Bailiffs coming in 24 hours!

tiamaria

if they aren't paid in full - long story but my friend literally doesn't have the money.

Tixy

What sort of debt are they collecting? council tax? court fine? CCJ? HMRC debt?

Have they visited the property before? have they been inside the property? has friend previously paid anything to the bailiff? has friend signed any paperwork from the bailiff (a levy/walking possession order etc)?

tiamaria

It's for a CCJ.

And no to all the other questions.

Tixy

Had they previously sent your friend an enforcement notice more than 7 days ago?

Your friend needs to keep the bailiffs out of the property tomorrow. Do not answer the door to them.

Does friend have a car at the property?

Then suggest that they take advice on applying to the court to suspend the bailiffs warrant and apply to the court to repay the debt in installments - see this factsheet https://www.nationaldebtline.org/EW/factsheets/Pages/08%20EW%20County%20court%20-%20suspending%20a%20bailiff%27s%20warrant%20or%20reducing%20instalments%20on%20a%20county-court%20judgment/Default.aspx and suggest friend gives national debtline a call for advice on dealing with this.

tiamaria

Yes he does have a car, needs that for when he manages to get a few days work though.

Nothing from the bailiffs before just from the court saying they will enforce the bailiffs if not paid.

It's been delayed because the court rejected his appeal on the amount, to avoid the appeal charge he needed to send wage slips, they say there wasn't enough wage slips, but that was because some weeks he had no work or income at all, not because he avoided sending them. anyway the time limit has reached and they have enforced the bailiffs now.

Tixy

Suggest to him that he parks the car elsewhere tomorrow, and that he speaks to national debtline.

My understanding is that the bailiffs have to give him 7 clear days notice of enforcement before visiting. Though if the CCJ dates back before April I am not sure if it would be enforced under these new rules or the older rules.

tiamaria

It's not from before April.

SailorSam

There was a programme following bailiffs on Tv last night.
The guys on that seemed pretty reasonable and if the people could get part of the money they got them to sign to say they'd pay the rest weekly. One was a small shop and rather than take all the stock the bailiff told the camera it was better to leave him in business and get all the money eventually. Another was an unemployed painter who owed £3.5k. They took his car worth about £1k and his Mum gave them another £1k. then the bailiff decided he could have the car back 'cos without he'd struggle to find work. The guy then signed to promise to pay £20pw out of his jobseekers allowance.

tiamaria

Thanks sailorsam, it's really hard, some weeks he has no income at all. I don't know how he's survived this long tbh

SailorSam

Tia this is the thing i was watching on Channel 5 if you have time to find it.
http://www.tvguide.co.uk/detail/2025472/101916379/cant-pay-well-take-it-away?systemid=&thistime=20&thisday=10/1/2014&ProgrammeTypeID=&gridSpan=03:00&catColor=#.VC16cVd16ew