My first experience with the bailiffs (I need urgent help)

IPIP

Hi guys

So I owe a council tax fee of £422.56. I have made few instalment fees prior to this to the council tax and to the debt collectors but due to personal circumstances, I failed to follow through this plan. Long story short, I owe a council tax fee of £422.56

I think they have visited before when I was not at home.

A bailiff visited my property yesterday. I never experienced with them and the guy started to evaluate my living room and my office room. He said he's suppose to take stuff right now and that he will give me Friday (28th Sep 2012) as a deadline to get this money or my items will be seized.

They now need a total fee of £663.06

Council tax fee - £422.56
First visit fee - £24.50
Second visit fee - £18.00
Levy Charge - £38.00
Enforcement fee - £210
admission charge - £0.50

I want to know what this enforcement fee is and whether I can challenge this.

Also, he went to my office (dining room turned office) I am a self employed and he started to note down my computer and photographic equipment. I told him this is for my work, he said you need a letter or some sort.

To be honest, I was in shock of his presence that I didn't note down anything. He got me to sign a letter which I did.

Please advice me. I have managed to get £300 together and the rest I know I can get by next week. He's not having none of it. He said he doesn't care when I will be paid except that he will be returning Friday.

RAS

Oh dear.

You let him in to do a levy.

What exactly is listed on that levy?

The fees are partly legal and partly illegal.

Which load of muppets is this?

midnight_express

You should never let a bailiff into your house.

IPIP

RAS wrote: »

Oh dear.

You let him in to do a levy.

What exactly is listed on that levy?

The fees are partly legal and partly illegal.

Which load of muppets is this?

they listen my sofa (3+1+1), my TV, running machine and bike exercise machine, then he went on to my office and noted down a Dell monitor

Together, these stuff is worth almost £5,000

I know now but I never knew not to let anyone in

RAS

He cannot take normal household goods and he cannot take work equipment. He can take the running machine, exercise machine, TV (if it is valuable) and depending on the size of the household part of the sofa set. he has to leave one seating space per person.

So you has you up against a wall and knows it.

You need to get together £485.06 as that it what he can legally charge.

Given the situation, I strongly advise that you do the following

1. Write a statuatory declaration done to cover all your work equipment - cost £10.

2. Ring the bailiff advice line http://www.bailiffadviceonline.co.uk/

Sheila is very experienced and I think you need the extra help in the very short -term. The cost per minute is 60p I think. She might well be able to check in your thread here is you direct her.

Do check whether the bailiff is certified before you call her (see the web-site).

IPIP

RAS wrote: »

He cannot take normal household goods and he cannot take work equipment. He can take the running machine, exercise machine, TV (if it is valuable) and depending on the size of the household part of the sofa set. he has to leave one seating space per person.

So you has you up against a wall and knows it.

You need to get together £485.06 as that it what he can legally charge.

Given the situation, I strongly advise that you do the following

1. Write a statuatory declaration done to cover all your work equipment - cost £10.

2. Ring the bailiff advice line http://www.bailiffadviceonline.co.uk/

Sheila is very experienced and I think you need the extra help in the very short -term. The cost per minute is 60p I think. She might well be able to check in your thread here is you direct her.

Do check whether the bailiff is certified before you call her (see the web-site).

Hi RAS

Thanks a lot.

In terms of statutory declaration, I phoned up my local solicitors and they said they'll happily do this for a fee of £5.

Do I simply write a list of the equipment that I need for my work and then get the solicitors to sign it?

Do I need original receipts etc for this?

Thanks in advance

RAS

Nicked this from hallowitch.

Needs a little edit, so wait a mo.

STATUTORY DECLARATION



To: (the bailiffs) (their address)






I (you)
of (your address)
Do solemnly and sincerely declare that:
the items listed (list them)



are property of (your name) and are used solely for the purposes of operating my business
And I make this solemn declaration conscientiously believing the same to be true and by virtue of the provisions of the Statutory Declarations Act 1835 and Section 5 of The Perjury Act 1911.

Signature:

Declared at

On the day of two thousand and

Before me

A Commissioner for Oaths, or Notary Public/Justice of the Peace/Solicitor having the powers conferred on a Commissioner for OathsBefore me

A solicitor will keep you right on this costs about £10 a copy should be sent to the bailiffs.

At this stage, do NOT argue the fees with the bailiffs.

Make the payment for the legal amount and get urgent advice about the illegal fees

hallowitch

if the only thing he levied regarding your business is the del monitor i wouldn't bother with a stat dec

all they will do is remove it from the levy the reaming goods will still be subject to the levy

they listen my sofa (3+1+1), how many people live your home they must leave seating for all the family
TV (is it on HP is it a top of the range TV did he levy the remote control )
running machine bike exercise machine, (are they top of the range )

what bailiff firm is this

there is no such thing as an enforcement fee

Is he certificated to the firm he is employed by
http://certificatedbailiffs.justice.gov.uk/CertificatedBailiffs/

hallowitch

Council tax fee - £422.56

Have you confirmed with the council that this is the amount passed over to the bailiffs for collection

IPIP

hallowitch wrote: »

if the only thing he levied regarding your business is the del monitor i wouldn't bother with a stat dec

all they will do is remove it from the levy the reaming goods will still be subject to the levy

they listen my sofa (3+1+1), how many people live your home they must leave seating for all the family
TV (is it on HP is it a top of the range TV did he levy the remote control )
running machine bike exercise machine, (are they top of the range )

what bailiff firm is this

there is no such thing as an enforcement fee

Is he certificated to the firm he is employed by
http://certificatedbailiffs.justice.gov.uk/CertificatedBailiffs/

Hi hallowitch

They are from Phoenix commercial collections. We are 3, myself and 2 younger siblings

the TV is not really a top end model. Its LG 42" and at the time, it was worth £800. Now I think its about £600

Same goes for the bike and the running machine. They're both not even mid end models.

IPIP

hallowitch wrote: »

Council tax fee - £422.56

Have you confirmed with the council that this is the amount passed over to the bailiffs for collection

yes, this is the correct ammount