Have you experience or a view on what action bailiffs should take?

Charis

aceinvader wrote: »

this is a good thing, wake up, if ever any of you idiots are owed any money there is now a chance you will get it back.

.... i get shafted from these kind of debt ridden toerags every week, and have given up on the county court as they have failed to recover anything.

And you are calling the forum members idiots?:rotfl:

cresswell80

to quote tony blair:
"Don't be in any doubt, you are entitled to defend yourself and it is only in the most extreme set of circumstances that anyone is going to get prosecuted for attacking or killing an intruder in their own home"

surely instances of this would rise - I would perceive an uninvited bailiff as an intruder and take any necessary measures to defend my home.

rog2

I have not been around for the last couple of months, and have only just seen this thread.
Anyone who believes that the current species of 'BAILIFFS' should be given more powers of entry, should look at the thread started after last year's BBC Whistle Blower programme, or read of the experience of Anniestar at the hands of these 'legalised criminals' (by the way, that is how they described themselves on the BBC Whistle Blower programme).
The current system for legal debt recovery appears to be highly regulated, with TWO exceptions: Debt Collection Agencies (DCA) and Bailiffs. Whilst there are guidelines, laid down by the OFT, which SHOULD dictate the way that these 'people' conduct their affairs, they are openly ignored as history shows that they are SELDOM enforced.
In my opinion, it is a 'proffession' which, unashamedly, encourages its employees to take advantage of the misfortune and vulnerability of people who are, often, already at their lowest ebb.
I appreciate that there are people and companies who will, deliberately, get themselves into debt, often fraudulently, in the knowledge that they can get away with it, by ignoring requests and Court Orders. However, this is NOT the case, as one poster appears to believe, for everyone who is in debt. We read, all too frequently, of CCJ's being obtained WITHOUT the defendant's knowledge, and of 'debts' which are not even accrued by the victims of these thugs.
What, one could ask, is the use of a legal process which is controlled and regulated to the letter, right up until judgement is given, by very learned and professional people, if the end result is basically to 'open the door' to a subculture which has little or no respect for the law or the rights of the individual, and is usually only paid on results?
Yes, I do agree that Court Orders should be pursued, but that they should be pursued by genuine, fully trained, officers in law, such as a uniformed branch of the Police, who are fully aware of the rights, not only of the creditor, but also of the debtor, or alleged debtor, and whose paramount responsibility is to uphold the rule of law.
Unfortunately, and in spite of all of our petitions - I have written to my MP - this bill will go through Parliament and will, probably, get no more than a summary mention by the Press.
I agree fully with those who say that what this 'SYSTEM' needs is a Total Overhaul, not legislation to exonerate the already unacceptable behaviour of these thugs. :mad:

DramaQueen29

The thing that worries me is its all very well saying if you keep up your repayments to debt collectors they wont come around - a lot of them arent even accepting minimum payments now days they just keep thowing threats back and saying they wont accept anything but the full amount.

grace

I have only had limited dealings with these agencies but 100% of them have lied about what powers they have just to intimidate people.

Privatedancer

I totally agree, we purchased a house off a previous bad debtor, (which we didn't know at the time) but 2 years later and we are still being plagued by letters (most of them threatening) from debt recovery agents. When you phone them to explain you just get verbal abuse. We have been on the voting register for over 18 months so they are not doing their homework and trying to track the original debtor just harrassing us. We were even threatened that our stuff would be taken unless we could prove we were not the people with the debt, surely the proof should be with them. I think these people need regulating not given more powers but I also believe that people who owe money should be found and made to pay it back.

nutellajunkie wrote: »

What bothers me is, there are previous tenants from where I live at the moment that are highly in debt.

o This has some what affected my own credit, very unfair!
o They get letters near enough daily, I can only imagine what they are for, but I do recognise some of the envelope formats.

So if someone has debt, no matter if they live here or not, this may mean someone can literally break into my home at any time they wish, just because of a previous tenant. Completely unethical and very frightening indeed.

Ballifs make peoples lives a misery as it is with their theatening letters and phonecalls. I thought this countries government cared (a little) but obviously if this law passes, they dont give a toss. For which, I hope each of the people that pass the law, get to feel a magnatude of depression and anxiety, just to see how millions feel already that dont have that money.

phillstarr

i tell you now!
if ANYBODY tries to force their way into MY house, they will be met with equal force on the other side!!
if i have to, i will get a big mother !!!!!!! dog and chain it to the door, that way they will not only upset me but the dog too.
I WILL NOT BE BULLIED BY ANYBODY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

rog2

phillstarr wrote: »

i tell you now!
if ANYBODY tries to force their way into MY house, they will be met with equal force on the other side!!
if i have to, i will get a big mother !!!!!!! dog and chain it to the door, that way they will not only upset me but the dog too.
I WILL NOT BE BULLIED BY ANYBODY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We all share your thoughts, but beware ps. At the moment it is illegal for a bailiff to force his/her way past you, even if the door is open, and you would be within your rights to defend yourself if touched. However, and this is the rub, once one of these despicable creatures has gained 'peaceful entry':rolleyes: then if you touch them, that is classed as assault.

The whole point about the outrage over the new legislation is that these thugs will 'legally:rolleyes: ' be able to force entry and any resistance will be classified as assault.

Didn't someone once compare the law with a donkey?

scatz

This would be one of the worst mistakes this goverment has made by passing such reforms. You only have to watch programmes like 'Watchdog' to see how many times bailiffs get the wrong person when they are chasing debts.

If a debtor currently defaults on a debt and does not pay through willful neglect, don't the bailiffs have the courts at their disposal for this type of entry into somebodies property? What is wrong with the current legislation?

sonee2405

A friend has told me that a couple of years ago some bailiffs entered a house a few doors away from hers, The people inside (about 4 men) battered the **** out of the bailiffs and kicked them out.Police was called but the men and the rest of the family said they didnot know who these men were and thought they were burglars, apparently the bailiffs ahd forced entry and the highly amused men inside were ready for a bit of wwf wrestling, The funny thing was they got away with it as english wasn't their first language so they wouldn't have understood anythig that the bailiffs were saying anyway