janensteve, The letter you have posted is too small to read even when clicked on. Feebee_71

Lara, If you are certain you wish to cancel the policy then simply write to them at the address on their letter stating that you wish to end the contract and that the direct debit will be cancelled in writing with the bank following the final payment of the current contract. Then send the letter recorded delivery so you have a chain of evidence in case they try to deny receiving your instruction. Follow this up with a letter to the bank instructing them to cancel the direct debit from X date and that it is not to be reinstated without reference to yourself first - this should stop BG from trying to claim the cancelled instruction was a mistake. Feebee_71

Hi, I am asking this question on behalf of a colleague at work and am not sure if it is in the right place so site team please feel free to move it to a more appropriate location if needed. My friend has lived in her house since 1988 and she has a 130ft back garden. Because of the layout you cannot see the back boundary from the house. The houses one side of her have gardens shorter than hers - up to 30 feet - and the houses the other side have got the same length gardens as hers. One reason for buying her house was the size of the garden. Over the first 10 years or so she got the garden how she wanted it including planting a row of silver birch trees part way down. There are other trees also between the house and the bottom of the garden. Then she had 'issues' with family and children (as many parents of teenagers do) as well as working permanent nights so she rarely ventured down the garden - possibly for the last 10 years but not longer. Just recently she has got her mind around sorting the garden out once again and went for a wander down towards the bottom. She soon noticed something was amiss and realised that her row of silver birches had gone. Then she realised that her garden back wall has been moved to be in line with the shorter gardens as has her next door neighbours. The area taken from her garden has been added to the garden of the property behind hers and has been concreted over. She approached the neighbour next door and they knew it had happened to their garden but hadn't given permission to these people. They also told her they had taken advice on the matter (not sure who from and she didn't ask) and were told there was nothing they could do to reclaim their land. My friend is really upset about this as she has lost up to 100 sq. ft. of her back garden (her figure not mine) and wants to know what she can do to go about getting the land back. She has looked on the Land Registry site and said the only diagram there is quite vague and not clear on measurements. I have advised getting a copy of her deeds from the building society as it should show accurate measurements of her boundary. And I have also suggested she see if a local solicitors firm will give her any free legal advice. Is there anything else my friend can do to go about getting her land back - I think she would also like it restored to somewhat it's previous state (ie: not concreted over!) Thanks in advance for any help anyone can give, Feebee_71 :?

Thanks for the advice guys, I couldn't see how it was justified for them to charge me almost £2 for me and the PO to process their payment into their bank account!! I will give the online payment idea a go at the end of the month and let you know how I get on. Feebee_71

I pay my council tax at the post office using the payment slip book sent out by the council. This year I have been using the new payment book sent out in April and from this year have to pay a fee for paying at the post office. Got back from my holiday a couple of weeks ago and went to pay the August installment but couldn't find my payment book. I found one from last year and checked the account details against the letter for 2009-2010 CT bill and they are the same so I used that book. When I was at the post office paying (not my usual branch as I was in a different area) the chap behind the counter was about to charge me the usual fee but then noticed the slip said 'No fee payable at PO' so didn't charge me. He did say though to watch out when the council send me a new book of slips out as they now say 'Fee payable at PO counter and are charging £1:95 but that the stubs on the books still say 'No fee payable at PO counter'. Is this simply an oversight on their part or could they (the council) be challenged over this discrepancy? As well as adding charges at the PO they have also stopped accepting payments at the council offices and will not allow standing orders for CT payments. Feebee_71

Hi Tbagfish, The first thing I would want to know is if the bill you have been sent is accurate and only for the time you lived at the property. Did you take readings when you moved into the property - the letting agent may have these if you didn't. Also, did you take final readings when you moved out? Again, the agent may have taken them as part of the inventory when you left. In your first post it sounds as if you made them aware that you were new tenants but did they continue to send out bills to the former occupiers of the property - if so the energy company might be trying to bill you for energy used by the previous occupants!! If no bill was sent out, even to the old occupants, you may have a lifeline in the event that the amount being claimed is correct and not estimated readings!! I think, that if bills were being sent out (even in someone elses name) this doesn't apply but, if no bills were sent out after you informed them you had moved into the address then the Billing Code might come into force - they can only backdate the bill for 12 months after they inform you of it. So, if you get a letter in August telling you that you owe from February 2008 until February 2009 then they can only charge you from August 2008 until February 2009 when you moved out of the property - if I am wrong on this (and I could be) then someone will correct me. Also, have they actually ever sent you a bill or has it just been this phone call? If there hasn't been a bill sent out you need one as soon as possible for 2 reasons - to prove the dates they are trying to bill you for and also that there was no outstanding balance on the account from previous bills. Until you have got an accurate bill - not just something stating 'you owe us £xxx' - I would be lothe to make offers of repayment. While you are waiting for bills to be sent to you you can also try to persue the person who did a runner. Hope this info helps - and apologies for the length of the post but my brain is on overtime!! Feebee_71 ;-)

Tolade, What exactly are the papers you have received through the post? Is it court papers with particulars of claim or is it informing you they have obtained a CCJ against you? If you can answer these questions it will make it easier for the very knowledgable people on here to offer you appropriate help. Feebee_71

Hi all, Many thanks for the help and assistance. I got to mum's and there was no filter on the phone line downstairs but she had a spare one in a box so I fitted that and don't seen to have had a problem with the internet since I did this. Not bad for having only been here for 2 days - and I have also managed to fix their boiler!!! Feebee_71

Kiptower, Do you mean that the phone downstairs should also have a filter attached to it? Main line into the house is upstairs (when we were children parents only had a phone upstairs on landing but had extension added about 15 years later in the lounge) and this is also where internet is connected. Then, as I say, there is an additional phone socket in the lounge downstairs which doesn't have any filters on it. Feebee_71

