How to beat the bailiffs

Brassicks

Sitting at home at the moment and just watching this for the first time.....Is this the truth in what really happens,i e bailiff has said he has the right to change locks,etc,These people this morning look like they have credit card and bank debts only.......Bailiff has just said he has the right to take family heirlooms...Are they just playing up because its a tv show,or have they the right to act like this....

Brassicks

Bailiff has just mentioned he can take pets as well...?????

livinginhope

I found it very sad that a bailiff would deliberately target something of no value whatsoever,but huge sentimental value,just to get someone to pay up,if someone doesn't have the money,then they don't have the money?
I remember when the bailiffs came to my parents house my father gave us a garage load of bits and bobs for us to 'look after' until the house was sold,so that the bailiffs couldn't get their hands on it,I now know why.
I don't like Lorne Spicer's attitude
LIH

smashedbooboo

Yes they can change the locks and they can come into your house once they have stepped over the thresh hold once. But And only but can they visit you with a court order. ie you have obtained a CCJ. Please do be frightened into thinking they can just turn up without one. As long you have made an effort with your creditors to pay the debts off and you keep up with your payments then this can be avoided. If a bailiff did turn up on the doorstep never invite then, as i said. once theyare in your house they can come back at any time whether you are in or out. And yes he can take just about anything if he thinks it is of any value. And no they are not playing up cos its a tv show. If anyone thinks they are at the stage where a baillif is due to visit then get some advise. I have had the baillifs in before now but that was for council tax. They put a walking possesion on all my goods but accepted an offer of payment in installments. I paid every week so my goods were safe. It is only when you dont pay they will come back and remove them

smashedbooboo

And yes they can take pets if they think they can sell them. They have a value. I know sad or what. There are things that they cant touch. CAB have a list of these if anyone wants to know. Please remember. There are good bailiffs and bad ones. Same with everthing. There are also different types of baillifs as well. Again this would be worth looking up as they also charge differently as well. Yes just to add to your debt and make things worse.

Brassicks

Intresting,taking pets and family heilooms,id say is a form of blackmail,and can cause undue stress,.....If your creditors were to blackmail you that is against the law.......and as i have read on these boards you can report them..Bailiffs are in effect acting on behalf of your creditors,so basically are they acting legally to take things once agaim like pets and family heirlomms,to force you to pay....????

ilovemycats

Pets!!

Do they take babies?

Only contact I've ever had with bailiff's was at university chasing for a debt of someone who'd lived there before. People change houses like every 6-months so they were certainly hopeful. They were a TOTAL nuisance. You had like 6-people in the house and they wanted to prove who everyone was with passports and alike. Some people weren't there, others who didn't live there were. They were a total bloody nuisance and wouldn't take no for an answer. And we weren't even anything to do with it!! "We will have to add an extra £100 on," !!!!!!. What were they telling us for??

What you see on television is tame in comparison to what actually does go on. They're crazed.

Crown

It is not against the law if they have a court order to retrieve goods to the value of the debt.

I must say it is disgusting that they are allowed to take pets as I would be devasted if they took my dog as she is part of the family. I would rather they took my brother in exchange for the dog.... lol

smashedbooboo

Exactly. They must have a court order. Problem is the goods never cover the value of the debt. When they are sold at auction they only sell for about 10% of there value. Whatever is made will pay off the bailliffs fees and the commision to the auction room. Then you are still left with debt or most of it anyway. There hs to be a better way. Also if you do live lodge with someone and you cant prove that the goods belong to your friend or whoever then in the baillifs eyes its tough. They will take their stuff as well.

immoral_angeluk

ilovemycats wrote: »

Do they take babies?

If they do I best start ignoring my debt repayments.. I might be able to get some peace and quiet for a change!

lxpeanut

I thought it disgusting that they admitted to emotional blackmail by taking items of only sentimental value. Items should only be taken if they are going to have value at an auction after all isn't the point to pay off the debt?

As for pets they did say that they would take pedigree animals so if you have a moggy or mongral don't worry. We consider our pets to be part of the family the courts consider them luxuries. I'd love to see how much they'd consider it a luxury if someone tried to take one of their family members away.

Holding pets and sentimental items to ransom to force you to pay is immoral but not illegal unfortunatly.

I find this show a bit sensationalist but I suppose if it scares a few people into dealing with their debt and not letting it get to the stage baliffs are coming round it's achieved something. I just wish it would give more advice on how to deal with debts. Maybe Martin should have his own show I'm sure they would be plenty of volunteers on this site to be participents.