Will the Baliffs make an affordable deal with me?

Moneymoron

HI,

This is my first post here and I'm pretty shaken up.

I owe £441 for last year's council tax and it's gone to the baliffs. I've been very irresponsible but I'm finally trying to sort out my finances with the help of my therapist and boss at work.

So I found out today that the Ballif has the case. I was told to call the recovery balliff's mobile phone, which I did. He said that he's not back in the area for a few days and that I should call him then.

There's no way i can afford to pay back the whole lot (I have other debts coming to a total of around 2K) in one go and that I should offer to pay them £50 a month.

If push came to shove I could afford a little more but only because my mother is willing to help me with food shopping until I'm more sorted.

My question is, are they likely to accept this?

I'm already planning where to take my valuables (guitar, computer mainly in case that they don't accept a deal).

I'm scarred and need advise.

Thanks

Joe

Jenna

Hi Joe,

The one thing I do know about bailiffs is - never invite them into your home for any reason as they will just start taking stuff! Also, always keep your curtains closed. If they can see your stuff through the window I think they can get a "charging order" and come back later on to forcibly take the item(s) - but someone wiser than me will be able to confirm??

Mainly don't panic, sure you will get lots of good advice here xx

RAS

Hi

If you are seeing a therapist, you are a vunerable person and this debt should not be with the bailiffs.

I am going to ferret out links for herbie's advice if possible. If necessary, she wuill get this debt back with the council for you.

Herbie eats bailiffs for breakie, dinner and tea.

Moneymoron

I suffer from borderline personality disorder but the diagnosis is only between my and my therapist right now and I don't want the NHS to know because it could count against me professionally later on if I fail to disclose it on application forms etc.

Thanks for the help so far people.

joathome

Hi there
dont worry about the bailiffs they will accept a monthly payment of what you can afford
Jo x

CCCS_Matthew

Hi Joe,

Just to avoid confusion, I think Jenna is referring to Walking Possession. This is where a bailiff has the ability to take goods from your property, once they have been granted access on a previous occasion.

I must stress a bailiff can only ever take goods once they have been in the property. Providing you keep doors and windows closed, and only talk to them either away from the property or through an upstairs window (or over the phone) they do not have the ability to do so.

My advice would be to firstly speak to the council and ask whether they will take the debt back from the bailiffs if they are happy to accept your offer of £50 a month which will clear the arrears over 9 months (which incidentally would mean adding a further £50 on top of your current Council Tax payment which would get you back up to date by the end of the financial year). If they say no, then approach the bailiffs with the offer.

See what happens with that first, and perhaps come back for some further advice if your offer has not been accepted.

Try not to worry,
CCCS

RAS

In addition, you need to remind the local council that they have a duty of care to you, the council tax payer and that they are responsible for the "acts and ommissions" of agents under their control (the bailiffs)
Finally, because of your illness, your circumstances fall into the category of "vulnerable" according to the National Standards for Enforcment Agents.