Help needed -Equita Bailiffs

[L-Smillie]

Hi I'm hoping someone will be able to advise me on what I should do.

stupidly I got a parking ticket from Plymouth City Council, which I forgot to pay in the timeframe, I drive a company car and by the time they had sent me all the paperwork it had gone up to £60, again stupidly instead of paying it I ignored it!

On the 16th November I got a letter saying the debt had been passed to Equita and was now £125.44, in December I went online and tried to pay on their website. This never went through although it took all my details the monies were never taken, however I thought it was all sorted.

on the 8/1/13 I came home to a letter hand delivered from a D Vertessey stating I had 24 hours to get In touch before they would come and remove goods. I instantly picked up the phone and rang him (nice bloke) saying i thought it was cleared as I had paid online, he said it wasn't some said ok I will make the payment by debit card over the phone. He then advised me the cost was now £421, when i asked him what the £300 was for he said he doesn't need to justify it! Sominpaidmwith an extra £1.20 fee to pay by debit card now £423.04!

My question is after seeking some advice from CAB they told me to ring him and ask for a breakdown. The breakdown is as follows

£125.44 - court fees letter and fine passed to equita
£80 + vat visit fee
£167 + vat enforcement fee.

this seems like an awful lot of money to send me one letter by post and stick one through my front door! What can I do to try and get my money back? I have emailed equita asking for a breakdown of charges, they are yet to come back to me. This is such a minefield and the law seems to be so wooly!

If anyone can advise what I should do I would be very grateful.

thanks

[taz1964]

Re: Help needed -Equita Bailiffs

I am having the same problems with the same company.

I asked for a breakdown of charges when the bailiff arrived to levy my vehicle which I never received after 4 asks from both bailiff and Equita.. The £95 had gone up to £329.44.

After many hours spent looking for info on bailiffs charges(this site and one other)sites like this gave me some very helpful advice.

So far I have found they can only charge
£95 my fine/fees
£11.20 for the letter
£28.00 visit/levy fee
and VAT where appropriate.

A vast difference to £329.44. I am still in the arguing, writing to the ticket issuer requesting it be brought back to council admin and stopping the cheque. I will await the outcome.

Don't give up, sites like this are very helpful so keep on reading. Good luck.

[ploddertom]

Re: Help needed -Equita Bailiffs

The correct fees should be:
Initial Ticket + 50% = £90
Court Fee = £7
Letter Fee from Equita = £11-20 +VAt = £13-44
Give him the benefit of the doubt for 1 Visit = £28-00 +VAt = £35-00

Total Owing should be approx £145-44

You are best off writing for a breakdown, use Letter 1 from http://www.legalbeagles.info/forums/...Useful-Letters

[L-Smillie]

Re: Help needed -Equita Bailiffs

Hi

as advised I requested the breakdown of charges which I have received in the post this morning.

debt £112
initial letter £11.20 + vat
visit fees £80 + vat
attendance fee £167 + vat
Card payment fee £1.25

total £423.34

i am a little confused as surely a visit and attendance fee are the same thing? On the phone he told me the £167 + vat was the enforcement fee! What should I do now? I am not querying the fact I owed for the ticket it was my own stupidity that got me here, I just feel totally frustrated about the amount of money he has taken. Luckily I have a good job, but I could have been a little old lady who lives on a pension.

I would appreciate any help on what I should do next.

thanks

[labman]

Re: Help needed -Equita Bailiffs

In addition to what Ploddertom has rightly advised above, it may be worth your while contacting the TEC with a Statutory Declaration stating you tried to pay and the online web facility did not take your payment. If you're lucky, it might just reset the fine to the £125 odd you were trying to pay.

http://www.legalbeagles.info/forums/...rking-Offences

[L-Smillie]

Re: Help needed -Equita Bailiffs

I have already paid the full amount because he threatened to come back the next day. My mum looks after my 2 year old at my house and didn't want them to have to deal with it. I am now hoping to get the money back from them, it even states on their own website the fees you will be charged! I have gone on their website and raised a complaint through the system which works out from their own fees I have been overcharged £255! I am not holding my breath that I will see a penny of it back but I guess it's worth a try!

Has anybody had any luck from trading standards? Or any of the other governing bodies?

[ploddertom]

Re: Help needed -Equita Bailiffs

You can make a complaint to the City Council but beware. You Council are one of those that has outsouced the majority og their admin functions to a company called Capita, whi in turn happen to own 2 Bailiff companies one of which is Equita. The chances are if you ring you will get no help from them, so it will pay to put it in writing and address it to the Head of Parking. Don't be surprised if the reply comes back that the Bailiff is correct though.

You need to reinforce that he only posted a letter through your door and there is no levy in place.

[L-Smillie]

Re: Help needed -Equita Bailiffs

Thanks, I think I will wait to see if I get a response from Equita.........is that pigs I see flying!! I rang the council and they were not in the slightest bit interested.

[labman]

Re: Help needed -Equita Bailiffs

Put it in writing then.

[ploddertom]

Re: Help needed -Equita Bailiffs

I rang the council and they were not in the slightest bit interested.

As I said.

You could always ask your local Councillor(s) to intervene for you. If they refuse or are reluctant then go to the Leader of the Council and his opposite number. In my view Councillors are available 7 days per week up until 9pm.

[labman]

Re: Help needed -Equita Bailiffs

As I said.

You could always ask your local Councillor(s) to intervene for you. If they refuse or are reluctant then go to the Leader of the Council and his opposite number. In my view Councillors are available 7 days per week up until 9pm.

I could not agree more. Apologies to go slightly off topic, but I remember learning last year just how much our local councillor earned, plus what they claimed in expenses. Ours does very llittle for this money and is more bent than a horseshoe! I'm all for making them work for their money, and I know there are some superb ones out there as well as the ones like we have to suffer.

[wales01man]

Re: Help needed -Equita Bailiffs

Please dont start a debate about councillors ill wear my finger out typing my opinion of them if ever there were a group of people being paid by the public purse and not giving a stuff about anyone but themselfs its them.

[labman]

Re: Help needed -Equita Bailiffs

Please dont start a debate about councillors ill wear my finger out typing my opinion of them if ever there were a group of people being paid by the public purse and not giving a stuff about anyone but themselfs its them.

Maybe you live in the same part of Wales as I do lol!

[bizzybob]

Re: Help needed -Equita Bailiffs

Maybe you live in the same part of Wales as I do lol!

If you want an example of two inept councils, Conwy, and Anglesey spring to mind

Perhaps OP should send a Formal Complaint copied to the CEO, and the rest, including a copy to their MPstating that as there was no levy, that fee should be refunded

[labman]

Re: Help needed -Equita Bailiffs

If you want an example of two inept councils, Conwy, and Anglesey spring to mind

Perhaps OP should send a Formal Complaint copied to the CEO, and the rest, including a copy to their MPstating that as there was no levy, that fee should be refunded

My best man works in the former and my parents live on the latter. You're absolutely right - especially Anglesey.