Is this charge legal????

beamo1

HI
I have searched and searches the site for an answer to my problem but have not found an answer anywhere so thought i would put the question on here and hope somebody might know the answer

A few months ago i recieved a letter from a local bailiff company from near where i lived. This letter stated that i owed over £600 for this years council tax that i had missed a few payments on.
I telephoned the number on the letter and was informed that i had to pay £xx amount on a certain date and they were not going to budge on the amount or the date .
I could not afford this amount so i paid what i could afford on my card and then again the same amount on the same date the next month.
A few days after the second payment a bailiff arrived on my doorstep and went around my house and made a list of all my property and charged me £200 for doing this. The person was in my house all of 10 mins and it cost me £200. i was also informed that if i did not make the correct payment on the date they would be back with a van and take all my goods and charge me another £200 for doing this.
The question i need answering is CAN I BE CHARGED THIS £200 when i am struggling to pay and these bailiffs are making things worse.
Any advice would be appreciated
Beamo1

lamb7994

Yes it's an attendance fee to list you goods against the debt. Then they'll charge again when they remove the goods.
Every visit from them is charged.

James

Mikeyorks

beamo1 wrote: »

.......... these bailiffs are making things worse.

Only, I'm afraid, because you let it get to that point. You ignored all the previous warnings from the Council etc .... and this is the costly effect of that.

Regret that, as previous post, it's wholly legal. They've taken 'walking possession' of the goods and you now need to clear all the debt + costs. Otherwise they will remove the goods - add further costs - and the public auction price you get for the goods .... will be pathetic.

GentleGiant_2

Have you spoken to the council, since this letter?

Call the council up and ask them for advice - they can usually put a hold on bailiffs for 14 days.

Contact them as a priority, explaining your situation.

If you genuinely cannot afford these, then maybe you are entitled to assistance.

Sadly, I doubt you can get the £200 back. The problem is in your post 'A few months'. You can't ignore such letters, they will not go away.