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Apology after bailiffs repossess wrong home
suzan.uzel@cambridge-news.co.uk
Ian Parrott with the letter from the courts services.
A MAN has received a formal apology from the courts service after bailiffs wrongly stormed his home and changed the locks.
Ian Parrott, of Caernarvon Road, Eynesbury, returned home one evening to discover his key would not fit the lock and the letter box was nailed up.
The 62-year-old, who lives on his own, found a notice in his window stating his home had been repossessed. He had to spend the night at his son's home in Bedfordshire until he could contact the keyholders the next day.
Mr Parrott described the experience, on April 23, as "a nightmare", with the locks changed,the water cylinder drained, electricity switched off and fridge emptied.
It then transpired Mr Parrott's home had been repossessed by mistake instead of another home in Eynesbury, which has the same number but is on a different road.
Mr Parrott has now received a formal apology from Her Majesty's Courts Service (HMCS).
In a letter dated April 29 Keith Budgen, regional director at HMCS South East, offered Mr Parrott "a full and unreserved apology for the distress, inconvenience and embarrassment" he experienced.
He pointed to an error made by bailiffs from Peterborough Combined Court in wrongly repossessing his property.
Mr Budgen added: "I apologise further for the delay in writing to you, but I wished to ensure that the reasons for this error were being fully investigated and steps taken to ensure this does not happen again.
"I recognise that the error has caused you considerable inconvenience and that you may wish to lodge a formal complaint."
Mr Parrott said: "They are admitting to a mistake. They don't realise what they are doing to you. It makes you feel very sick and angry."
Mr Parrott has been living in the house, which is owned by a trust, since April 1.
A spokesman for HMCS said: "We apologise to Mr Parrott.
"There was a misunderstanding over the address which we resolved as soon as we became aware of it."
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source:Cambridge News Home - Apology after bailiffs repossess wrong home
suzan.uzel@cambridge-news.co.uk Ian Parrott with the letter from the courts services.A MAN has received a formal apology from the courts service after bailiffs wrongly stormed his home and changed the locks.
Ian Parrott, of Caernarvon Road, Eynesbury, returned home one evening to discover his key would not fit the lock and the letter box was nailed up.
The 62-year-old, who lives on his own, found a notice in his window stating his home had been repossessed. He had to spend the night at his son's home in Bedfordshire until he could contact the keyholders the next day.
Mr Parrott described the experience, on April 23, as "a nightmare", with the locks changed,the water cylinder drained, electricity switched off and fridge emptied.
It then transpired Mr Parrott's home had been repossessed by mistake instead of another home in Eynesbury, which has the same number but is on a different road.
Mr Parrott has now received a formal apology from Her Majesty's Courts Service (HMCS).
In a letter dated April 29 Keith Budgen, regional director at HMCS South East, offered Mr Parrott "a full and unreserved apology for the distress, inconvenience and embarrassment" he experienced.
He pointed to an error made by bailiffs from Peterborough Combined Court in wrongly repossessing his property.
Mr Budgen added: "I apologise further for the delay in writing to you, but I wished to ensure that the reasons for this error were being fully investigated and steps taken to ensure this does not happen again.
"I recognise that the error has caused you considerable inconvenience and that you may wish to lodge a formal complaint."
Mr Parrott said: "They are admitting to a mistake. They don't realise what they are doing to you. It makes you feel very sick and angry."
Mr Parrott has been living in the house, which is owned by a trust, since April 1.
A spokesman for HMCS said: "We apologise to Mr Parrott.
"There was a misunderstanding over the address which we resolved as soon as we became aware of it."
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source:Cambridge News Home - Apology after bailiffs repossess wrong home
