Petition to ban bailiffs (10 Downing Street) Add name and refer people.

[90DC]

Hi all, on behalf of all of you i have created a petition on the 10 Downing Street website to ban bailiffs from collecting debt and extorting money from people who are clearly suffering from debt issues.

 

Petition to: Ban companies from employing bailiffs and Debt collection agencies to recover debts and them to assume responsibility of the debt themselves. | Number10.gov.uk

 

Here is a breakdown of what i have put, i will post this on similar websites too because i believe it is a corrupt business and shouldn't be allowed in such a well developed country as ours.

 

We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to Ban companies

from employing bailiffs and Debt collection agencies to recover

debts and them to assume responsibility of the debt themselves.

 

Many people have been in a situation where either they have had

bailiff letters, bailiffs have visited, or they have had their

property seized by bailiffs.

 

The proposal is to make companies themselves recover the debts

and cut out the bailiffs who often use dodgy tactics on people

who are clearly vulnerable. Companies/Lenders will be allowed

to send mail and make a maximum of two visits to an address,

they should speak on level terms with the consumer, they will

be allowed to charge a fee (Based on the cost of these actions

around £2 for a letter, £5 recorded mail, and 20pence per mile

for a car drive, they can employ their own debt collectors, but

not make huge sums of money on debt) This situation is

particularly fragile due to the recession currently going on.

 

The aim of this legislation would be to protect the people of

Britain, to ensure that they aren't put into the hands of

bailiffs, which in turn causes more debt problems, as some turn

to high interest loans as they cannot afford to pay the debt.

 

 

Please add your signature for support of this petition accordingly.

[diddydicky]

in short then, the petition says that we want a system where people can borrow money, enter into contracts etc but if it all goes tits up the person who we are in debt to can only mildly annoy us!

 

what system do you intend to replace it

 

people in genuine debt apart, what would you do if you were an investor in a building society and they lent your 5000 which you had saved to someone who then stuck 2 fingers up and ignored demands to pay, ignored a ccj ignored the building societies debt collectors who had no powers other than to knock on the door and politely plead that you repay what you owed!

 

grow up- the system is far from perfect but you really need to come up with a viable alternative and not be so niaeve

 

it is not ONLY people in genuine debt that dont pay their debts!!

[Pinky69]

It's a badly thought-out petition - you haven't a hope of any of this.

[alfwithhair]

A nice thought, but obsolutely no chance of success

[esmerobbo]

No chance of that being adopted, we know some bailiffs over step the mark but you can’t really do away with them. I don’t think any government ever would.

However what is needed rather then doing away with bailiffs is legislation making a clear line between the will not pays and the can not pays. And a system were they can not add charges to a debt that the debter can not pay. Altough for a bailiff to be involved a court must have set a repayment rate, that the debtor has not kept to, or they did not defend or challenge a CCJ.

Remember creditors use bailiffs as a threat, but in reality you have had to disregard a lot for them to get involved. As Diddydicky says if you have had it, and you spent it, if you can afford to pay, and it’s a fair and legal contract then you should pay. If you don’t creditors must have a way of enforcing it.

Also if the bailiffs are acting for a credit card, loan, HP, or overdraft debt there is not much they can do if you do not invite them into your home or make sure they cant get in. Except for council tax and fines were they have more power, you can normally make it impossible for them to collect anyway.

[angry cat]

Sorry but, No Chance!

 

AC

[JonCris]

I agree little chance having said that the methods by which we collect overdue debts in this country is positively medieval & not tolerated elsewhere It really has no place in the 21st century particularly when you consider all of the electronic systems at their disposal which could be used.

 

Battering someones door down in the pursuit of money & being fully prepared to assault them is abhorrent & nor is it civil. Even the Law Commission said so some time ago but were ignored by government who's interests it didn't serve

[JonCris]

In fact I do a disservice to our ancestors by using the term Medieval because even then such behaviour by the Crown was abolished with the signing of the Magna Carta

[the_shadow]

As councils/inland revenue use bailiffs to recover overpayments and unpaid debts, they would be cutting off their nose if they agreed to it.

 

Nope sorry, more chance of me winning the lottery than this getting through..

 

What should have been asked for is regulation of the bailiff industry perhaps? a binding code of practice? a more rigid demand on charges and fixed rates where possible.

 

S.

[JonCris]

No what we should be pressing for is the abolishment of such primitive practices Even-though heavily reliant on it for our wealth we where the 1st major country to abolish slavery & to enforce that law world-wide

[noomill060]

The only part of the UK where bailiffs have been abolished is N.Ireland.

 

May I suggest that unless civil society breaks down to such an extent as seen in late 1960s N.Ireland where officers of the Crown are deemed legitimate targets by those who seek to topple the State, there is no chance whatsoever for the establishment of a more civilised and humane enforcement of judgements system in the rest of the UK.

 

(As has been in operation in N.Ireland since 1971)

[Pinky69]

There are no bailiffs in Scotland and Warrant Sales and poindings (attaching your goods so they can be sold to cover a debt) were outlawed in 2001.

[hallowitch]

I remember In the 60s early 70s in Scotland Warrant Sales were advertised in the local paper giving the name of the debtor the address and the date and time of the sale

[diddydicky]

the "real" problem with the "system" is that in the majority of cases the value of the goods seized when costs are taken into account and the sale price that is realised at auction, usually results in the debt either increasing, or at best only being partially resolved thereby defeating the object of the excerise

 

some sort of independent valuation of property that has first been subjected to a walking possession order should be established and the bailliff company or creditor made to show in reality what the likely net proceeds of sale are likely to be,

 

and if they cannot show a reasonable return to the creditor against the value of the debt owed (which should be set in law) then they should not be allowed to remove the goods

 

seizing property should be about restitution and not simply used as a "punishment"