Please respond quickly!!!!

lalalalady

Hi there.... Literally my first post, and it's because of what happened earlier today....

Some guy came knocking on my door, I was expecting a guest, so I just answered.... It turned out he was someone from Marstons group, and he claimed to have an arrest warrant out for my boyfriend who lives with me.

Now, the first (rather stupid now) thing I did, was to deny all knowledge of who my boyfriend was (The guy was coming to arrest him, and we have two young children). The second (rather stupid) thing I did, was to give him my name and say I'd been living at the address for a few months (we've been here a few years). I didn't know this man could check how long I'd been living there, and I didn't think he'd knock on the door again 2 minutes later.

He knocked on the door again, giving me his number and said that I should get him (my boyfriend) to ring him. When I stated (rather stupidly again) that I didn't know who the man was, he said that I had lied about how long I had been living at the address, and I knew who he was. My 'avoid the bailiffs' routine kicked in, and I told him he had no right to my details anyway, and that I lied because he didn't need to know.... He then said that he would be knocking on the door again, early morning and with the police.

Now, as far as I am aware, my OH has had no letters from this company, and we have no idea what they are chasing... Is my OH best contacting the guy and finding out what it's about? Can the guy really turn up with the police? And would I get into trouble for lying at the front door?

Thanks in advance

Hudson1984

if he wasn't a copper himself i'm a little confused. I'd probably go to the police myself, report the guy, give them HIS details and explain the situation to them.

lalalalady

I've googled the company, and they have been given the rights by the courts to arrest people....

marstongroup.co.uk/ service/ arrest-enforcement-services/

NinjaSavingKat

Agreed. Call the police on a non-emergency number. They may have information about someone in the area doing the same thing... although it seems more likely that there is something your boyfriend isn't telling you or it's a case of identity fraud...

This was on the Citizens Advise website...

"Bailiffs can arrest you but only in very limited cases and if they have been authorised to do so by the magistrates' court. For example, if you haven't paid a court fine or council tax debt and you don't turn up in court when told to, the magistrates can issue a warrant of arrest for you to be arrested and brought to court to answer questions. In this situation, arrests are often carried out by private bailiffs rather than the police..."

You sound sensible enough and yet you lied three times to a court official. Have you sat your boyfriend down and discussed whether he lied in the face of upsetting you...?

Hudson1984

yeah if they've been given that right i'd make a point of phoning the police to explain why you lied; scared, home alone, not uniformed police etc etc i'm sure they would understand.

don't leave it until they turn up in the morning!!!

lalalalady

We think that Marston's may be a company he owes to... They deal with fines, council tax and the like, and he does owe money for a fine... They mainly represent the courts and councils....

I'm not doubting that he was a fraud or anything, I just didn't know that a company could set out to arrest you without first at least trying to find a way to settle the debt which is something that they haven't done. I know my OH hasn't lied in this respect... We are at the minute trying to sort out all debts, and pay them off, and I open all his mail anyway!

I did lie.... Until recently, it has been the first thing either of us do when someone knocks on the door, because we've been burying our head in the sand with debts and things like that, and when some big burly guy says he's turned up to arrest my boyfriend, then my 'deny all knowledge' instincts kick in....

RAS

Hi

Have you asked your BF why there is an arrest warrant out for him? This does not sound like a debt free problem.

If there is his best bet is probably to get a lawyer and to go to the local police station.

Cross-posted - if he has not paid the fine, he needs to call the court urgently.

lalalalady

RAS wrote: »

Hi

Have you asked your BF why there is an arrest warrant out for him? This does not sound like a debt free problem.

If there is his best bet is probably to get a lawyer and to go to the local police station.

Cross-posted - if he has not paid the fine, he needs to call the court urgently.

We don't know what it is for, and until the guy turned up, we didn't know of any arrest warrant.... This is the first we have heard from the company.

It is a debt issue....

matttye

RAS wrote: »

Hi

Have you asked your BF why there is an arrest warrant out for him? This does not sound like a debt free problem.

If there is his best bet is probably to get a lawyer and to go to the local police station.

Cross-posted - if he has not paid the fine, he needs to call the court urgently.

He doesn't need to arrange a lawyer in advance, he can ask for his chosen lawyer or the duty solicitor at the police station if they arrest and interview him.

Hudson1984

you need to find out, so phone marstons. and phone the police

hallowitch

he does owe money for a fine



ok does your boyfriend know what court fine him
did he attend court
have you moved address since the day of the fine

have a read of this
http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?392175-Warrant-issued-with-no-prior-notice-of-any-fine-penalty-or-court-invitation-**-Sorted-Stat-Dec-made-at-Court**

I would advise you to join this site and post your problem their