Help, bailiffs now involved!

karukai

I received a "parking charge notice" in Sheffield way back in June 2012, issued by Vehicle Control Services. I ignored it, and the next 10 letters they sent, including letters claiming to be from other companies but registered at their address etc.
Now I've had a letter from Newlyn bailiffs to claim £166 from me.
Not sure how to proceed now, I thought it was all over about a year ago when the letters stopped!

:mad:

Any words of advice are appreciated.

Redx

fishing trip with old invoices , like this one https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/4944734

and this one https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/4944484

no bailiffs will be involved unless VCS take you to court , win , and you didnt pay up

that is when a CCJ will be issued and only then will bailiffs be involved

this is a debt collector letter , so read that debt collector advice in the NEWBIES sticky thread, then ignore it

do not ignore any LBC or court papers though

ps: this can go on for 6 years , so another 4 years to go

esmerobbo

Take the letter and a big marker pen and substitute Bailiffs with debt collector.

Of course Newlyn [STRIKE]Bailiffs[/STRIKE] Debt Collectors don't want you to know that!

AnnieO1234

A bailiff, as in the type of person who can enter your property to recover goods to a specific value is ONLY court appointed. Now I'm not saying Newlyn don't also work on court debts, but you absolutely do not have a bailiff or the possible chance of a bailiff turning up at your property without an UNPAID CCJ.

If you are worried that they will send a "representative" write to them or be clear in person there is no implied right of access for their company to be on your property and call the police. The chances of this happening for a VCS PCN are about the same as my chances of sprouting wings and flying to Mars.

Please, these are just scare tactics.

Xx

bazster

It's before October 2012 so they can't hold the registered keeper liable, only the driver. And since they don't know who that was (and you're not going to tell them) they are a bit stuffed.

They're just resurrecting graveyard cases in the hope that some will be stupid enough to pay. Don't be one of them. Ignore.

n.b. Newlyn is a bailiff firm, but they can't act as bailiffs unless they are enforcing a court order. There is no court order and there's not going to be one. In this instance Newlyn are merely toothless debt collectors and will not be sending the boys round!

GingerBob_3

bazster wrote: »

It's before October 2012 so they can't hold the registered keeper liable, only the driver. And since they don't know who that was (and you're not going to tell them) they are a bit stuffed.

They're just resurrecting graveyard cases in the hope that some will be stupid enough to pay. Don't be one of them. Ignore.

n.b. Newlyn is a bailiff firm, but they can't act as bailiffs unless they are enforcing a court order. There is no court order and there's not going to be one. In this instance Newlyn are merely toothless debt collectors and will not be sending the boys round!

So they (Newlyn) misrepresent themselves, and yet the court still employs them on other business. Disgusting.

Stroma

They don't say 'as a company of bailiffs' or something similar do they?

spacey2012

A bailiff is not an actual person or an actual employment.
A Bailiff becomes a bailiff when they hold a court order to act as such.

It Means "officer of the court".
If they have no court order, they revert to citizen, like everyone else, the bailiff status only extends to court business.

BenefitMaster

spacey2012 wrote: »

A bailiff is not an actual person or an actual employment.
A Bailiff becomes a bailiff when they hold a court order to act as such.

It Means "officer of the court".
If they have no court order, they revert to citizen, like everyone else, the bailiff status only extends to court business.

And just for the record, as of a few days ago, they aren't Bailiffs any more in any case.

bazster

BenefitMaster wrote: »

And just for the record, as of a few days ago, they aren't Bailiffs any more in any case.

How so? Have they been "struck off" as it were?

James_N

bazster wrote: »

How so? Have they been "struck off" as it were?

Now known as "Enforcement Agents"

summary from:
http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=6&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CG4QFjAF&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.blackpool.gov.uk%2FResidents%2FCouncil-tax%2FDocuments%2FImportant-Bailiff-Changes-2014.pdf&ei=EulHU_qAAeT17Aakn4HQBg&usg=AFQjCNHzfgXVtZPaWNfd3it6AkRE1dkXMQ

Important Changes to Bailiff Law and Regulations from 6th April 2014
The law relating to bailiffs is changing on 6th April 2014. The Changes:
 Bailiffs will now be known as Enforcement Agents
 There is a new fee structure
 Enforcement Agents must now follow a three stage process:
Stage 1 – Compliance.
Upon receipt of an instruction, the Enforcement Agent shall give the debtor a minimum of seven clear days notice that a visit will take place to take control of goods.
Stage 2 – Enforcement.
An Enforcement Agent shall attend the premises to take control of goods and undertake activities necessary prior to the removal of goods.
Stage 3 – Sale.
An Enforcement Agent shall attend the premises to either remove goods for sale, or start the preparations for sale if the sale is to take place on the premises. This stage ends when the goods have been sold or disposed of.
New Fee Structure
A new fee structure has been introduced and the fees relating to the three stages above are triggered as soon as each stage begins. These are the Enforcement Agent’s fees, not the Council’s. The fees have been set by central Government and will be periodically reviewed.
Compliance Stage Fee £75.00.
The Enforcement Agent will charge this fee as soon as your debt is passed to them by the Council. The fee is payable for each Liability Order, so the total fee could be much more.
Enforcement Stage Fee £235.00 (plus 7.5% of the value of the debt that exceeds £1,500.00).
This fee shall be charged by the Enforcement Agent when the premises are visited for the first time.
Sale Stage Fee £110.00 (plus 7.5% of the value of the debt that exceeds £1,500.00).
This fee shall be charged when an Enforcement Agent attends the premises to remove goods and make preparations for the sale of goods.
There are additional fees which the Enforcement Agent may charge relating to the removal and storage of goods and locksmith’s fees.
There are transitional arrangements in place for cases already with the bailiffs before 6th April 2014.

Other Important Changes
 The new regulations have removed the term ‘bailiff’. Bailiffs are now known as Enforcement Agents.
 The terms Levy, distress and walking possession are now known as the process of ‘taking control of goods’.
 An Enforcement Agent is permitted to visit your property seven days a week between 6.00 a.m. and 9.00 p.m., excluding bank Holidays and Christmas Day.
 Tools used in the course of your work may be removed by the Enforcement Agent if they have a value of more than £1,350.00.
 From receiving a case, the Enforcement Agent has 12 months in which to take control of goods. The 12 month period ends if a payment arrangement is made, but begins afresh if the arrangement is broken.
 An Enforcement Agent will give written notice to the owner or co-owner of any goods which have been taken control of.