moorcroft are harrassing me for a debt over 16yrs old

[corsy]

Hi, i'm a new user so hope anyone can help me,

 

Liverpool city council say my husband owes Poll Tax from 1992,93, 94 with a total of £1600!!

 

i am convinced it was paid,

however i have no proof as this came like a bolt out the blue earlier this year,

when i disputed the debt they passed it to Moorcroft debt recovery and this has started months of harassment.

 

I am at my wits end,

they will not speak to me because it's my husband who they say owes the money,

 

this is despite me and my daughter telling them he has had several strokes and is unable to communicate.

 

i have offered them £10 a month, just to settle the matter as i can't see any other way out

 

i have had a letter this morning and they have refused and say this is not enough,

even though we both live on incapacity benefit

and have sent them a full breakdown of my outgoings.

please can someone advise me what to do??

thanks

[PGH7447]

Hi and welcome to the CAG,

 

you said that you queried this debt with the council and all they did was pass it to this bunch of fools.

 

simply write to morecrap and state that this account is in dispute with the council

and until such time as the council can offer proof that this tax was not paid you will enter into no further dialogue with them.

 

at the same time write to the council and state that they have provided no proof that this exists

and simply passing the debt to a debt collector does not remove them from their duty of care in providing proof.

 

send recorded and address to the head of the council, also maybe wirth visiting the local CAB for advice

[unclebulgaria67]

Hi, i'm a new user so hope anyone can help me, Liverpool city council say my husband owes Poll Tax from 1992,93, 94 with a total of £1600!!

i am convinced it was paid, however i have no proof as this came like a bolt out the blue earlier this year, when i disputed the debt they passed it to Moorcroft debt recovery and this has started months of harassment.

I am at my wits end, they will not speak to me because it's my husband who they say owes the money, this is despite me and my daughter telling them he has had several strokes and is unable to communicate.

i have offered them £10 a month, just to settle the matter as i can't see any other way out

i have had a letter this morning and they have refused and say this is not enough, even though we both live on incapacity benefit

and have sent them a full breakdown of my outgoings.

please can someone advise me what to do??

thanks

 

There have been other similar posts about Liverpool council sending demands for very old council tax going back to the early 90's.

 

When challenged the council have not be able to prove that the tax is outstanding and it has been seen as unfair to expect the public to have bank records going back that far.

 

I don't think the people chased have had to pay the tax in the end.

 

The Citizens Advice in Liverpool are aware of this issue and I believe the west Liverpool bureau have been investigating.

[Bazooka Boo]

Ignore Moorcr@p, YES please IGNORE them, they cannot do a single thing to you, the are as toothless as my Grandad.

 

Do not entertain them on the phone, if they ring, laugh and hang up.

 

Send them http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/content.php?428-General-debt-letter-if-you-know-nothing-of-the-debt

Ensure you get 'proof of posting' from the PO counter when you send it.

 

Keep a diary of events regarding the criminal offence of harassment Moorcr@p are conducting, once you have sent the above letter along with http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/content.php?493-Harassment-by-telephone-response-letter If they continue to harass you, then take a trip to your local Police station and report them for said offence.

 

Make a formal complaint to the OFT&TS regarding these clowns, and lodge a formal complaint with whichever local authority (LA=council) it is who is demanding this money via a toothless circus outfit.

 

If you get no joy with the LA, drop your Local MP a line and escalate your complaint to the LGO http://www.lgo.org.uk/

 

IGNORE Moorcr@p, they can do exactly NOTHING! Laugh at them and hang up if they ring, file all of their puerile missives under ignore, they mean absolutely nothing, IF the LA had wanted this money then they would employ educated trained and qualified agencies to collect, not this tin pot third rate circus.

[corsy]

Bazooka Boo, thank you so so much for your response,

 

it's the first time i have laughed over anything to do with Moorcr@p

 

i have worried myself stupid over the last few months, the constant letters and phone calls have come between me and my sleep

You have eased my mind that this will now be resolved,

i will send the response letter and let you all know how i get on, once again thank you.

[rdm2006]

if its 16 years old is it not statute barred ?

 

not sure being local tax

[dx100uk]

if no LO was issued it IS statute barred

 

ignore the stupid DCA.

 

and stay off that phone!!

 

dx

[zydeco]

Liverpool council must be heading for bankruptcy themselves if they are so desperate that they are chasing spurious debts like this.

