Council tax bailiffs help!!

[CleverClogs]

Re: Council tax bailiffs help!!

Yes, we get full council tax benefit.

Then why the buggery do they say you owe over a thousand quid?

Would they have to have written and needed a response to take it from benefits? If so, they might've done before we lived here. I still don't understand how it's nothing for months then all of a sudden a bailiff turns up. Ugh.

I doubt anyone else would understand it, either. To get bailiffs involved, even a bunch of numpties like Crapita would first have to post a demand for Council Tax, then a summons to a magistrates' court, obtain a Liability Order and inquire into your means.

Then there's the question of why someone on full CT Benefit even owes Council Tax. Was this from a previous year or two, before you got CT Benefit?

Perhaps it might help if you could answer the questions posed by Brother Bluebottle?

Could you answer the following, please -

1. How many Liability Orders do you have against you?
2. How much is the debt for?
3. Did you receive a notice to pay the CT in full?
4. Have you received a summons to attend court?
5. Have you received notification of the Liability Order?

[beckyt]

Re: Council tax bailiffs help!!

It was from when OH lost his job and didn't fill out the council tax benefit forms.

He spoke to someone from the council this morning and was basically told the bailiffs are well within their rights to force entry into the property and remove our things any time - even without a warrant etc! OH explained he's on ESA for anxiety and depression and she said "well I don't think you're vulnerable at all, if you seem to think you're vulnerable you'll have to put it in writing to my manager but it won't get you anywhere". She said that because no payments have been made so far, she doesn't think he'll make any now and REFUSED to accept a payment there and then and told him if he had a problem with them making him pay more than he could afford then to contact the debt collection agency. He asked for her name and status and how to make a complaint and she said "you can find details online about how to make a complaint" and wouldn't give him her name, he said "is this because Capita run part of the council and they also own this debt agency?".. she told him she wasn't prepared to talk to him and hung up on him! She didn't even say her name when she first answered the phone. She also spun some rubbish about we're not getting full council tax benefit at the moment and owe alot for this house too! Utter rubbish.

He phoned the bailiff since he's due round tomorrow and reminded him he's on ESA - bailiff said fair enough, take some time to get the £150 together and he's not going to chase OH for it but he MUST pay £150 before the payment plan can start.

[bluebottle]

Re: Council tax bailiffs help!!

It was from when OH lost his job and didn't fill out the council tax benefit forms.

He spoke to someone from the council this morning and was basically told the bailiffs are well within their rights to force entry into the property and remove our things any time - even without a warrant etc! OH explained he's on ESA for anxiety and depression and she said "well I don't think you're vulnerable at all, if you seem to think you're vulnerable you'll have to put it in writing to my manager but it won't get you anywhere". She said that because no payments have been made so far, she doesn't think he'll make any now and REFUSED to accept a payment there and then and told him if he had a problem with them making him pay more than he could afford then to contact the debt collection agency. He asked for her name and status and how to make a complaint and she said "you can find details online about how to make a complaint" and wouldn't give him her name, he said "is this because Capita run part of the council and they also own this debt agency?".. she told him she wasn't prepared to talk to him and hung up on him! She didn't even say her name when she first answered the phone. She also spun some rubbish about we're not getting full council tax benefit at the moment and owe alot for this house too! Utter rubbish.

He phoned the bailiff since he's due round tomorrow and reminded him he's on ESA - bailiff said fair enough, take some time to get the £150 together and he's not going to chase OH for it but he MUST pay £150 before the payment plan can start.

The bailiff is deluding himself and putting R & R's OFT licence at risk. Unless you have already done so, report this to OFT Credit Fitness and Trading Standards straightaway.

[beckyt]

Re: Council tax bailiffs help!!

How do I go about it? I've just searched through the OFT website and it's very confusing to my already confused brain!

What can we do RE the council? Thankyou for your advice.