SCOOP....Up to date news stories about bailiffs, debt, universal credit, and much more.

[brassnecked]

JGJ left Rossendales ages ago!?

The consultation also ended ages ago, but the post is spot on , as JGJ would doubtless have had an influence on the final outcome. Yes we know debt must be collected but adding fees that can be many multiples of the ORIGINAL debt effectively multiplying it to infinity is unhelpful in extremis, taking one of N.E.L.Cs Liability orders for £1 as an example, where a debt of £1 becomes £400 ish under the new structure at the first knock if they insist on putting VAT on the fees.

Edited February 18, 2014 by brassnecked
typos

[tomtubby]

Two great stories that have caught my attention today in SCOOP:

 

This one is where Brussels is seeking to ban the word ‘bankrupt ( which has been in use for 500 years). They consider that the word 'bankrupt' makes it difficult to borrow money in the future. They consider that the word should be replaced with ‘debt adjustment’.

 

Proof that the whole lot of them are barmy.

 

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2560406/Bankrupt-No-say-EU-language-police-debt-adjusted-Brussels-tries-remove-stigma-going-bust.html

 

 

 

This second story is great:

 

This is the third local authority in the last few days who have had a ‘light bulb’ moment and finally awoken to the news that debtors will face a substantial increase in bailiff fees in just 6 weeks time. Just when all councils will be sending out their new council tax bills !!!

 

It is simply staggering that local councils have not been addressing this matter sooner. They all had an opportunity to respond to the Consultation Paper and appear to now be surprised at the impact that the new regs will have on debtors.

 

http://www.bedfordshire-news.co.uk/News/In-debt-families-in-Bedford-to-face-higher-bailiff-charges-20140216130039.htm

[brassnecked]

And the council will be even less likely to see their money as the bailiffs will extract their fees before passing what is left of the payments to the council, therefore extending the debt, possibly forever or until the debtor dies.

[outlawla]

Nottingham City Council is continuing the theme:

 

Nottingham City Council stands up as government plans to quadruple charges for debt collection

 

Council tax debtors face disproportionate rise in bailiff charges

[brassnecked]

It seems the councils are waking up to this too late, as the changes also mean the council will take longer to recoup the debt, as more will go to bailiffs.

[tomtubby]

The following SCOOP link is to one of the most important stories this week regarding the new bailiff regulations due to take effect on 6th April.

 

Reading into this article it would seem that Nottingham Council have at last woken up to the reality that in just 6 weeks time debtors faced with bailiff action will be faced with a substantial rise in bailiff fees.

 

The same story is coming out from other local authorities and this is proof if any is needed that the DCLG (Department of Communities and Local Government) appears to not have been involved (or even consulted) by the Ministry of Justice regarding the significant changes to bailiff regulations

 

 

 

http://www.nottinghampost.com/Council-tax-debtors-face-disproportionate-rise/story-20648380-detail/story.html#ixzz2u5H38cwO

[brassnecked]

I doubt if the MOJ would be overly concerned what the councils think, it was a cozy stitch up with their bailiff buddy-pals, like Julie Green-Jones, and the effect on council budgets and their council tax payers who fall into arrears would merely be collateral damage.

[tomtubby]

What all local authorities are VERY concerned about is the impact that the new "Interpleader" applications will have on the COUNCILS. I cannot stress how serious this clause is and 'behind the scenes' the 'midnight oil' is burning as the powers that be are finally walking up to the reality that unless some very last minute amendments are made to the Civil Procedure Rules this clause on it's own has the implications of causing mayhem.

 

Given the huge significance of this clause I am starting a new thread tomorrow to outline in full detail the problems associated with this clause.

[brassnecked]

What all local authorities are VERY concerned about is the impact that the new "Interpleader" applications will have on the COUNCILS. I cannot stress how serious this clause is and 'behind the scenes' the 'midnight oil' is burning as the powers that be are finally walking up to the reality that unless some very last minute amendments are made to the Civil Procedure Rules this clause on it's own has the implications of causing mayhem.

 

Given the huge significance of this clause I am starting a new thread tomorrow to outline in full detail the problems associated with this clause.

It could well case many headaches for a council when their appointed agents go an a seize and sell spree and innocents lose cars, I would imagine that if they cannot afford the interpleader and lose the car the council could be hammered by Human Rights claims, and civil litigation to recover actual; and consequential losses from the disgruntled innocents,

[tomtubby]

More 'light bulb' moments. On the front page of todays' SCOOP we have two more local authorities that have awoken from their winter hibernation and realised that the new fee scale could prove difficult.

 

Another interesting story as well:

 

One regarding complaints to DVLA at the sale of our private details to private parking companies.

 

 

And finally:

 

I am also pleased to see that SCOOP have published a copy of a thread that I started a few days ago regarding CIVEA's concerns at the new bailiff regulations!!

 

http://www.scoop.it/t/lacef-news

[brassnecked]

In the meantime after nine years of hell a council admit they billed the wrong person for council tax on an address she never lived at from scoop

 

http://www.getwestlondon.co.uk/news/local-news/mother-hounded-over-council-tax-6756857

[brassnecked]

Another nice one (NOT) from Bolton on Scoop:

 

http://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/news/11051781.Great_grandmother_threatened_by_bailiffs_over_parking_fine_error/?ref=rss

 

"THE family of an 87-year-old great-grandmother says her life has been made a misery after she was sent letters from bailiffs demanding payment for a fine that is not hers."

