Bristow Sutor - Council Tax debt

[KeefG]

Hi all,

 

I rang my local authority this morning to sort out my council tax as I've recently moved home and I'm now in a better financial position to pay it, the letter I had from the council states I owe £761.98 however I need to apply retrospectively for the 25% single persons discount which the guy I spoke to said couldn't be applied today.

 

We agreed a payment plan of £100 per month to clear it and he went off to speak to his colleagues, when he called me back he said the payment plan was no good as the debt had gone to the bailiffs already and as such the council were unable to take the debt back, he also told me that he could see the bailiffs had me down for a visit today?

 

I have found a letter that I had packed away in my old place from Bristow Sutor dated 22nd Feb stating I owe £899.48, this amount is surely incorrect as those fee's seem extortionate. The letter stated the bailiff visited on 21st Feb but found nowhere to leave a letter securely (I lived in a block of flats).

 

Anyway, I have a few questions:

1) is there a letter template anywhere I can send to the bailiffs requesting info on the charges they have levied?

2) can I tell the bailiffs, by letter, that I wont deal with them regardless of what they do and that I will be paying the council direct?

3) is there anything the bailiffs can do to stop me doing the above?

 

Thanks in advance!

[renegadeimp]

Council is wrong. They can take the debt back.

 

Regarding fee's, if they havent performed a levy, then they can only charge set visit fee's. That will change next month, but for now, they cant charge ANYTHING else without a levy.

[dx100uk]

stay off that phone to the bailiff follow this:

.

if you can pay you should be paying the council

direct via your internet banking site

never ever pay a bailiff.

.

Here is something to be getting on with.

First of all establish from the Council how much was owing etc

You need to speak to someone at the Council and ask the following questions:

.

1 - how many Liability Orders they have against you

2 - the dates they were obtained

3 - the addresses they were for

4 - the period of time each covers

5 - how much each one was for

6 - how much is still outstanding

7 - the dates they were passed on for enforcement

8 - the dates & amounts of any payments

.

.

Next you need to send off for a breakdown of the charges the Bailiff applied.

Here's an example, use and ADAPT at will and best sent initially by email

backed up by a copy in the post.

..

"From:

My Name

My Address

.

To:

Acme Bailiff Co

Bailiff House

.

Ref: Account No: 123456

.

Dear Sir

.

With reference to the above account, Can you please provide me with a breakdown of the charges.

.

This includes:

a - the time & date of any Bailiff action that incurred a Fee.

b - the reason for the fee.

c - the name(s) of the Bailiff(s) that attended on each occasion a Fee was charged.

d - the name(s) of the Court(s) the Bailiff(s) was/were certificatedicon at.

e - the date of the Certification.

.

This is not a Subject access requesticon under the Data Protection Act S7 1998 so does not incur a fee of £10. You are obliged to provide this information.

.

I require this information within 14 days.

.

Yours faithfully

.

Ripped off customer"

[tomtubby]

The local authority have clearly forgotten what their role is and the duty that they have to you...the tax payer.

 

A bailiff is simply an agent acting on behalf of the local authority but the council are wholly responsible for the levy and fees charged by THEIR AGENTS. It would seem from what you have said that Bristow & Sutor have charged approx £130 to your account. Unless a valid levy is made on goods of yours then the ONLY fees that they can legally apply are just £42.50 for two visits to 'attend to levy' (where no levy is made).

 

On Monday you must ask the council for confirmation of any levy that had been made by their agents. The council MUST give you this information.

 

PS: Do you have a car and if so, is it parked in a numbered parking bay (allowing the bailiff to possibly 'assume' that it is yours?