Thought I'd close this thread - matter is now resolved. I applied for the stay, which was issued and received through the post about 4 days later. This was followed by an application for a Set Aside (had to be made within a week, as laid out on the Stay issue) The hearing for the Set Aside was set for about 3 weeks ago. During this time the Autoglass legal team / solicitors served their (flawed!!) case. On the day of the hearing, and after some quick discussion with their solicitor, agreed a deal with no admission of liability, that I pay the initial invoice amount plus some costs on the condition that they didn't object to the Set Aside being issued. So, the money is paid and the Set Aside is issued (CCJ is completely removed, not just marked as satisfied). Autoglass have confirmed in writing that the matter is closed. So, although I could have saved on the costs, the end solution was a 'safe' option. If the judge had decided that I had a reasonable chance at defending my case then it could just as easily gone back to a CCJ hearing that I could have lost, incurring most of the same costs again. If I had successfully defended a CCJ hearing then my ex had ended up with the bill to pay then it would have used money that would have otherwise been used on the kids....money which I would end up supplying. Its been an expensive few weeks, but at least my credit record is clean and clear which is worth far more over the next few years than its cost to put things straight. Thanks to everyone who has helped.

THANK YOU for supplying contact details - that's above and beyond. Very much appreciated.

The application was submitted by email to a Northampton Court email address. They then confirmed, a couple of hours later, that they'd passed it to Boston County Court. That was their choice of court.....I can only assume that it should be heard there! The application did say that HCEO had already visited. While that doesn't state urgency, hopefully it will be implied. Probably should have been more clear on that on the application.

Sadly, yes. I informed them about the application yesterday but am pretty much powerless until the case goes through court. Any ideas how long it normally takes for the case to be heard? I'm guessing it will be next week at this point......

Thought I'd give an update on this.,... I applied for a stay the writ yesterday, which has been passed onto the courts. Surfer01: That's my thinking, too. However for this I need Autoglass to provide the evidence, which they may not be too willing to do. I suspect that I may end up making an offer that if they provide the evidence (e.g. phone call transcript) to allow me to have the judgement set aside, then I'll make a payment to them to cover the windscreen cost, without any admission of liability.

plodderton, Honestly, I don't know. I never had any of the original dealings with Autoglass, and the question is not something which has come up in any of the email comms I've had with them.

GrumpyToSayTheLeast, ploddertom The discussions I had been having with the creditor were all over email - this has been rumbling on for about 2 years, though I had had letters from debt collection agencies they were ignored in preference of dealing directly with Autoglass. No, I did not have my mail forwarded. I said I'd moved, but actually in the last 2 years I've moved 3 times as I've been splitting up with the ex.....which brings me onto how this arose...... The car she was driving was insured on a policy under my name. The windscreen needed replacing hence she called the insurance who sent her onto Autoglass. A good while later Autoglass are contacting me asking for payment as they don't have insurance details. By this point, the insurance won;t pay since it's been too long since the windscreen was changed. Autoglass say that I owe the money since the contract is with them, not my insurance. It does beg a question as to whether or not I owe the money since I never had anything to do with the windscreen change though......

hi Folks, looking for some advice on what to to...possibly quite an urgent one I've had a visit today from "High Court Enforcement" (HCEO?), I wasn't in and they have left a letter, saying that I owe £2300 from an uppaid CCJ. Here's the problem.....I didn't know I had a CCJ! I know what the money is for, although it's more than doubled from the original ~£950 bill from Autoglass. Ultimately my insurance should be paying this, but I suspect this may be a side issue. I moved house about 6 months ago which may well be the reason why I was never informed about the CCJ, but I'm not really wanting to pay such an extortionate amount - yes, Autoglass should be paid, but the right amount. What's my best course of action here? The letter is threatening to remove goods (not letting anyone in the house would seem to prevent this), but I can't lock the house forever. Any help or advice?

We have a solution!!! A very nice chap at Swindon Council called Chandlers to ask why they are attempting to get so much money from us. Chandlers say that their accounts were out of date (or something to that effect). I don't believe Chandlers retort for a moment, especially as the chap from the council said he phoned them *yesterday* to give them an updated balance. He was as confused as we were as to how Chnadlers were trying to claim almost £450 more than was due. So, they have reached a deal with Chandlers that we will pay Chandlers directly a single payment to cover their costs ( Yay!! At last, a sensible result! Thanks to everyone at CAG for your advice

A man in a red van just came a knocking. I didn't speak to him (Mr Roff, apparently) as I didn't answer the door. He did however drop a letter through the letter box stating his intention to return "from 6am 19/11/09". The interesting thing here is that it was Mr Roff who wrote the last letter stating his inauthority to return the case to the council. The bill has now been re-issued by the council, so is now a hair over £200, not the £650 Chandlers is claiming. Here's the problem: I can't continue to keep all doors locked and windows closed. We're moving house in the next few days which involves the doors being well and truly open (in my limited experience, removal boxes don't fit through cat flaps!). I'm now at a loss as to how to get rid of these people. They are aware of my partners vulnerable situation and that the bill is incorrect, and yet Mr Roff still decided that a visit was a good idea. A visit for which they will which undoubtedly charge us a pretty penny for. Since he's threatening to return anytime from 6am tomorrow there's no time for a letter to be sent. Please, if anyone has any more ideas, I'd be enternally greatful.

ploddertom: thanks for your reply. The Liability Order only has my partners name on it, therefore making her, well, Liable. Unless I'm missing something? Does anyone have any thoughts as to why Chandlers think that they don't have the 'authority' to return the case to the Council?

The saga continues: Our situation has changed a little since the last update. My partner is pregnant. Again. On top of that, we're moving house in the near future (out of the current Council Tax area). I informed Chandlers of this in writing earlier this week (i didn't say we are moving, just that the bill is being reissued to a reduced amount), making it clear that our case falls into the category of 'vulnerability' and requesting that they return the case back to the Council. They wrote back stating that "Unfortunatly we are unable to return your account back to Swindon Borough Council as we do not have the authority to do so". Is that right? Surely they have an option of what accounts they handle, as would any other private bailiff's company?

Hi Happy Contrails, thanks for the link, i've seen the list of criteria that may make someone vulnerable before, unfortunately we don't appear to meet any of the criteria. My partner is on maternity leave (i.e. not pregnant!) and is employed...albeit only receiving Stat Maternity Pay. I am unemployed, but it's not my name on the bill! I have explained all of this to the Council.

seanamarts: thanks for the link. For some reason I didn't get an email notification about your post so i've only just seen it. I'll give them a call in due course. By way of an update, I had a letter back from the Council this morning and they have refused to take the account back from Chandlers and will not enter into repayment negotiations, saying that I will have to deal direct with Chandlers. So far Chandlers have not visited again, nor have they written. So, the next step. I believe the outstanding balance is now in the region of £800, a lot of which (£450 ish) is the rest of this years Coucil tax bill. If I transfer the bill into my name then presumably the outstanding debt in my partners name reduces by £450 to a more manageable £350? I can then pay the council at normal rates, minus any benefits to which I am entitled. Is there anything to prevent me from doing this? I am just very nervous that the Council may take a dim view of this.

One more thing: when the chap from Chandlers was here, he attempted to pass me a letter that wasn't addressed to me - it was addressed to my partner. I refused to accept it, which he didn't seem overly pleased about. He then walked off. My partner went out to the front of the house this morning to fnd the letter dumped in an envelope in the front garden. Very wet. Does this hold any significance to anything? Why not just post it through the letterbox?