Jacobs. CTAX arrears advice please

[kernowlife]

Hey all

 

I'm back after a bit of a gap but I am after a bit of advice.

 

You may or may not remember that I had a few issues with council tax arrears.

 

Well I had a bit of a windfall and today have paid them all off along with a HB overpayment.

I contacted the relevant councils and have paid them direct. However they are both saying that the accounts were with the bailiffs.

 

The thing is the bailiffs had them listed as 5 separate accounts with 5 separate sets of fees. These fees have not been paid as the council only took what was owing to them.

 

Am I still likely to be chased by Jacobs for fees even though the original debts have been paid in full?

 

If so, are they likely to still chase them as 5 separate accounts?

 

Are they likely to negotiate for maybe 1 set of fees?

 

I only had letters from them, they never appeared at the door in my current address.

 

Or should I just ignore them in the hope they will go away. I know in the past 1 bailiff firm gave up and returned the debt to the council. Are they likely to do this if they get no joy?

 

To clarify, the outstanding amount on the liability orders have been paid direct to the councils. The bailiffs had no part in settling these accounts

 

Thanks

[fkofilee]

Was there a Liability Order by the courts...

Are the fees equivalent to £75 etc?

 

I doubt it knowing Jacobs... The Bailiffs might try to enforce these fees. I think you may have shot yourself in the foot.

List all the fees here and let the site team advise.

[kernowlife]

I don't know what all the fees are except that it hasn't got to the £235.00 fee stage. (5 accounts at £235 per time is a good screw)

 

 

All I know is that the council's figures were a bit less than the last letters from Jacobs.

I have to date not acknowledged these letters or spoke with Jacobs either by phone or letter.

 

There were liability orders.

The dates are as follows. Bailiff amount Council amount paid

29/07/2011 1222.76 1180.26

18/01/2013 428.00 136.50

15/03/2013 147.50 105.00

06/12/2013 806.12

28/03/2014 332.75 969.35 (Payment covers previous 2 LO's both on same ref from council)

[dx100uk]

those prior to apr 2013 [when the new rules came in i think]

if they were all chased at differing times individually will probably have attracted 1st and 2nd visit fees of £42.50

though theres a certain amount of old advise theory of tough he cant now get his fees

if you paid the council directly.

he certainly cant charge multiple fees for these early ones all on the same visit.

 

 

those post apr 2013 will be subject to the new scale

£75 fee for notice of enforcement if you got them

those you probably cant get out of paying.

 

 

 

 

HTH

 

 

dx

[kernowlife]

Just a quick one here.

 

Following my recent thread on bailiffs and fees I have a quick question/hypothetical idea

 

As you may know, I have paid the balance off in full direct to the council's involved.

The advice I have received is that the bailiffs "may" still chase me for their fees.

 

Now my query is this.

 

Since the original LO has been paid, would the bailiffs need to seek a new LO for their fees.

 

My experience of bailiffs in the past is that if you make their lives harder, they will back off and seek easier targets.

 

Having paid the council direct it is my impression that the original LO has been satisfied.

The outstanding bailiffs fees are a new debt therefore a new LO is required by them.

 

Is this correct?

[josephbloggs]

No they do not.

 

And if the council have followed the regulations they will have passed the payment to the bailiff company and they take their £75 fee first and the rest is divvied up between the 2 parties.

 

Do not be fooled by any other website that they do - it is simply not true

[ploddertom]

i've merged both threads together to save having to keep swapping between them.

[kernowlife]

No they do not.

 

And if the council have followed the regulations they will have passed the payment to the bailiff company and they take their £75 fee first and the rest is divvied up between the 2 parties.

 

Do not be fooled by any other website that they do - it is simply not true

 

Would that still apply for the LO's issued prior to the law change in April 2014?

 

Since all but one LO is prior to that date.

 

It was just a thought I had myself, I'm not on any other advice site. Just here where most advice seems to be good

[lookinforinfo]

I don't know what all the fees are except that it hasn't got to the £235.00 fee stage. (5 accounts at £235 per time is a good scr

 

There were liability orders.

The dates are as follows. Bailiff amount Council amount paid

29/07/2011 1222.76 1180.26

18/01/2013 428.00 136.50

15/03/2013 147.50 105.00

06/12/2013 806.12

28/03/2014 332.75 969.35 (Payment covers previous 2 LO's both on same ref from council)

 

Looking at your figures it would appear that you have incurred one fee of £235 on the last LO since the bailiff fees are £332.75.

Part of this could be £75 for the compliance and £235 for enforcement.

 

 

I am not sure what the remaining £22.75 is for but the EAs are allowed to pursue you without another LO for £310.

 

As they are legally able to collect those fees,

they have the perfect excuse for enforcing the other fees at the same time.

They will not give up for that kind of money.

If you have a car do not park it anywhere near your home until the fees are resolved.

 

On another topic,

 

 

are you sure that the last two LOs are not for the same debt since they share the same reference?

[kernowlife]

 

On another topic,

 

 

are you sure that the last two LOs are not for the same debt since they share the same reference?

 

Thats an interesting point. it is 2 separate amounts and 2 separate bailiff reference no's but as you say the same client ref no.

 

Could be a possible argument against some of the fees.

 

 

Just to clarify, All of these LO's were issued BEFORE the law changed in April 2014