Jacobs Bailiffs - Council Tax

Miss_Malice · 10 August 2012 at 11:48AM

Hello everyone.

This is my first thread and I am in need of your help.

To cut a long story short due to medical reasons and sticking my head in the sand I am behind on my council tax. Silly I know, but I have been making payments as and when I can through the online payment website for my local council (Bolton At Home). I received a letter from Jacobs Bailiffs (the 1st letter) is goes along the lines of:
................................................................................
BAILIFFS REMOVAL
AMOUNT DUE: £412.89p (In bold red lettering)

If the above amount is not paid in 7 days we will have no option but to enforce a liability order by the bailiffs attending your premises with a view to seize goods. If we seize them, it is unlikely further costs will be less than £110.00.

If you cannot pay now, then please contact the office.

.................................................................................

I then phoned them up, explained myself at least 4 times and tried setting up a payment plan with them. I was told rather bluntly that I would have to pay a £50 good will payment in order to do the payment plan. I did not have no could I get hold of the money so I phoned them back, he laughed at me down the phone and then hung up.

On the 7/8/12, I received a "hand delivered" letter stating that in 48 hours they would be coming to take goods.

Shaken up, I called Mr Ian Hobson (Bailiff in charge) and told him quite calmly that I did not have £588.89 and that I have two small children to feed and house etc. He again, was not really bothered by that and asked me to find the money or else! I asked him if it was possible to set up a payment plan with him seeing as I had funds availiable to do so, he said no. So I told him I would call him back if I could get something together for him.

I phoned up Bolton Council and asked them to please take the debt back so I could make smaller payments. They refused saying it was down to the Bailiffs now and to deal with them. I explained that I had been making payments via the payment website, but I got it confused because what I thought I was paying off was the "Council Tax 2" bill when infact its been paying another one.

With that I phoned the bailiff again he went over the same information with me, and said that he had been to my property to hand me a Walk In Possession order. He hasn't been to the property at all. I am a hermit, I am hardly ever out. He has not been at all. I have not signed or seen anything to say otherwise!

All in all I spoke to both the council and the bailiffs and I am not getting anywhere.

Do I need to email or write to anyone?
And if so, what?

The bailiff is coming back on wednesday, I'll be at home with my two children scared! Could anyone please help me?

Thank you in advance.

RAS · 10 August 2012 at 12:50PM

Hi

What is the value of the liability order? if you do not know ask the Council.

Do you have a car?

Miss_Malice · 10 August 2012 at 12:54PM

I don't know, I have the Liability Order Notice in front of me and if just says Outstanding Amount : £634.92

Would it be that one, or should I just phone council and ask?

And no, thankfully I don't drive.

nfollows1982 · 10 August 2012 at 2:04PM

I'm sure someone will be along soon to confirm this, but as far as my knowledge goes from reading this forum, the advice is normally this:

Do not communicate with the bailiff.
If they turn up at the door DON'T let them in - they can't take any goods unless they have done a levy which they require access to your property to do.
If you don't have a car you don't have to worry about them doing a walk by levy on that.
I believe the bailiff will try 3 times to access your property and then once they realise you won't entertain them they will pass it back to the council for you to negotiate with them.

In the meantime, make sure all windows and doors are locked at all times as the bailiff can lawfully enter your property through an unlocked door to carry out the levy on the goods.

Good luck!!

shedhead55 · 10 August 2012 at 5:13PM

" he laughed at me down the phone and then hung up"

This is absolutely appalling behaviour, pity you don't have a recording. I do think you should make a complaint to the OFT though, it won't solve your problem but every complaint the OFT receives will help to get these cowboys licence revoked.

RAS · 10 August 2012 at 5:27PM

McKneff wrote: »

Please don't forget, everytime the bailiffs call, your bill goes up.

What do you mean?

The maximum charge for 2 visits for Council tax debt is £42.50. If the bailiff does not get in, that is all he can ever charge legally.

High Court enforcement is another matter.

McKneff · 10 August 2012 at 5:33PM

Didnt realise that RAS, I thought they charged every time.
Ive deleted my post just to avoid confusion.
Apologies

Miss_Malice · 10 August 2012 at 8:28PM

I emailed the Bailiff and my local council so I can have a break down of what I owe. It is so confusing with the bailiff adding on random prices.

I have recieved an email back from local council telling me they will deal with it within two weeks! Typical.

