Baliff coming to pickup a debt that isn't correct 11 August 2022 at 12:47PM in Praise, vent & warnings 8 replies 521 views

cloudyz

A family member who has a business had a random call today from Jacob Enforcements/ Harrow council saying they are baliffs from Jacob Enforcements and are coming to pickup either a £500 debt or they will take a car for payment. Problem is, my family member had no idea what the debt was and never had any letters, but it appears now it was parking fine but we don't know how they got the family business address.

After a little research it appears someone is selling using their full business name and even using Auto Trader with the same business name. 

The baliff said to call Harrow council or a "lawyer" for advice. I called Harrow council which were useless and didn't know what to do and kept putting me through to the same number I rang. 

I called 101 and they advised that if they tried to take any belongings then he should call 999. 

What would you folks do?

macman

Is the car on finance? If so, they can't take it.
You need to find out what name the CCJ is against. If the car is not owned by the same name (individual or business) then they can't seize it, so have the bill of sale ready if so.
Bailiffs cannot enter private property by force to seize goods, but they can enter a business.
I don't see what Harrow council has to do with it? It's not a police matter unless the bailiffs are acting illegally.
Why did you not receive the court summons? Does the V5C have the correct address on it?

cloudyz

This gets really weird so here is what I know in full.

Initial call from enforcement company this morning

A "wrongful turn" was caught on camera in Harrow last year, Harrow council apprently issued a notice to an address in Hayes, the court summons also went to this address.

The enforcement lot stated that the car was registered to my dad's business last year, 200 miles away. The V5 has his business address on it, yet all these notices were being sent to an address in Hayes.

My dad has never sold, used or seen the car in question and suddenly, after a year of collection notices going to an address in Hayes, he gets a call out of the blue from the enforcement company saying they are coming down.

Something seems quite "off". I cannot understand why this Hayes address was getting letters when the car was allegedly registered to my dad's business.

Should I make contact with the enforcement company and request a copy of the V5 and any court documents? They didn't turn up..

Edit: Got mixed up with places so corrected.

Grumpy_chap

This is uncannily like the reports on Rip Off Britain this evening in relation to car cloning / incorrect addresses.  Quite an odd coincidence.

Anyway, there is £500 CCJ and the bailiffs plan to turn up and take the car that the OP / OP's Dad has never seen.  So, if the car is there when the bailiffs turn up, let them take the car to settle the debt as OP's Dad won't care either way what happens to the car that has never been seen.

I was not aware that bailiffs called in advance to make an appointment.

cloudyz

Funnily enough, the sum of which was owed was £540, similar to what you say. These bailiffs are coming to my dad's business address, yet this car is owned by someone 200 miles away!

Another oddity is that this company/council has been sending someone collection notices for 12 months, yet they admit the address on the V5 is allegedly my dad's business and has been on there for the last 12 months, so why did nobody think to contact him before now. Definitely seems scammy.

Also DVLA have never been in contact to say the car has changed hands, but then the car registration isn't one that has ever belonged to my dad either.

The enforcement company goes by the name of "Jacob Enforcement" from Liverpool.

Ectophile

I would think the priority would be to contact the court and get the CCJ overturned, on the grounds that the court notices were sent to the wrong address.

Forget trying to negotiate with the council or bailiffs.

cloudyz

I had tried to get hold of Northampton county court for 4hrs today but it's just on hold. I'll try again tomorrow and get my dad to call DVLA.

macman

I may well have missed something here, but how could the court summons be sent to an address other than that which is on the V5C? That's the only address that could have been accessed from the DVLA records.
Is the car branded with the name of the business in Hayes maybe?

sheramber

they admit the address on the V5 is allegedly my dad's business and has been on there for the last 12 months,

Looks like  the person being chased changed the V5 address to  to avoid nay further action.

Do you know the name of the business concerned? Is it still trading?