Just received Final warning 24hrs notice of plan to carry out warrant unless pay in full advice need

[Deleted User]

Late yesterday afternoon I received a letter from a county court baliff from a near by county court.  
The letter says it's regarding a debt I apparently owe to Lowell portfolio Ltd. 
I do not know who Lowell is and don't know what the debt is for. 
I have never received any communication from them before now, this is the first letter I have received.
I'm shocked to see they have taken me to court and got a CCJ and now have a Warrant to remove my goods if I do not pay within 24hrs.

The letter says Lowell Portfolio Ltd Vs then my name. It then has warrant number and then says this is a final notice and I have to pay £285.25 with in 24hrs of they will have not choice but to execute warrant and come to my house to remove goods.

I'm now terrified they are going to turn up at my house today,( I've locked front door and made sure windows are all shut) I'm sick, I suffer from a long term medical condition that leaves me bed bound most of the time. I also have 4 young children with special needs and medical conditions that I have to care for.

I want to just pay it as I'm too unwell to be dealing with this and don't need the added stress, but don't have the money to pay it in full until next Thursday. I could make a small payment today. I have no family or friends I could ask to borrow money either.

But even if did have money they do not state any where on letter how to pay. It just says I have to pay the court within 24hrs.

Does this mean I have to go to court in person so pay. If so I'm not well enough, I can hardly stand up to walk down stairs let alone walk to bus stop get on a bus for a 1 1/2 hour journey then walk to court then Do the same coming back. 

I don't have a car and can't drive any way due to medical reasons.
My husband is away working and won't be back until next week.

What should I do? All I have is a landline and a mobile number for court bailiff and address of court.

I prefer doing things in writing so I have a paper trail so  I'm not keen to phone baliff, also I currently don't have a phone. Bt have just disconnected my landline as they have moved me over to digital voice but cant use digital voice as my current phone won't work with it. Also don't get a very good mobile signal where I live. Cuts out continually. So difficult to ring.

Do you think it would be ok to text the baliff to explain situation or should I write a letter to the court. Or I see Lowell portfolio Ltd have a website would it be worth me emailing Lowell directly.

Any advice on what I should do would be much appreciated.

Thanks in advance

molerat

Have you spoken to your OH about this ? Are you sure he has not hidden anything away - ignored it and hoped it might go away ? Is the letter addressed to you ?

Do you have access to your credit files from the 3 agencies ? You need to check them to look for any possible debts, your OH needs to do the same as there could be some cross over / mix up.

Contact the court that has awarded the CCJ, quoting the reference, and ask what it is about stating this is the first you have heard about it ?

Doors and windows shut is a good idea, they are not allowed to force access and with no car to hold ransom there is little they can do. I would resist contacting Lowell directly at the moment, they currently only have your address so that is the only way they can contact you. 

You really do need to get some sort of phone sorted out, writing letters is too long a process in this digital age. 

[Deleted User]

Thanks for your reply, what's the best way to contact the county court?. There is only a address on letter. 
Also I am trying to sort out a phone, I did not ask BT to disconnect my landline and move me over to BT digital Voice, they did it without my permission and without warning. They are slowly moving every one over to BT digital voice. The first I knew about it was a letter the day before. With digital voice you have to plug phone in to a socket on router not phone socket as phone sockets no longer work for internet once switched off only for internet.
And you have to have a phone that supports digital or a adapter from BT. Neither of which I have but am trying to sort out. So phoning is out of question.

Oh and I will talk to my husband when he gets back but I'm sure he isn't hiding any thing. 

sourcrates

Hi,

Try not to worry, we are talking county court bailiffs here, not the HCEO`s we see on TV.

These folk tend to only work 9-5, and don`t tend to be that difficult to deal with, plus, you keep your door locked, they can`t enter, its that simple, they won`t waste much time on a sub £300 quid debt.

