Urgent HELP needed PLEASE !!!

sarah2396

Firstly sorry if this is in the wrong section .. i am at my wits end and in a panic !!

I lost my job back in April due to no fault of my own (basically i was being bullied and my gp had to put me on antidepressants and sign me as off) and at the moment i'm having to claim JSA which as I'm sure many of you know is not very much. I have a couple of unpaid council tax bills which until April I was managing to deal with. I set up an agreement regarding one of them with Equita, with everything else going on and trying to sort out all my bills i somehow missed the Equita one. I know this is my fault but i had so much going on in life everything piled on top of me at once.
Today i received a letter from Equita saying that a van would be calling within 48 hours to seize goods. This is the first letter i have received since i agreed to pay them and it was only when i received this letter i realised i had missed them out when sorting through everything. I immediately tried to phone but the office had closed for the day so i went online and paid the only money i had left in my bank £80 (total bill is £367) I am now really worried that they are going to call at my home to seize goods. After everything that has happened i cannot emotionally deal with it nor face them at the door to try fight my corner. I would really appreciate any help on this, even writin this i am shaking and in tears, I just want so much to clear my debts but it all seems neverending and nothing in life ever seems to get any better !!!

sarah2396

thanks will try that now

sarah2396

thanks so much .. we do have a car on the drive but it is currently on hire purchase so hopefully this is safe .. also my partner only works a couple of hours a week but his job is a driving instructor and the car is needed for that

staffie1

sarah2396 wrote: »

Firstly sorry if this is in the wrong section .. i am at my wits end and in a panic !!

I lost my job back in April due to no fault of my own (basically i was being bullied and my gp had to put me on antidepressants and sign me as off) and at the moment i'm having to claim JSA which as I'm sure many of you know is not very much. I have a couple of unpaid council tax bills which until April I was managing to deal with. I set up an agreement regarding one of them with Equita, with everything else going on and trying to sort out all my bills i somehow missed the Equita one. I know this is my fault but i had so much going on in life everything piled on top of me at once.
Today i received a letter from Equita saying that a van would be calling within 48 hours to seize goods. This is the first letter i have received since i agreed to pay them and it was only when i received this letter i realised i had missed them out when sorting through everything. I immediately tried to phone but the office had closed for the day so i went online and paid the only money i had left in my bank £80 (total bill is £367) I am now really worried that they are going to call at my home to seize goods. After everything that has happened i cannot emotionally deal with it nor face them at the door to try fight my corner. I would really appreciate any help on this, even writin this i am shaking and in tears, I just want so much to clear my debts but it all seems neverending and nothing in life ever seems to get any better !!!

That is an absolute disgrace - and for such a relatively small debt. When I think about these arrogant, money-grabbing MPs and what they've been up to with our money, I think it's ironic that this is happening to you over a very modest council tax debt. I hope they don't come and that you get it sorted OK.

staffie1

Merlinexcalibur wrote: »

Tis a disgrace. Unfortunately, I have seen some bailifs employed by our local council ... they regularly get mentioned here for example ... they appear to like shouting at people in the street, saying 'we're gonna get you'. I kid you not, it has happened.

B@stards:mad:

staffie1

Merlinexcalibur wrote: »

Well, something went through my mind when it happened, I must admit. Apart from the startlement of hearing, seeing it. Though I doubt they'd want anyone to know that, though eg the council.

Edit - now the thing with all that is that unless people are aware of certain things, anyone seeing that would think that's how most of them behaved ... but it's someone called Rossendales (hope got the name right) whom I know from reading here are not very pleasant anyway.

Well I think those councils using such people should be outed. I realise councils have to recover money that is owed - it's for everyone's benefit afterall - but to condone the use of intimidation on people who are having a hard enough time as it is, disgusts me. It sounds like something out of a Dickens novel.

sarah2396

thanks guys .. just reading your posts has cheered me up a little
i wouldnt mind if i was denying the debt i just dont have the funds to pay it right now like i said earlier i am on jsa through no fault of my own and my partner is working very little the credit crunch has hit his job hard arghhhhhhhhhh

RAS

Sarah

Good advice here on contacting Herbie21.

Please can you tell us if you have previously signed a walking possession order/levy/let the bailiffs in and signed anything.

Unless you have signed a levy/WPO they can only enter the house with you permission.

The other thing we need to know urgently is what charges they have added to you bill.

sarah2396

They have never called at my home and i have signed nothing, i have only ever had 2 letters off them the first one saying i owe 367 and the one today which says they will add 150 for the van

lolababy

Hi Sarah this may be a pie in the sky idea but, can you leave your more expensive /treasured goods with a friend for a week or two. That way you could avoid them taking some of your goods.
Another idea may be to go to cash converters to rise money from your goods. At least then you can buy them back. You will also have ready cash to stall the bailiffs.
Have you tried the credit union for a loan. It used to be that you had to save for a period before you could borrow but thats changed. Im just thinking that you may be able to use a loan at low cost to cover your debts.

RAS

sarah2396 wrote: »

They have never called at my home and i have signed nothing, i have only ever had 2 letters off them the first one saying i owe 367 and the one today which says they will add 150 for the van

In that case you can relax a bit, as they have no right to enter your house or take anything.

This is bluff and lies and the additional charges are illegal.

In the absence of a WPO or levy, the bailiff has no rights to enter your home unless you let him/her in.

They do have the right to enter through an unlocked door or window, and this is not the best weather have to keep everything locked, but you have to do that. If you have a shed, garage, that also applies. And move any car where it cannnot be found as they can levy on a car they believe to be yours.

There have been several threads on Equita and illegal charges recently, and there are some letters. If they have visited the house, they can charge £24 for the first visit and £19 for the second - total c £42 for both vists and no more irrespective of how many times they visit. if the letters were sent by post, they cannot charge for visits

And in the meantime do as Herbie21 advised another user. You need to WRITE to Equita or better still send an e-mail to:

[EMAIL="info@equita.co.uk"]info@equita.co.uk[/EMAIL]

You need to say something along the following lines.

I refer to the above account in relation to unpaid council tax due to xxxx

As you will be aware from your files this account has been assed to your bailiff Mr xxx to enforce.

The query that I have is concerning the amount that your bailiff is now stating is due. You will be aware that your bailiff visited my premises on xxx and for this visit I am advised that Mr xxx may only charge a fee of £24.50 for "attending to levy where no levy was made". I am further advised that it would appear that Mr xxx is attempting to charge me an "enforcement fee" which is NOT provided for in the statutory regulations unless a valid levy was first undertaken. No levy has been made on my goods and no documentation provided as proof.

As a matter of urgency can you please provide a full and detailed breakdown of the charges made by your bailiff.

Herbie21 advises that letter is sent by e-mail and you follow up with a paper copy by registered post.

You also need to go on your local council web-site, locate your local councillors and find out when they next do a surgery. You may well want to visit them.

On Monday ring the council office and demand that they tell you how much the liability order was for, so you can compare the bailiffs statement with the amount you actually owe plus £42, which is all the can charge you at present.

read these threads and look for more yourself.

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=1513439

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=1565473