Conniff, I know she was sent filters for the phone line and am sure she put one into the main phone socket and then has the phone plugged into one side and the internet cable into the other side (2 sockets next to each other on filter if I remember correctly) Is this enough or should I put another one on if I can find them? Feebee_71

This probably sounds odd to some people - it does to me - and I am looking for things I can to do to see if the problem is with the service or the way my mum has it set up............... My parents have had BT internet access for a long time and when mum got a laptop a while back we found the internet wouldn't work with it so contacted BT internet support (at a cost on low-call numbers) and it transpired that she would need a new router which was sent out - and they said she would need to sign up for a further period of time - I think it was another 12 or 18 months probably the longer. Now, to the problems, the internet access is very slow and to connect to the internet you have to click on connect every time you switch on the PC - even if the router is left on, and usually you have to switch off the router to reset it each time. Also, if the phone rings, it breaks to internet connection and you have to switch off the router and reset it to get the connection back. Now, I know it is supposed to be broadband connection and she is paying quite a lot for the service. However, to me it sounds like she has traditional dial up access from BT even though she should have broadband. Can anyone advise me how I can check this out and what to do to either get her the service she is paying for or, if not possible, get out of a contract for something she isn't getting despite paying for it. Many thanks in advance, they are going away soon and I am hoping to have the matter resolved before they come home in the middle of July. Feebee_71

It is worth a shot - as you say, you can only pay CT on one principle property at a time and, if you were paying for a second address, surely it would show as such. After all, they can only refuse to accept it. Another thought, have you proof from the other utility companies - water and gas (if there was gas in the property) to show you cancelled them for the previous property on the same date? Feebee_71

As a thought, do you have a tenancy agreement for the new place you moved into the day you left the previous property? This might be enough for them. Alternatively can you show that you took over utility accounts for the place you moved to on the same date? Feebee_71

Coniff, I think the OP is saying that the car DOES have a current MOT and insurance but was not declared SORN nor was it taxed. Feebee_71

You say he works at the scrap merchants as a labourer, could you not ask the merchant for the chaps surname - for your record of jobs completed that you keep for prospective customers. Just another suggestion for how to get that elusive surname. Feebee_71

Another alternative is to sign as normal and then draw a straight line through the signature so it is still legible. If it were then to be 'lifted' from the document it might be hard to erase all traces of the line. Feebee_71

Which firm was the bailiff from? Had you received any other contact apart from the letter from Equita about the debt? Anything to say they were going to persue this through the courts due to non-payment? Feebee_71

Thanks for the info guys, I now understand it more so should be able to help her after next week. Feebee_71

Hi All, Coniff has kindly answered many questions for me on behalf of my friend who has a liability summons due to be heard next week and there is one thing I am unclear on and don't want to mis-advise her............ In one thread, could have been in reply to a question by me or someone else on the site - I have read so many threads I can't remember what I have read and where - it was mentioned about if arrears had been settled before the date of the hearing then the liability hearing wouldn't go ahead but the summons fees would still be payable and these would be taken before anything else paid. What I am unclear about is this.................. Are those arrears simply the back payments missed that led to the council issuing the summons in the first place or are those arrears the full amount of the years council tax? I ask because my friend has jumped through hoops to make 3 months payments (the 2 months missed because she was in hospital and then the June payment) all before the end of may so, if anyone were to look at her account for the year to date split into monthly sums she has paid up to date. However, if it is the full year's council tax then she has only paid 3/10 of the years liability and so is still in arrears for the full years sum. Sorry for the rambling thread here but I want to advise her and know there is no way she will be able to pay another £700+ before next tuesday. Feebee_71

Do they (Premierman) have an alternative address that these items of jewellery were sent to? Hopefully it will be on the original order form that contains his 'signature' and then there is another angle to persue as it would be easier to split all items ordered to be delivered to the alternative address from those genuine items ordered to the account holders address. Feebee_71

If the BG chap is telling Cissie123 that they keep quiet about the fictional debt to prevent having to keep handing out refunds it sounds different to a standing charge because that would not attract a refund because someone complained about it. I think what we need here is someone who does (or used to) work for BG and can explain about this fictional debt. Feebee_71

Thanks both of you - I am still helping my friend and she has now brought her account back to what she should have paid before getting into difficulties with being in hospital. Now she wants to know if she can carry on paying the same amount each month - and cover the court fees with the first payment or will she have to contact the council - she has said she is scared they will pressurise her into paying more than the monthly amount was and making her clear it sooner because she is struggling to keep her head above water and doesn't want to increase the payment to the council after clearing the court fees. Feebee_71

Can a council apply for a liability order if the person named has brought the account up to date before the court date on the summons? Feebee_71

Lamma, This is what Selena said in her post So she has said she was given a hearing time for June 6th. My advice is for her to confirm with the court - where she is due to have an appointment on June 6th - that the council have informed them that they no longer intend to proceed with the matter. I know not common practice but would it be beyond the realms of belief that someone who is challenging the authorities is advised, by that same authority, that the matter has been dropped only to later find they had been misinformed and had a default judgement lodged against them in their absence. Once again for clarity, I am not saying that this is the case here but, it would be remiss of us not to advise Selena to confirm the matter has been dropped by the council by the independent body in the matter - to me that is the place she has the appointment booked for the 6th June. Feebee_71

Selena, It might be worth checking with the court that they have been told by the council that the case has been withdrawn. I am not saying this happens but you wouldn't want it to go against you because you failed to attend and the court hearing still went ahead!!! And, it will only cost a phone call to get the reassurance you need. Feebee_71