Lowell are a major player in the debt purchasing game, old loans/cards/utility bills/phone contracts that kind of thing, there would have been a very long paper trail before it got to this stage, have you moved recently, or has someone else been hiding the post from you ?

My advice differs from above, I would be inclined to get in touch with Lowell, and see what this is all about, as the court will only be able to tell you the claimant name, and how much is owed, you want to know why its owed, only they can tell you that.

Lowell will have taken this action because all comms to date have not been responded too, for whatever reason, its Lowell who instruct the bailiffs, the court just rubber stamps the order, so its Lowell you need to talk to in order to sort this, explain the situation to them, they will treat you respectfully, they can stop enforcement action straight away if you make arrangements with them.

capuchin

Lots of issues at play here, and they need 7 working days from a notice of enforcement before they can visit as it doesnt sound like High Court agents. They won't be coming tomorrow. (unless you've somehow missed the notice of enforcement)

For now I'd contact both bailiffs and Lowells and inform them you are vulnerable, which will essentially put your case on ice until more knowledgeable members here can give you better help.

[Deleted User]

Thank you everyone for your replies, there is no one in my house hiding mail, but we have had problems with mail going missing, we have missed hospital appointment due to appointment letters going missing and not turning up. I've also had mail turn up opened on a few occasions for both me and my husband. I have asked postman and  complained to royal mail several times, they say they will launch a investigation then say they found nothing. So it's possible I guess that there could have been other letters that we haven't received.
Things have improved now since they replaced postman with new postman.

We haven't moved recently, we moved to our current home 11 years ago. Ive not had any credit cards or store cards no loans, over drafts or any thing else in last 11 years so don't understand what the debt is for. I do not believe in spending money you don't have so would never have a credit card or any thing else.

The only time I can think of was back at old house about 16years ago, my husband was made redundant and we were struggling to make ends meet, I did set up a store account then to get some cloths and a bed for my young son.  But that was 16 years ago and I paid it off and closed account. I had a loan 20 years ago with Lloyds but again paid it off in full nearly 15 years ago.

It can't surely be for a 16 - 20 year old debt can it. Can they come after you so long after.

I will email Lowel now and might try to contact baliff too. I did think court would not be able to help much.

I'll let you all know how I get on.

EssexHebridean

You also need to sort out some form of phone immediately - even if only a temporary fix like a cheap mobile. What happens if you need to call 999, for example. No household should ideally be left without a phone, and certainly not one full of vulnerable people! 

[Deleted User]

As I have said I am trying to sort out phone as quick as possible. And as said there is no mobile signal where I live. I live in the country in a small village so network coverage is poor, so a mobile is useless.
I did not ask for my phone to be disconnected and to be moved to BT digital Voice BT did it without asking and without warning. 
BT are the ones who have left me without a phone I have complained to BT.

sourcrates

Any debt can be chased, no matter the age or enforceability, once initial contact has been established, its then up to you, the debtor to either admit, or dispute the debt, if its an old debt that falls under the limitation act, then you tell them so in writing, that would usually be the end of the matter, any debt has to be proved by the creditor, when asked to do so.

Bailiff action is way down the list of events here, a lot of letter`s must have vanished to get to this stage.

This certainly requires some clarification as to what has happened.

EssexHebridean

I understand that It’s not your fault about the phone - and indeed my post was made from a position of concern, not censure.

You don’t necessarily need a mobile signal to use a mobile phone either - our mobile signal is pretty flaky but my phone uses the WiFi network (WiFi call) to make and receive calls. Indeed, even when I’m in the Hebrides with NO mobile signal at all these days I can use my phone no problem as long as I’ve got WiFi - some of us do understand about rural areas and signals, trust me! 😁

EssexHebridean

Returning to the question of the debt - did you get to the bottom of the “Lantern” contact you received a while ago, or indeed the court paperwork from last year? Could this be something to do with either of those perhaps? Maybe issued in error if those have been resolved?