I phoned him again today to plead with him to set up a payment plan. Again, he declined. I passed him over to my partner because this is causing me a great deal of stress. He said to my partner that on Wednesday he will be coming back and if I didn't pay then he would call for a van etc. My partner told him we just can't afford it. And because he has no walking possession order it would be pointless. The bailiff then mentioned that he had been to my home twice (like I said before in previous post he hasnt) I have constantly been in just incase he breaks in etc.

McKneff · 10 August 2012 at 9:05PM

They cannot break in,

If they get you so that you are frightened, dont hesitate, ring the police. No messing.

jpower87 · 11 August 2012 at 1:20AM

I to have had the joy of dealing with these jokers in the last few weeks in fact with the exact same bailiff in charge. I as you did received a 48 hour removal notice and they had put a extra £186 charge on top so beware. Please check what you do actually owe, the fees they add are wrong they can only charge £18 for the first visit and £24.50 for a second, they cannot break into your house they can however gain peaceful entry if you leave a door or window open so please remember to lock all doors and windows.

I spoke to the bailiff to offer a payment £50 per month which he wouldn't accept and said pay in 14 days or were coming to remove your goods he was less then helpful and didn't really care he in fact couldn't really tell me about my case as he could find my paperwork in his car!. I then thanks to sites like this discovered the fees were wrong and just exactly what bailiffs can and cant do as i, as i expect you are was terrified that i'd come home from work and my house would be empty. I complained to my local council explaining the bailiffs who are acting on their behalf and they are responsible for were preloading fee which were incorrect onto my outstanding debt, the council advised what my debt actually was much less then what the bailiffs were trying to get.

I then wrote to the bailiffs by email, email only do not phone them they will try to tell you loads of bull***t over the phone anything to get the money i advised that i knew what my rights were they would not gain peaceful entry to my house and they could not charge the fees they were adding as they had not levied on any of my goods. I also offered my payment plan again and asked them to contact me by return in writing. They did but only to tell me to ring the bailiff in charge! ignoring all my points in my email. A few more emails were sent back and forth me saying please respond in writing them saying please ring.

I then complained to the council again saying the bailiffs would not accept my payment or respond to me or remove the fees! Council then told me to ring the bailiffs to!! Final straw in my last email to the bailiffs i said i'm not paying you i'm paying the council as you will not contact me in writing to agree to my payment plan or remove your incorrect fees and I will be putting in a compliant about you!

I then sent by email which I should have done first the below email to them

To:
......... Bailiff Co

Ref: Account No:

Dear Sir

With reference to the above account, Can you please provide me with a breakdown of the charges.

This includes:
a - the time & date of any Bailiff action that incurred a Fee.
b - the reason for the fee.
c - the name(s) of the Bailiff(s) that attended on each occasion a Fee was charged.
d - the name(s) of the Court(s) the Bailiff(s) was/were certified at.
e - the date of the Certification.

This is not a subject access request under the Data Protection Act S7 1998 so does not incur a fee of £10. You are obliged to provide this information.

I require this information within 14 days.

Yours faithfully

Ripped off customer"

I received a reply to this on Saturday 14/8/12 they now surprisingly would accept my payment offer and there was no mention of the wrong fees in the breakdown as obviously they knew they could not add them!! I would suggest you send them this also if they have added fees you are unsure of to your account.

Sorry for the long post I just wanted you to know my dealings with them and hope it is of so use to you. Also worth a mention they sent the 48 hour removal notice 6 weeks ago and have not being back since despite the threat that they would return, so i wouldn't expect they would be knocking on your door every other day but still remember to lock doors and windows even whilst your in the house in case they do but they seem to like sending out the first threatening letter hopefully getting full payment but don't seem to chase the actual threats up.

Miss_Malice · 11 August 2012 at 8:26AM

Thank you JPower, I sent that exact same email (just with my details) to the council and the bailiff. Just waiting to hear back. In total I have phoned both the council and this particular bailiff 3 times. I shall not contact the bailiff. Yesterday I paid £50 direct to my council just so it shows that I am willing to pay. I shall continue to do that as and when I can.

My door and windows are on lockdown. The only person with a key is my partner so he can get in when needs be. If the bailiff comes to my door I shall record his visits to my front door. Just incase he tries to bully me, or laugh at me again. I have put in a complaint as well about him.

I probably won't hear back from either the council or bailiff until monday onwards now..

Jacobs Bailiffs - Council Tax

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