Sheriff Officers

[Wad2002]

Hi,

 

I am new to this forum and would like some advice. i feel really betrayed and sick for way my local sheriff office has treated me.

 

To cut a long story short, I was served a "Charge for Payment of money" on the 19th August 2010. This brought the total balance to £626.49. The original council tax balance was £563.08 which is for year 2010/11 (This year).

 

The day the charge was served, i was at work and officers had visted my property. Roughly at the same time they visted, I called the council office to arrnage to pay £20 per week. However, the then referred me to Alex M Adamon (based in Falkirk). After submitting a complaint via email, I recieved a nice call back from an officer who seem very helpful and spoke to as person and not as a statisic. They main line customer service is shoddy to say the least.

 

Anyway, I arranged to pay £25 per week which is alot to me - scraping the barrell and he said he was happy with that. He even said, if you have more cash at xmas - pay up with I said I would do. I did not reieve any agreement document what so ever and have only had letters this week since August from them.

 

I recieved a letter yesterday in the post with one sentance - Enclosing Debt Advice and information package. The balance on the letter said £451.49(which yesterday I was pretty chuffed with as the balance had gone down quite a bit).

 

I have now today recieved Earning Arrestment Scedule showing the new balance of £502.90. (it states Less paid to account £215.00).

 

I have missed 2 payment since then one was when I was in england about 2 months ago for work and I made a payment about 3 weeks ago and I think the website payment order timed out or something - perhaps my fault, however if they decided to call me, I would have happily made an extra £50 payment extra this week to save the hassell and fees.

 

Please note the Earnings Arrsement Scedule has not been signed by the officer ( I read that it needs to be signed). I have never heard from since my inital phone call and now they do this. Fair enough if I had missed 2 -3 weeks in a row worth of payments. The times I missed, I made a made a payment the following week and they now add extra charges. The £215 I have paid (75% has went towards charges as it stands) - Is this not snowballing?

 

I am going to cal them tomorrow, but like many people, its like trying to draw blood from a stone.

 

Also, the order form has been sent to the organisation I work for, however i am an agency member of staff and I am not paid by the organisation they have sent it to.

 

The amount I have paid so far, if to continue at that rate - the debt would have been setteled before April 2011. I mean they are trying to arrest my wages which I can't really afford for services I havn't even recieve dyet! - The law is really ridculous.

 

Any advice or information would be greatful.

 

Thanks

Wad

[ploddertom]

I've asked someone to have a look in to help, as Scottish problems are different to us Sassenachs.

 

PT

[Wad2002]

I've asked someone to have a look in to help, as Scottish problems are different to us Sassenachs.

 

PT

 

Thanks, please feel free to move the topic/rename if its not correct.

 

Just really annoyed, looking at some other threads, seemingly, they have to send you a charge of payment 14 days before the arrestment, however they have not done this.

 

Thanks again.

[maroondevo52]

Thread moved to Scotland Forum.

 

You said you received the Charge for Payment on the 19th August, you then have 14 days to pay the debt.

I take it you arranged a payment plan with Alex M Adamon, then missed a few.

Best thing to do would be to get in touch with them tomorrow and try set up another plan, I'm not sure they will go for that.

 

I've dealt with Sheriff Officers in Edinburgh and they are very difficult now when it comes to Council Tax arrears, I would say for sure do not ignore them as the will persue you relentlessly.

 

Regarding the wages arrestment, there are limits to what they can deduct depending on your earnings.

 

I'll pm another Mod IdaInFife who's more clued up on this than me.

 

Regards.

 

Scott.

Edited November 11, 2010 by maroondevo52

[Wad2002]

Edit... Just to say - when i initaially spoke to the sherriff officer and arrange to pay, I asked that he set up a D/Debit just incase anything if missed. Hes said no no its fine, just use the one off payment method on the website and that is fine. If he had set up the D/Debit in the first place like a requested - this would not have happened.

 

Is there anything I can do on this point?

 

If think £75 per month is reasonable even though the average I have paid is more than this. If I reoffer £30 per week can they choose not too accept this and continue with the wages arrsement. I really can't afford £60 per week of my wages paying for council tax in the current year.

 

Thsnks again

[Wad2002]

**Update**

 

Just off the phone to Alex M Adamson - after trying to ask re4asonable questions they pam you off "I'll terminate the call".

 

However, I advised that the oarrsetment form has been sent to an organisation for whom I am not on payroll for. I am an agency member of staff working on there behalf who send an credit invoice to my agency for my pay.

 

He said if the form is returned as I don't work there then the charge will be removed and I can go back to my original £25 per week agreement.

 

Quick process of my wages -

 

Orgainsation --(credit invoice)--->Agency---(credit invoice)----> Personal Accountants (Umbrella Company - based in england)----(Payroll) -----> Bank account.

 

Am I correct in saying that the arrsetment has to go to the accountants based in england as they do my payroll?

[IdaInFife]

Hiya,

 

The company have have duty to inforn the sheriff officers who completes your actual payments and so will inform them.

http://www.oqps.gov.uk/legislation/ssi/ssi2009/pdf/ssi_20090395_en.pdf

 

above is tha table in what you can work out what would be deducted.

 

The only ones that can charge you for this is your place of employment who are entitled to charge you a fee for adminitering the AOE.

 

Really you should follow up your call with a letter confirming the arrangent and try not to speak to them on the phone. It is always best to include and income and expenditure sheet but I wouldn't be surprised if they continues with the wages arrestment.

 

If they have charges on the account also ask for a breakdonw of your couunt details any charges they applied.

[Wad2002]

Thanks for replying so soon Idainfife.

 

I kinda get what your saying, but his words specifcally was - if the form gets returned saying I do not work for the organisation (orginally addressed to), that they will remove the charge and I have to continue to make my weekly payments (continuing today).

 

I checked with the payroll section and they said they would more and less send the form back saying I am not on the system.

 

I will do what you said - follow up with a letter assuring that I will make the weekly payments without fail ( as I know now the drastic action that can be taken if you miss it - I explained I understood this on the phone to them).

 

Edit - It doesn't say on the document that the organsation who I work on behalf have to disclose the agency for whom I work for?

 

Thanks for your advice.

Edited November 12, 2010 by Wad2002

[IdaInFife]

try and keep everything in writing

[lizilou]

Called alec adamson today as they took money from wages for a debt paid in full june 2012

spoke to a rather unhelpful lady called Maureen whe terminated my call as she says I was being abrupt I called back got through to a chap called Colin and says I was trying to get help to sort this out what about customer service his reply was """" You are a debtor and customer service does not apply to you "" who do I complain to

[maroondevo52]

"" who do I complain to

 

Hi,

 

There's a link here to the SOCIETY OF MESSENGERS-AT-ARMS AND SHERIFF OFFICERS in Edinburgh, they handle complaints...........

 

http://www.smaso.org/images/COMPLAINTS_2012.pdf