Bailiff help

BomoLad

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So I have a small £200 debt outstanding from an old CT bill (plus charges) at about three addresses ago that I incurred a while back and 'overlooked' *ahem* to pay ;)

Anway I now live away from my parental home but all my correspondence are assigned and registered here and it's where I am this week.

So I called the bailiff to arrange payment and he said he couldn't take payments over the phone, he had to come and see me. Fine. So he turned up and I wanted to have a chat in the porch. He said he needed to come in to complete an 'inventory' something not mentioned on the letter nor on the telephone call.

I said I wasn't prepared to let hikm in the house as I considered it unnecessary. He warned me unless I did my charges would double. I asked him to leave.

So there I was willing to pay £100 to him today, but because he didn't gain access to the property (which isn't even mine and even if it was this pre-condition was not mentioned on either the letter nor on the phone call) he instead left without taking payment and threatening me with increased charges.

Suffice to say I'm not terribly impressed and wish to take this up further with the company who are Jacobs Bailiffs. I'm in no way going to allow them to 'double' by liability as a result of this. Their offices have closed for this evening but I fully intend to call them tomorrow and kick up a fuss and demand to make an automated payment, which is available for some of their customers I see.

Any help/tips/advice?
 
You did right, never let them in.

Well we have a big porch entrance, he was welcome to come in there.

I challenged him on the original letter where it says he has to come in to complete an inventory and he pointed out where it says the bailiff would have to complete 'relevant paper work'. But that's not good enough really.
 
On the face of it you say you wanted to pay in full and he came round to collect. He then wanted to do an inventory - presumably to see what was worth taking.
At what point did you offer him part payment? I would have thought offering the whole amount would have had him on his way?
 
Be very very careful here, the bailiffs can charge for every visit and they do not come cheap.

They will get their money I can virtually guarantee it, how much is almost entirely dependant on you. If you refuse to let them in they will take your car and sell it before giving you any remainder of the sum owed. If they have to keep coming back add 2 to 3 hundred quid every time.

By all means phone and speak to them but don't try and outfox the bailiff because they are almost certainly better at the game than you.
 
Well we have a big porch entrance, he was welcome to come in there.

I challenged him on the original letter where it says he has to come in to complete an inventory and he pointed out where it says the bailiff would have to complete 'relevant paper work'. But that's not good enough really.

Is this a court appointed bailiff ?
 
On the face of it you say you wanted to pay in full and he came round to collect. He then wanted to do an inventory - presumably to see what was worth taking.
At what point did you offer him part payment? I would have thought offering the whole amount would have had him on his way?

I arranged to pay halvsies on the a few days ago. He said fine he'll have to come around and work out a payment plan.

I said fine. I expected him to come round and fill out a form saying what I had agreed over the phone and take payment.
 
Never let them in under any circumstances, if he tries to force his way in, [-]break his legs[/-] inform him he is breaking the law and you will use reasonable force to remove him and call the police.

At the end of the day, you offered to pay him half the debt, and he refused payment. Note that down and call the debters, not the collector's and say that he refused to accept payment yet alone provide a receipt.

Don't give them money at the door at all, you wont have a leg to stand on as it'll be hear say if they decide to 'lose' it.

Let us know how you get on.

tris
 
Could you not have gone to them with full payment of your debt rather than have a bailiff come to your house.
He's probably got an imprint of your front door lock now so that he can let himself in next time. ;)
 
Also, did he even bother to show any identification? You can mention that too.

tris
 
I'm not sure what experience others have of bailiff's, but my brother used to work for the insolvency service and I've met a few bailiff friends of his. If you think the Terminator never gives up, you should see these guys in action.

The reason he wanted to take an inventory is because you only offered half the cash that is owed, and since you've proved to be a poor payer (otherwise you wouldn't have a bailiff at your door) he wants to see what you have that will make up the difference.
 
Never let then in. Alway ask for I'd. But a clamp for your car or clamps! ;consider signing it across to someone else ie parents?)

Speak to citizens advice and the company. You need specialist guidance hear.
 
Nothing in the house is mine, as has been explained to him twice. It's my parents house.
 
Doesn't matter, the debt is at that address.
As above, they can be like T1000's.

And make sure you close/lock all the doors/windows next time you go out, and keep the car away from the property if any... once they are in, well, you know the rest.

And remember, Bailiffs tell porkies.

First thing in the morning, you need to get on the horn to the Council, and sort it out with them..they can deal with the Bailiffs more readily than you can, especially if you pay some of it directly to the council.(I assume CT is Council Tax).
 
Last edited:
When you say "CT" do

You mean council tax bill?

If so your laughing.

There's strict rules on max fees they can apply with council tax.

Bailiffs try it on with extra charges.
We had one trying to add on an extra £500 for his visits etc when we wasn't in and all sorts.

