We're aware that some users are experiencing technical issues which the team are working to resolve. See the Community Noticeboard for more info. Thank you for your patience.
📨 Have you signed up to the Forum's new Email Digest yet? Get a selection of trending threads sent straight to your inbox daily, weekly or monthly!

Jacobs bailiffs !!help!!

Options
Hi everyone, I will keep this as short as possible.

I have a joint tenancy with my disabled brother who has his share of all the bills covered in his benefits.


I had poor money management and missed my council tax payments last year, the council asked for full payment £576.59 which I couldn't afford so I agreed a one time payment plan of £30 per week as I was paid weekly - I only made two weeks payments before I fell short on work and never contacted them, I missed a payment and now they want the full £516.59

I've been staying at my gf's place whilst working locally to hers so I've not received any mail whatsoever, till Thursday 26th January 2017 my brother calls me saying there is a bill in both our names stating enforcement agent on behalf of Jacobs is to collect £826.59.

He opened my older mail and realized they had sent a letter asking for £516.59 + £75 summons fee, obviously ignored because I hadn't been there to open it they've then passed it on to Mr Wheeler at Jacobs bailiffs department who has added a further £235.

I called Mr Wheeler on Thursday evening and told him I can't pay the total amount within the 24 hour time frame stated in bold red writing on the ''hand delivered letter''
He asked me when I could pay, I informed him of my circumstances and that I was to be paid next Friday the 3rd of February to which he said he wanted full payment on the 3rd.
I said I think I'll only be able to do £3-400 which is practically all my wages, he laughed and said ''Look I am giving you till the Friday with no further action taken if you pay in full on Friday - that's that''

I said I will call back Friday then and see what I can do.


My questions are as follows:

1)
I had been paying £67.50 every month which was half of what our total CT bill was (brothers half covered)
I've just checked my counctil tax band and its B which means we should only be paying just over £99 per month joint, so approximately £50 each.
So i have paid £17.50 too much for around 5 or 6 months - Will the council deduct this amount from my total debt?

2)
Can I simply log in to my Council tax bill online and make a payment rather than calling the council? If I was to log in and pay the full amount would they still chase me for the bailiffs charge?

3) If I ask for a breakdown of the bailiffs charges what am I looking out for that may be wrong? or does the bailiffs charges so far sound correct that he charges an additional £235 to collect the £591.59 debt (CT + summons)


Many thanks in advance for taking the time to read this and respond.
I am super desperate, I can't really afford to pay more than £200 otherwise I will fall behind on my rent and other outgoings.
I know the Council office will tell me to contact the bailiffs but I don't want to talk to him over the phone.

Is there an email address for them?

Comments

  • dieselv2
    dieselv2 Posts: 164 Forumite
    Fourth Anniversary 100 Posts Combo Breaker Uniform Washer
    How much is your yearly council tax and are you paying over 10 or 12 months?

    Maybe phone one of the debt charities and ask them the best course of action.
    Debt As Of 19/3/2021: £16,973 | Current Debt: £9,322 | 54.9% Repaid
  • sourcrates
    sourcrates Posts: 31,481 Ambassador
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts I've been Money Tipped! Name Dropper
    Hi,

    If you ignore the bailiffs, and don't let them gain access to your property, they will make 3 attempts, then pass the account back to the council.

    You will incur more fees by doing this, but you will then be able to pay it back in affordable instalments, rather than what Jacobs are demanding.

    Ring one of the debt charities in my signiture for advice.
    I’m a Forum Ambassador and I support the Forum Team on the Debt free wannabe, Credit file and ratings, and Bankruptcy and living with it boards. If you need any help on these boards, do let me know. Please note that Ambassadors are not moderators. Any posts you spot in breach of the Forum Rules should be reported via the report button, or by emailing forumteam@moneysavingexpert.com. All views are my own and not the official line of MoneySavingExpert.For free non-judgemental debt advice, contact either Stepchange, National Debtline, or CitizensAdviceBureaux.Link to SOA Calculator- https://www.stoozing.com/soa.php The "provit letter" is here-https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/2607247/letter-when-you-know-nothing-about-about-the-debt-aka-prove-it-letter
  • CIS
    CIS Posts: 12,260 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    1)
    Anything you have paid will have been already taken in to account when the balance was passed to the enforcement agent. If you've made payment since then there is a chance the reduced balance hasn't be passed on so that might need checking.

