Enforcement officer & an issue that cannot be resolved.

serendipitycary

I am not sure this is the right catagory but I do need serious help. There is no bankruptcy but it is a debt related.

I got a phone call from an enforcement officer today stating he was visiting my property (it's not my property as I live with mum as her full time carer) to seize goods for a two and half thousand pound debt. I nearly fell through the floor. I don't owe such a figure! I have no assets, no savings, no property etc and live with my mum who is seriously ill and I am her full time carer in receipt of carers allowance. No other income. The enforcement officer was intimidating and threatening and had to enter the property to seize goods regardless who they belong to. Everything in the house is mum's, it's her property.

This has been ongoing and I have been given wrong addresses and telephone numbers regarding this issue as I found out today. I have had no notification of a High Court order, the company involved refuses to correspond with me but I have a paper trail trying to sort this. I can't get an appointment with Citizens Advice as they are over run with cases and turning people away and referring them to the national debt advice line. I have tried them several times but to no avail waiting 45 minutes or more on the phone. And due to mum's disabilities and severe health issues I have to attend to her. She is now convinced I am going to jail thus losing me as her full time care and she'll end up in care, She can't help as she is on pension credit.

I have been told not to let the enforcer into the property which I won't. I am at the end of my tether, stressed out and had a couple panic attacks today due to this. There is no family to help as it's just me and mum. I told the enforcer my brother died almost 6 years ago due to cancer so no family and once you are a full time carer you loose your friends sadly and the only people I have contact with now is medical people. I do need serious help and advice to sort this because I have nowhere to turn. :-( I really do need someone from MSE to provide sound advice as I am going round in circles!

molerat

You need to start at the beginning.

What is this debt all about ?

If they do have a High Court order this has been to court, you have got a CCJ and they have gone to a higher court to get an enforcement order.

They can only gain entry to your property by peaceful means, they cannot force a door or window but if a door is left open they can access it.

https://www.courtenforcementservices.co.uk/powers-high-court-enforcement-officer/

diystarter7

There must have been debt and no payments mean it increases and it increases.
At times those who owned the money want their money so they may respect to High Court baliffs. You may have seen them in action on the telly.

I'm not saying you own them money but if you think you do, best to get it resolved sooner than later IMO.
From what I've seen on tv, the High Court guys are not a bad bunch and only doing their job to
pay for their food, bills, mortgages and look after a family.

If the debt is not yours, stand your ground

If you live with someone and this case your mum, they will need evidence that any items of value are actually hers.


So, do you know what the debt is about and if so, what action did you take to resolve it.

Edit, "They have wrong addresses." Are you saying they were sending letters to where you have never lived?

When did you get the first contact and what was the payment at the time (assuming that it was something you knew about or not)

Either way, I hope it is sorted very soon.

sourcrates

Agree with molerat, did they not say what the debt was in regard to ?

What`s on your credit files, anything ?

How the situation is dealt with depends on what type of debt they are chasing, for example, if its a consumer credit act related debt, just keep your doors locked for now, they cannot enter your property unless through an unlocked door.

However, if its a court fine, or something similar, entry can be made to recover the debt, so its quite important we know what the full story is.

Are you saying you just can`t recall the debt, or do you believe they have the wrong person ?? 

There would have been a trail of correspondence for quite a while prior to it getting to this stage, so you must know more than you have said so far, the more you can tell us, the better we can help you.. 

MalMonroe

Hi, first of all, are you sure that the phone call was a real call? You have believed what you have been told on the phone but are you sure that it's correct?

According to StepChange (another free debt help agency) bailiffs (enforcement officers) are not allowed to go to any property without first having sent a letter to the person involved. They are supposed to write to you, not phone you, in advance.

You say that you don't owe the sum of £2,500, don't have any debts and also that " the company involved refuses to correspond with me".

That being the case, I don't understand how they can have any authority to send bailiffs to seize anything. 

Please read the very helpful information in this link - https://www.stepchange.org/debt-info/bailiffs/bailiff-rights-and-powers.aspx

Citizens Advice also have some useful information in the following link -

https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/debt-and-money/action-your-creditor-can-take/bailiffs/stopping-bailiffs/stopping-bailiffs-at-your-door/

I mentioned StepChange above and I would really urge you to try to contact someone there. The contact details are in the following link -

https://www.stepchange.org/contact-us.aspx   Their web page says that they can give advice in connection with bailiffs.

Please try not to feel intimidated.  

If the call was real and the debt is real but you have no assets or money, they cannot take anything. If indeed they manage to get inside. 

But if it were me, I'd really have to try to find out exactly who made that call to you, whether it was genuine or not and where they were really calling from. 

JonVarnas

What did the person on the phone actually say to you? Did they ask you for any sort of payment? They are required by law to send a written Notice of Enforcement letter to a debtor at least 7 days prior to to a visit and as others had said, there will have been many processes before it gets to enforcement stage. In any case, keep you doors locked and check your credit files. You can access them for free by using Crediy Karma, Clearscore and MSE Credit Club.