Bailiffs visit for someone else please help

mycatstealschicken

for a few months we've been having letters for someone we've never heart of and returning them as not known at this address.

This morning at 8am someone banged on the door and when I opened it there was a man and a woman asking for the person named on hte letters. I told them she did not live here and that we'd been returning all her letters. The woman told me I was lying that I owed the council £368 and they'd come to enforce the court order and the man shoved past me into the house.

My husband came out with the phone and said he was calling the police and they could leave immediately THankfully they left but they said as they went that now they'd been in they could break in any time htey liked to take our stuff.

Really upset don't know what to do. Got a bruise on my arm from where man pushed me. I've put in a call to the council as soon as they opened and they said she definately lives here (umm no she does not I'd have noticed).

Please help. We have cctv (no sound sadly) so everything is on video. Very tempted to call police anyway.

Keep bursting into tears - pathetic I know. We're lucky enough to have no debts but its a struggle at ties and certainly don't need to deal with someone elses

[Deleted User]

mycatstealschicken wrote: »

Very tempted to call police anyway.

Do it.

You've been assaulted, the bailiff made an illegal entry, and has threatened to burgle your home.

dunstonh

You have to phone the police to report it. The action and threats are unlawful and an assault has occurred.

I would suggest you also give the council your council tax reference and ask them if you can stop paying yours if they dont believe you live there. It allows you to be a bit sarcastic to them whilst at the same time pointing out to them that you pay council tax and have done for x years.

grandma247

Call the Police they are not allowed to do this and they may not have been who they said anyway. If you had been on your own things may have been worse. Buy a chain for your door too.

mycatstealschicken

Thank you have called police and htey will send someone out later today. woman on phone was lovely. THanks for reassuring me it was right thing to do.

Think they were real bailiffs as council confirmed they were expected to visit

Mojisola

mycatstealschicken wrote: »

I've put in a call to the council as soon as they opened and they said she definately lives here (umm no she does not I'd have noticed).

I would be having a meeting with the local councillor as well - get him/her to sort out the office workers who "know" this person lives at your house.

hallowitch

what council is this do you know what the debt is for (council tax or parking ticket )
name of bailiff firm

PasturesNew

mycatstealschicken wrote: »

Keep bursting into tears - pathetic I know.

No it's not! I'd not sleep soundly for YEARS after that; afraid to ever go to work, away, or out shopping, "in case".

It's very upsetting!

spacey2012

Press charges, otherwise they might see you as a soft target.

meg72

Thank goodness your hubby was there ai dread to think what would have happened if you had been alone. I live alone and know how vunerable it can feel.

Do please press charges you will be protecting other perhaps more vunerable people from these people.

jamesd

mycatstealschicken wrote: »

This morning at 8am someone banged on the door and when I opened it there was a man and a woman asking for the person named on hte letters. I told them she did not live here and that we'd been returning all her letters. The woman told me I was lying that I owed the council £368 and they'd come to enforce the court order and the man shoved past me into the house.

That's outrageous!

As well as the police you should contact the council and offer them a copy of the recording showing the bailiff enforcing their warrant assaulting you and offering them an opportunity to inspect the bruise. Be sure you photograph it and how it develops as evidence.

You might also phone the court that was responsible for authorising the bailiffs and ask if they are interested in doing anything about the assault by those enforcing an instruction from them.

In addition to possible criminal action this may also cause this firm to lose the council business in the future.

mycatstealschicken wrote: »

Keep bursting into tears - pathetic I know. We're lucky enough to have no debts but its a struggle at ties and certainly don't need to deal with someone elses

It's not pathetic. Strangers with no authority to do it have forced their way into your home and have said that they now believe that they are entitled to break in whenever they like.

That's the sort of thing that results in legal action and injunctions ordering people not to do it, as well as the possible criminal prosecution.