[outlawla]

Another nice one (NOT) from Bolton on Scoop:

 

http://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/news/11051781.Great_grandmother_threatened_by_bailiffs_over_parking_fine_error/?ref=rss

 

"THE family of an 87-year-old great-grandmother says her life has been made a misery after she was sent letters from bailiffs demanding payment for a fine that is not hers."

 

The Mirror went with this one as well.

 

Similar in The Guardian (Bath & North East Somerset Council)

[sonictheory]

It seems to me the the have's never tire of taking everything from the have not's. Whilst I accept that it is better to pay what one owes, but surely there should be better systems in pace to help those that simply cannot do this, or at least ways in which a more apropriate method of repayment could be implemented to aid those that are strugling rather than a can't pay, too bad you have to pay even more now.Personally I find the system sickening on many fronts

[unclebulgaria67]

It seems to me the the have's never tire of taking everything from the have not's. Whilst I accept that it is better to pay what one owes, but surely there should be better systems in pace to help those that simply cannot do this, or at least ways in which a more apropriate method of repayment could be implemented to aid those that are strugling rather than a can't pay, too bad you have to pay even more now.Personally I find the system sickening on many fronts

 

It is another form of taxation. Those in power have been finding ways to collect money from citizens for hundreds of years. They send out the bailiffs to do their work for them. They are like a privitised tax collection Police.

 

It is not just this country that this sort of thing happens and it will get worse. I predict that as time goes by, governments will become far more authoritarian. It may get to the stage, when fines/penalties/council taxes are deducted straight from wages/benefits, before you even have a chance to come to a payment arrangement.

[outlawla]

Another ****my, good for nothing local authority in the news.

 

Coventry Telegraph:

 

"Earlsdon florist locks herself into warehouse and stages hunger strike in city council rent wrangle"

[brassnecked]

Another council kicked for using bailiffs on vulnerable families, this time Brent It will become far worse after April 6th

 

http://www.kilburntimes.co.uk/news/brent_council_blasted_for_calling_in_the_bailiffs_on_struggling_families_1_3458875

[Coughdrop]

Hopefully people will be suggesting engagement at the earliest possible opportunity after April 6th to avoid problems. I know many come here once it's too late. This is why the events of April 6th and the TCE Act should have been broadcast far and wide so everyone knew about them.

 

Further Steps Notices will still exist, so the options will remain, it 'just' needs councils to stick by their policies. Ha ha!

[brassnecked]

Hopefully people will be suggesting engagement at the earliest possible opportunity after April 6th to avoid problems. I know many come here once it's too late. This is why the events of April 6th and the TCE Act should have been broadcast far and wide so everyone knew about them.

 

Further Steps Notices will still exist, so the options will remain, it 'just' needs councils to stick by their policies. Ha ha!

 

Whilst there is a way to profit from enforcement, and with the new fee scale the potential kickback to councils like Harrow of 8% will encourage them to use the bailiff as early as possible not avoid using them at all even with a debtor trying to engage at the earliest opportunity, the councill will want its cream off the top so will put in the bailiff regardless.

[Coughdrop]

Yep, I agree with you, though I wish we were wrong. It totally defeats the point of the other options on the FSN, and I imagine most councils have a 'policy' of using other methods first and bailiffs as a last resort. What a shame people haven't got the money to challenge these council decisions in court, as in the Brent example. I have little doubt they'd win, but getting that far is living in a dream world unfortunately.

[tomtubby]

More local authorities are now providing details of the new fee scale in local newspapers as a warning to their residents but it is worrying how FEW councils have yet done so.

 

The following story from Scoop today is very worrying indeed. One the one hand the council are keeping their residents up to date with important information but it is noteworthy that they are also WARNING the residents that they could face a £70 PENALTY if they fail to advise the council of changes in their financial position.

 

 

http://www.echo-news.co.uk/news/local_news/11114953.Bailiffs_scrapped_and_new_charges_in_store_for_council_tax_dodgers/?ref=nt

[tomtubby]

I also notice that SCOOP have picked up two threads from this forum (both started by Mikeymack). The twitter fees works well !!!

[brassnecked]

More local authorities are now providing details of the new fee scale in local newspapers as a warning to their residents but it is worrying how FEW councils have yet done so.

 

The following story from Scoop today is very worrying indeed. One the one hand the council are keeping their residents up to date with important information but it is noteworthy that they are also WARNING the residents that they could face a £70 PENALTY if they fail to advise the council of changes in their financial position.

 

 

http://www.echo-news.co.uk/news/local_news/11114953.Bailiffs_scrapped_and_new_charges_in_store_for_council_tax_dodgers/?ref=nt

 

Under what legislation do the claim to be able to impose this

 

"Residents could also face a £70 penalty if they do not make the council aware of any changes to their circumstances which could affect how much council tax they have to pay."?

[mikeymack2002]

My posts are nothing special, but always ask the right questions though, being the way I am I see the big picture just like most of us.

 

 

MM

[brassnecked]

My posts are nothing special, but always ask the right questions though, being the way I am I see the big picture just like most of us.

 

 

MM

Great stuff MM we should all push the boundaries and ask the questions, as we must be one step ahead of an opposition that will bend or break the law in pursuit of an extra buck at the expense of the potentially vulnerable, or a ripped off taxpayer.