Baliffs at our door this AM - and coming back - Please Help!

KittyKate

ARRRGH I don't know where to start, apart from this morning I was woken up by the intercom in our apartment and it was baliffs - but I don't owe anything! Please help!

This all started about a month ago when myself and my partner got a letter from Bradford council requesting we pay £350 in long overdue council tax. They had to send a letter because I've moved borough and am now paying my council tax to another council.

The thing is, neither myself or my partner owe this council tax. We were both full time students at university and therefore exempt. We did fill out the correct forms at the time but clearly the council didn't process them (they're a notoriously rubbish council in a very deprived area.)

We rang the council and eventually managed to sort it out with them (all they did was phone our uni to check). A week later the exemption forms came through and we thought no more of it.

Then a letter from 'Equita Certified Baliffs' came demanding we pay. We rang them and said it had been sorted and they said they had noted that down. A week later we got another and were told on the phone to make a card payment (the person on the other end couldn't grasp the fact there was no debt). We asked them to call the council to check.Yesterday we got in from work about 6.30 and had the worst letter yet saying we'd refused to pay, ignored 2 baliffs already, they were coming to sieze our goods and sell them at our expense. Yet agai we called Equita who asked us to send the originals of the exemption forms. We refused and they started screaming at me, I was called a liar, a debtor, a student who owes (I have not been a student for 2 years) I was told to 'pay or they'll break in and take your stuff whether you're there or not'. I was left in tears. Another argument on the phone with my OH who an hour in managed to speak to a 'team leader' managed to get them to hold off any baliff action and can we send in a photocopy of the exemption form.

We photocopied the form on the scanner-printer at home and went to bed. This annoys me anyway as I shouldn't be doing some shoddy baliff's admin girl, plus the stress.

This morning at 8.30 am the intercom rings. We didn't get it in time, but who else could it have been? My OH went doin in the lift to the lobby to check but no notes had been left. A quick call to Equita and we were told no stops had been placed on baliff action. And miraculously there were no notes from the chat my OH had with the team leader on record. We were told a baliff could be round at any time. We have been threatened, abused and there doesn't seem to be anything we can do. The earliest they'll recieve the exemption form copy is monday, the council is closed on weekends so there is nothing we can do.

We even asked if we could just give yet another copy to the baliffs but were told 'they don't do paperwork'. Apparently this is all our mess to sort out

We live in a private, CCTV covered apartment on a private road with no visitors parking without prior consent. I only hope the baliffs get clamped..at least that'll make my day

It makes me sick to the stomach to think we could be an old couple or a young mother. We've fought and fought but we're now up against a wall. My OH is on the phone to his solicitor regarding this and whether we can take action on the company or the advisor who has threatened me. I feel sick.:mad:

Broken_hearted

Students as far I was aware only got a reduction. Have you checked it out fully, its a long time since I was at uni and ours was reduced by 10%.
Hugs its very upsetting, don't let them in walk down to meet them outside your building. Take copies of anything proving your case.

Molanole

I've got no experience of bailiffs and someone more knowledgeable than me will be along soon but I think I read somewhere on these boards that dealing only in writing with these people is the only way forward. I think it's disgusting how they have been threatening you though. Perhaps the threat of legal action against them might help though. Make sure you can claim the costs from them though as it's not right that you should have to pay out when it's not your fault anyway.

Good luck.

Molanole

Full time students are exempt from paying council tax. You have to request that your HEI (higher education institution) prints a certificate and then you are responsible to dealing with the local authority with respect to your exemption. I used to print loads of these certificates off for students when I was temping in a student records office at a University.

KittyKate

Broken_hearted wrote:

Students as far I was aware only got a reduction. Have you checked it out fully, its a long time since I was at uni and ours was reduced by 10%.
Hugs its very upsetting, don't let them in walk down to meet them outside your building. Take copies of anything proving your case.

No it's definately no council tax to pay - if you read the above I already said we have the exemption form.

And as I also said above, I can't meet the baliffs at the door with any forms as they dont do paperwork.

KittyKate

Molanole wrote:

Full time students are exempt from paying council tax. You have to request that your HEI (higher education institution) prints a certificate and then you are responsible to dealing with the local authority with respect to your exemption. I used to print loads of these certificates off for students when I was temping in a student records office at a University.

We did it 2 years ago. All the other years I was at uni they went through fine - now we're being chased by some random baliff for a 'debt' we have an exemption form on. I have dealt with it with my local authority and I knew nothing of this action.

Kevicho

1) Dont let them in (ever!), for any reason
2) Show them the form, if you have to get a copy and put it through the letterbox to them, or show it them through the window

Molanole

I wasn't getting at you Kitty Kate - as you said in your first post, you already had the exemption form. I was trying to be helpful in response to the OP.

As Kevicho says, never let them in. And from now on, all in writing is the way to go!

patchwork_cat

My heart goes out to you this is a very stressful situation. It won't help you this weekend, but you need to write to everyone, council, baliff, by registered post with all reference numbers and copies of exemption certificates and correspondence. I would get advice from CAB. I am no expert it is just what I would do. Someone who has more info will be along soon, I'm sure.

lynzpower

I would start threatening the council that you are going to sue them for distress. One of our clients did it for no processing of a housing benefit form ( and all the hassle that brings ) and came out with 3 grand compo.

Writew a diary of everything, get all the letters in chronological order, do you have a copy of the cert you sent them? If so, make an appointment with the offikcer ( not over the phone its a shambles) and show them what youve got.

You can then bill them for the hours off work to, might not work , but you might as well ask!

jeppy

I hope they clamp them Too!!

What did your solicitor suggest? I have no experience in this sort of thing, but could you pay the o/s amount and then claim it back?? Mind you if the council is that bad that paperwork will probably get lost too!!!

Good luck!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!