Bailiffs

[TillyTrot]

I had a Council Tax Debt which the bailiffs kept calling to my house for (needless to say i never saw them because i was always in work) they have left me letters to get in touch but i haven't done so because i know in time they will pass it back to the Council, what i would like to have an answer to is when they pass the debt back to the Council can they still persue me for their charges which they have added on.

When the debt goes back to the Council they will just ask for what is owed to them so why should the bailiffs say i owe them x amount of pounds when i have never saw them just always had a letter on returning home from work.

[Guest Zooman]

You should make an offer of payment to the bailiffs, just explain you will not allow a levy. I have posted what they can charge. When they send it back to the Council the fees will be added and the Council will chase them for the bailiff.

 

Regardless of how you feel about the costs some costs will have to be paid now it has gone to the bailiffs, CAG will help ensure you only pay the costs set down in law.

 

If you need any help with it all just post back here.

 

[wendy69]

sorry to but in here, but what happens if you have left your property empty and moved out but still own the property (problems selling) can they still enter the house???

[Guest Zooman]

sorry to but in here, but what happens if you have left your property empty and moved out but still own the property (problems selling) can they still enter the house???

Yes, but they do not need to the LCA will just change the address on the liability order to where you are living. But before the address in changed I would say you are in a good position at the moment to negotiate the payments with the bailiffs.

[wendy69]

But what if it is nothing to do with council tax, Can any baliff enter your property even if you have decided to rent it out.????

[Guest Zooman]

No they can not. But I imagine if you did not inform them they would try. Anything that involves the Council and bailiffs will only get worse. At the moment you are in a good position for negotiating payment use it before it is to late and the LCA updates their address.

[welly]

If you have rented it out the bailiff cant take a walking possession of anything as the items would belong to your Tennant's and not you but I would think the Tennant's would not be very pleased.

 

I would contact them and try to sort it all out before they did turn up

[wendy69]

Thanx zooman and welly.

[srfrench]

Following you too Wend

 

True what Zoo says..... its good advice

[Ellie968]

Zooman - interested in what you say about costs - in our local authority - if the bailiff does not collect then only the original amount of outstanding council tax is returned and the costs remain uncollected. In theory I suppose the bailiffs could try and chase them but the council would never try and recoup bailiff costs on their behalf. Is that unusual? I assumed all council's operated that way.

[steve dunn]

I Love Playing With Bailiffs

I Had A Case Of A Speeding Fine Of £300 When The Bailiff Came I Refused To Pay Did Not Let Him In My House And He Tried To Levy On My Car But It Was On Finance Ha Ha He Left Came Back Left Again His Boss Came He Left I Ran Rings Around Them Eventually They Had To Send It Back To The Court Because They Could Not Collect The Fine And Their Charges Were Over £900 Pounds But When It Goes Back To Court The Cost Goes Back To The Original Court Fine With No Bailiff Charges So I Paid It

[martonman]

Once the original debt is returned to the council I have never heard of the bailiffs still going after fees, thats a new one on me.

[seylectric]

BE WARNED!!!!!

 

My partner has just been made bankrupt for council tax arrears having not been able to pay the full amount due for the year for the past four years. The bailiffs were fended off repeatedly like you do, but eventually the council decided enough was enough and hired a firm of solicitors to recover the debt.

 

My partner had no prior notification of the hearing so was not able to defend herself in court and although it is clear that the solicitors acting for the council posted the documents through the wrong door (their description of the property where the papers were served does not match the description of her house in any way) we have been told by a succession of solicitors that there is no chance of winning an appeal.

 

Despite the fact that an offer was made five months ago to repay a 60% lump sum of the arrears and double the usual monthly payment until it was cleared, the council rejected the offer and said they (or their solicitors) would be in touch. No word from them, just a letter to say she had been made bankrupt at a hearing we knew nothing about. I'll cut it here, but this will cost us £10,000 to sort out.

 

Sod what they say, sod the bailiffs, just keep paying whatever you can to the council directly via bank transfer or at the post office (even a fiver or tenner a week) even if they say they will not accept your offer of payment. Unless they send it back they have accepted it anyway, but the thing is if regular (even small) payments are sent it will at least show you are trying to pay and will probably prevent further drastic action against you.

 

It's all very well playing the game, but coucils don't give up on what they are owed, they don't have to fund the fees out of their own pocket, we do and when the s**t hits the fan as it just has done with us it's messy believe me.

 

As unjust as it is (and the fight goes on, believe me), just don't go there especially if you own property.

[Bailiffchaser]

You can appeal it. Form n244 or n224 i think and have it set aside. in the meanwhile fire off a sar and also a harrassment letter to the council. This will delay things for a while. this is for seylectric. If the bailiffs come knocking then you can show them the hearing date and also the council must suspend any action.

[Bailiffchaser]

If the solicitors are palying hide and seek. Play it back witht them. Wink wink !!!!

[northernstar07]

I have played this game a number of times with the council and the bailiffs.

They kept calling and adding on more and more charges .... eventually they gave up and passed the account back to the council. On all three occassions the amount owed has gone back to the council and reverted back to the original amount they took me to court for.

 

I dont know if that is normal or if I annoy the council and the bailiffs that much with letters, complaints and points of law that they give up and let me pay the original amount !!!! lol