Wasn't there something about poll tax that said after so many years it couldn't be enforced?

[padja]

a few questions spring to mind here:

1.If its council tax (poll tax) why has it been passed to a debt collector not a bailiff?

2.Surely a liability order would have been obtained could the original OP speak to court to find out?

 

I'm not sure what Liverpool council policy is but a lot of council write off debts after 10 years, although debt is technically still on books councils tend to treat them as dead and written off, I'm wondering if Liverpool have put a trainee to see how many of these 'dead' debts they can get cash back on. Those that ignore etc are passed by but those that get responses are pursued.

 

I would say ignore Moorcr@p and do as Bazooka Bob has advised, and speak to CAB

[BRIGADIER2JCS]

1. too old for normal action?

The Govt. wants shortfalls/arrears cleared up.

[corsy]

Thanks Padja,

 

Thank you for your reply,

wish i knew what was going on with all this but i haven't got a clue, i have spoke to the citizens advice a while ago and to be honest they were no help, hence i'm still trying to deal with Moorcroft.

I would like to visit them and do some serious damage to all who work there!! not that i am a violent person, far from it, so what do i do?? ignore them and if i do that what would be the consequences??

Do I write to to say i'm ignoring them?

I thought i could use a template on a previous reply but that is for an an unknown debt,

all help will be very much appreciated , thank you

[renegadeimp]

Send that prove it letter to them and post up the next letter they send out.

[dx100uk]

or phone the council andask if there is a LO on this

if there's not

 

ignore the DCA

 

dx

[unclebulgaria67]

1) Write to Moorcroft, saying that you dispute the matter they raise and ask them to provide proof. Just say that, as there is no point saying any more.

 

Don't bother writing to Liverpool City Council at this stage. Wait for Moorcroft to furnish you with the proof.

[BRIGADIER2JCS]

This has gone far enough the OPs father cannot deal with this and the DCA is not listening a straight forward complaint is what is needed send the following to the Compliance Manager at the DCA

 

Ref: as on their leters.

 

FORMAL COMPLAINT./ Breaches of OFT Guidance.

 

 

Dear Sir or Madam,

 

I refer to the alleged debt for £xxxx which you allege is owed by Mr.xxxxxxxxxxx, who is my husband and I write with his authorisation and consent.

 

Operatives of Moorcroft have conducted themselves in a manner that amounts to harassment to a level that has been detrimental to my husbands already frail state, and has caused me a great deal of anxiety, this most unprofessional conduct also refusing to speak to after being informed many times that Mr. XXXXXX is incapable of discussing any matters due to have suffering a number of strokes.

The OFT Guidance section 3.7 ® states:

 

'' Failing to suspend the pursuit of recovery of a debt under circumstances in which it is understood that a debtor might not have the mental capacity to make relevant decisions regarding the management of the debt and or to engage in the recovery process at that time.''

 

Moorcrofts conduct in this matter is an irrefutable breach of this Guidance.

 

Furthermore Section 3.9 © states:

 

'' Refusing to engage appropriately or at all, with a 3rd party representative''

 

Clearly this is myself as Mr. xxxxx spouse) Mr. xxxx is unable to communicate his consent in writting.

 

Section 3.2 (b) Also seems to cover the unprofessional conduct of Moorcroft staff:

 

The OFT considers that the following may constitute unfair or improper practices.

(b). States: Creditors failing to ensure that accurate and adequate information is about a borrower (debtor)..............is made available to staff involved in the recovery process.'' Not recording the fact that Mr. xxxxx is a vulnerable person when frequently informed of the fact is clearly a breach.

 

 

From the above it is clear that Mr.xxxxxx and myself as his representative have sufficient information and evidence of breaches of the OFT Guidance to make s formal complaint to the OFT regarding the conduct of Moorcroft and to raise concerns regarding the fitness of Moorcroft to hold a consumer credit licence.

 

I now require you to cease all telephone, e-mail, or sms contact with my household and to deal with this matter in writting only with immediate effec (proof of posting is not acceptable as proof of delivery)

 

For clairification you will not attempt to contact Mr. xxxxxx in anyway, you will deal with me regarding any alleged debt.

 

No further dialogue will be entered into unless and until your written confirmation of these requirements is received by me.

 

A copy of this letter and other evidence is being forwarded to the OFT.

 

Long I know but they must be told and understand the situation and remedy it.

 

Send recorded delivery.