    2)
    You could do but that won't stop the enforcement agent acting. It would be a very unusual case where the enforcement agent's are instructed to accept any payment made direct to them - they may not want to accept, and it wouldn't be accepted as a formal payment arrangement, but the council will have standing instructions for them to accept tendered payments. Monies should be apportioned between the enforcement agent fees and the council tax arrears so paying just the amount of the council tax charge would not clear the actual charge once it was apportioned (although some councils will cease action at that point).

    3)
    The £235 is a correct amount on the fee scale.

    4)
    Although your brother has his half paid by Council Tax Support/Reduction he is still jointly liable for the Council Tax charge with you. Him being in in receipt of Council Tax Support/Reduction does not remove him from joint liability. If no summons and liability order were issued in his name then there has been a big error somewhere along the way.

    Craig
    I no longer work in Council Tax Recovery but instead work as a specialist Council Tax paralegal assisting landlords and Council Tax payers with council tax disputes and valuation tribunals. My views are my own reading of the law and you should always check with the local authority in question.
  • fatbelly
    fatbelly Posts: 22,912 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Cashback Cashier
    You won't incur any more fees now, providing he does not access your goods.

    £75 is a compliance fee, £235 is the enforcement fee because he has visited.

    Standard advice applies: keep car hidden, doors locked, do not engage with him via an open door - if you must talk do it through the letterbox or an upstairs window.

    Yes you can pay the council online.

    Yes the fees are part of the 'sum due' unless the bailiffs choose to send it back.

    You need to look at the numbers more closely - on a 10-instalment plan you should now be finished for this year but you and your brother are £516.59 behind. Well a bit less than that as there will have been around £80 court/liability order costs so say £436. Between you, you will have been underpaying about £43 per month. Maybe the council tax support you assumed had been applied, has not.

    Don't forget every council now has their own scheme and 100% council tax support for those on benefits and of working age is rare. My own council only goes to 75% support - even those on JSA must pay 25% of the full bill.
  • dieselv2
    dieselv2 Posts: 164 Forumite
    Fourth Anniversary 100 Posts Combo Breaker Uniform Washer
    fatbelly wrote: »
    Don't forget every council now has their own scheme and 100% council tax support for those on benefits and of working age is rare. My own council only goes to 75% support - even those on JSA must pay 25% of the full bill.

    My council says everyone must pay at least 8% themselves. This will probably change in March/April with Government cuts.
    Debt As Of 19/3/2021: £16,973 | Current Debt: £9,322 | 54.9% Repaid
  • fatbelly
    fatbelly Posts: 22,912 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Cashback Cashier
    dieselv2 wrote: »
    My council says everyone must pay at least 8% themselves. This will probably change in March/April with Government cuts.

    Yes the percentages are going up as councils try to close the gap and see increasing taxation of benefits claimants as the way forward.

    I'm not sure if it's through yet but in Torbay the proposal is
    1. Reducing the maximum level of support for working age customers from 75% to 55%
    2016/17 Council Tax Reduction scheme, section 57, paragraph 57.1.
    We currently require all working age recipients of Council Tax Support to make a minimum payment of 25% towards their council tax. This would increase to 45% from 01/04/17.
This discussion has been closed.
Meet your Ambassadors

🚀 Getting Started

Hi new member!

Our Getting Started Guide will help you get the most out of the Forum

Categories

  • All Categories
  • 350.8K Banking & Borrowing
  • 253K Reduce Debt & Boost Income
  • 453.5K Spending & Discounts
  • 243.8K Work, Benefits & Business
  • 598.6K Mortgages, Homes & Bills
  • 176.8K Life & Family
  • 257.1K Travel & Transport
  • 1.5M Hobbies & Leisure
  • 16.1K Discuss & Feedback
  • 37.6K Read-Only Boards

Is this how you want to be seen?

We see you are using a default avatar. It takes only a few seconds to pick a picture.