In the end I think they could only charge about £50. however they pray on people not knowing.

Do what we done which was email the Bailiff company wanting a breakdown of charges, if there anything dodgy on there. Email them back and cc in the councils chief exec.

See here for charges. This is only for council tax

http://www.bailiffadviceonline.co.uk/bailifffeecomplaints_examplect.htm
 
Nothing in the house is mine, as has been explained to him twice. It's my parents house.

and do you think he cares (or believes) who owns the contents? You have given that address willingly to them as your point of contact, so that's what they will go after.

There's no point you trying to take the moral high ground as you've been a long time defaulter. Once the bailiffs get involved they are totally de-sensitised to your [-]excuses[/-] reasoning as they've heard it all before.
 
I'm on the Bailiffs side.

Three addresses ago and now you're finally getting round to paying?!

I bet you wish you would've paid now.

Hopefully the hassle you're going through will teach you something about paying your Bills.
 
I'm not sure what experience others have of bailiff's, but my brother used to work for the insolvency service and I've met a few bailiff friends of his. If you think the Terminator never gives up, you should see these guys in action.

The reason he wanted to take an inventory is because you only offered half the cash that is owed, and since you've proved to be a poor payer (otherwise you wouldn't have a bailiff at your door) he wants to see what you have that will make up the difference.

This^

You havnt paid your debt, you call the bailiff up out of the blue offer to pay half and expect him to walk away and hope you come back to pay when you feel like it, with no guarantees?

I expect he has the right to look for ways to regain the money and the contents of the house is a good way of doing it.
 
Never let then in. Alway ask for I'd. But a clamp for your car or clamps! ;consider signing it across to someone else ie parents?)

Speak to citizens advice and the company. You need specialist guidance hear.

If they manage to get across the threshold without using force they are then entitled to use force to re enter so again be careful because they know the law and are used to applying it. Clamp the car by all means, they'll just get a truck to lift it and charge you for it.

Nothing in the house is mine, as has been explained to him twice. It's my parents house.

Then why is all your correspondence etc at that address along with yourself? You appear to be playing a very dangerous game of cat and mouse over a couple of hundred quid.

As has been mentioned, bailiffs are like Nazgul hunting the one true ring. They will never stop hunting you and you will be paying them to do this.

I've been to loads of Bailiff jobs and invariably the Bailiffs either eventually walk away with the money or you walk away in handcuffs.

I've even seen a guy try to stop a bailiff taking his motorbike, which got damaged in the process and lowered it's value, leaving the bloke with even more to pay.

If I haven't quite got the point across I'll say it again, you will not win.
 
I've even seen a guy try to stop a bailiff taking his motorbike, which got damaged in the process and lowered it's value, leaving the bloke with even more to pay.

If I haven't quite got the point across I'll say it again, you will not win.

I know a similar story where a guy lifted a rock from his flowerbed and threw it at the bailiff who was about to drive off in his repossessed car, smashing the back window. The bailiff got out, and went back into the house and lifted the tv to cover the cost of the damage, then had the guy arrested for threatening behaviour and criminal damage.

I've no idea if it ever went to court or what the outcome was, but I bet he hasn't missed too many payments since.
 
Doesn't matter, the debt is at that address.
As above, they can be like T1000's.

And make sure you close/lock all the doors/windows next time you go out, and keep the car away from the property if any... once they are in, well, you know the rest.

It DOES matter - a bailiff can't seize goods which don't belong to the judgment debtor, irrespective if whether they happen to be at the address they are attending at.

Of course, you would need to prove that they belonged to someone else.

RF is certainly right about not letting them in though. Like vampires, once they have been invited in they are can come back at will - and force entry, if need be.

The inventory that they mentioned was most likely to take walking possession of goods they found. Once they have done so, it's an offence for you to dispose of those assets. If you don't pay the debt, the bailiffs will then return and physically remove the goods listed in the "inventory" that was taken.
 
Dave said:
Be very very careful here, the bailiffs can charge for every visit and they do not come cheap.

They will get their money I can virtually guarantee it, how much is almost entirely dependant on you. If you refuse to let them in they will take your car and sell it before giving you any remainder of the sum owed. If they have to keep coming back add 2 to 3 hundred quid every time.

By all means phone and speak to them but don't try and outfox the bailiff because they are almost certainly better at the game than you.

That's not true in the slightest, bailiffs have to adhere to charges and are not allowed to charge for anything unless they can prove the charge is legit.

If I was you OP I would get in touch with the council who you have the debt with and offer to pay them direct, bailiffs are not allowed to enter your home unless you let them in, a court bailiff can break into your house, but a private company can't.

http://www.adviceguide.org.uk/engla..._take_e/debt_bailiffs_e/bailiffs__charges.htm
 

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