Liability order council tax please help!

kal79454

Hi!

So long story short my mum couldn't afford to pay the £100 a month payment plan anymore, cancelled the direct debit and forgot to send the incoming/outgoing information to Ross & Roberts (The collection agency.) We now have a liability order and they're asking for the full payment of £520 (£235 of which is their fees). I called him on the letter he hand delivered and asked whether we could make some of the payment now he said no and that full payment is required.

What can we do? Is there anyway we can set up payment plans?
What happens next if we can't afford to pay it in full? How often do they come when the liability order is in place? Will they start knocking down the door?

My mum was thinking about applying for a debt relief order. Anyone know how long it takes and whether they can pursue us if we've applied for the DRO?

Any help will be very much appreciated thanks!

CIS

kal79454 wrote: »

Hi!

So long story short my mum couldn't afford to pay the £100 a month payment plan anymore, cancelled the direct debit and forgot to send the incoming/outgoing information to Ross & Roberts (The collection agency.) We now have a liability order and they're asking for the full payment of £520 (£235 of which is their fees). I called him on the letter he hand delivered and asked whether we could make some of the payment now he said no and that full payment is required.

What can we do? Is there anyway we can set up payment plans?
What happens next if we can't afford to pay it in full? How often do they come when the liability order is in place? Will they start knocking down the door?

My mum was thinking about applying for a debt relief order. Anyone know how long it takes and whether they can pursue us if we've applied for the DRO?

Any help will be very much appreciated thanks!

The enforcement agent will visit as many times as they wish before they either collect the balance or return it to the local authority uncollected - it depends on the enforcement agent and their company policies.

At this stage the enforcement agent doesn't have to accept a payment arrangement for anything other than full payment.

Craig

National_Debtline

Hi Kal,


CIS is right that the bailiffs can continue to visit your mum, however, assuming they haven't been inside her home before, they can only come inside if she lets them in, or if they find an open/unlocked door. So tell her from now on to keep the doors locked - do not let the bailiffs in, and if she has anything valuable outside (like a car) she needs to hide it. As long as they do not get and nothing is signed with them, there are no more fees they can charge.


Your mum should write/ email Ross and Roberts and send them her budget and make an offer to pay what she can. The bailiffs may still reject this but she can only make it clear what she can pay. She can then send her payments online (if the website allows) or save it until she has enough to clear the full balance.

If she cannot afford any payments then a DRO may be the answer. A DRO would stop the bailiffs once it begins, but that will take time, so she needs to ensure her property is secure and her assets are hidden for now.


Laura
@natdebtline