owe?

RAS

\The cahrge for a first visit is £24.50, for the second £19.50 (both ish) and they cannot charge for further visits.

If you have nothing, they cant levy and they cannot take possesion.

AndrewLondon

roughyed wrote: »

Has the bailiff (or debt collectors) ever visited before? If not don't worry, as long as you don't let them they can't take anything. Do you have the liability order from the council? Does this match what the bailifs say you owe?

They've never visited before. And I'm not even sure what a liability order is.

Herbie21

A Liability Order is where the council have taken the case to the Magistrates Court and the Liability Order is the legal paper that rules that he entire council tax debt is due and that legally the debt may then be passed to the bailiff to collect.