British Gas Warrant of Entry

[Animal]

Re: British Gas Warrant of Entry

Anyone willing to provide a witness statement regarding:
1. BG getting warrant of entry without notifying consumer of hearing. Especially if you're disputing the account.
2. Failing to respond to SAR.
If possible, I want to show court that BG does this as a matter of course and that it's not a one off mistake.
I'd also like to send evidence to MP.

[Eloise01]

Re: British Gas Warrant of Entry

Anyone willing to provide a witness statement regarding:
1. BG getting warrant of entry without notifying consumer of hearing. Especially if you're disputing the account.
2. Failing to respond to SAR.
If possible, I want to show court that BG does this as a matter of course and that it's not a one off mistake.
I'd also like to send evidence to MP.

Debt isn't my area of law, but courts operate in the same very basic way - they hear a case. So if you intend to go to court with BG the court will only be interested in evidence relating to the case in front of them, i.e. the case between you and British Gas. What happens in someone elses circumstances, which are not in front of them, is not relevant and they will pay it no regard, and whether is is a one off mistake or one of a million, they will not care about that either. Showing that BG has made a million mistakes will not add a single fact to your case - your case is solely that they have made a mistake in your case. Nor does showing that BG make mistakes mean they have made a mistake in your case - that is for the court to decide based on the evidence of your case that BG and you provide.

I say this having had a very similar case with BG some years ago - it never went this far although it rumbled on and on for months and by the time it was over the accumulated compensation they ended up paying equated to my fuel bill for two years! So I do appreciate the sheer frustration of the situation, but you are best spending your time and effort focussing on what will matter.

If BG have not responded to your SAR, then report the matter to the ICO.

And if you have had no response to your complaint to the CEO, then complain again about getting no response.

And thank you for the quote from the other forum - it put a wry smile on my face in the memory of many similar conversations that I had with BG that would have been more appropriate to a comedy script than a customer service script!

[wales01man]

Re: British Gas Warrant of Entry

I would sent this transcript to the CEO of BG and tell him when he stops laughing to sort his people out especially this one
Ive got tears inmy eyes from laughing

[bluebottle]

Re: British Gas Warrant of Entry

Saw this on other forum:

:-)
I don't have a facebook account, but this link was posted:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/2369...2277307503815/

That is blatant Fraud by False Misrepresentation on the part of BG! What on earth did BG's management team think they were playing at?

[Guest]

Re: British Gas Warrant of Entry

Re conversation posted:
LAUGHING GAS, MAYBE!!! :dance:

[Guest]

Re: British Gas Warrant of Entry

I've been told I can seek an injunction, but I was quoted thousands... :-(

Good job they did. Any would have been wasted!

[CleverClogs]

Re: British Gas Warrant of Entry

Re conversation posted:
LAUGHING GAS, MAYBE!!! :dance:

Nitrous oxide isn't flammable. :nerd:

[silvertongue]

Re: British Gas Warrant of Entry

Hi There, my first ever post on any forum but couldn't pass this by as I am in very similar position currently with BG.
Exhausted form trying to sort this pantomime out all week, so will keep this brief and come back tomorrow.
Take a look at what the law actually says, I guarantee you will be shocked at how far BG and in my case the court, ignore it.
Look at The Rights of Entry Gas and Electricity) Act 1954 section2 paragraph 1, point c, note the use of the word satisfied.
The relevant enactment is The Gas Act 1986, you need to see what applies to your case, but look at Section 15A paragraph 8, and Schedule 2B (towards the end) Paragraph 7.
These acts are easy to find online, and equally easy to understand.
There are also Human Rights Act implications, I'll post some more when I can find 2 brain cells to rub together to make a spark.
BTW I have also been thinking about some publicity, but would not normally seek itout.

[silvertongue]

Re: British Gas Warrant of Entry

Hi There, my first ever post on any forum but couldn't pass this by as I am in very similar position currently with BG.
Exhausted form trying to sort this pantomime out all week, so will keep this brief and come back tomorrow.
Take a look at what the law actually says, I guarantee you will be shocked at how far BG and in my case the court, ignore it.
Look at The Rights of Entry Gas and Electricity) Act 1954 section2 paragraph 1, point c, note the use of the word satisfied.
The relevant enactment is The Gas Act 1986, you need to see what applies to your case, but look at Section 15A paragraph 8, and Schedule 2B (towards the end) Paragraph 7.
These acts are easy to find online, and equally easy to understand.
There are also Human Rights Act implications, I'll post some more when I can find 2 brain cells to rub together to make a spark.
BTW I have also been thinking about some publicity, but would not normally seek itout.

Ok sorry everyone for my last post coming up again, can't seem to find a way to post without it.

My situation is complex, but basically I have had a dispute with BG for the last 3 years which I'm quite sure is justified.

As a result quite a large alleged debt has built up, which they have continually tried to intimidate me into paying. The intimidation has included all the usual threats, several breaches of Denial of Access notices which I sent to keep their debt collectors away,(they even had the cheek to charge me for those visits!)' and finally applying for a warrant of entry.

I challenged the application, in person and by written submission. The circumstances of the hearing left me shocked to the core, I won't say more because I intend making a complaint about the Magistrate and the court administration. The upshot was that the warrant was granted, and give him his due, even the man from BG looked gobsmacked.

I have tried since then to find a way to get this decision overturned, there seem to be no realistic options. I did find provision in the Magistrates Court Act for cases to be reopened to correct a mistake. I have written to the court requesting that, but so far no response.

I am resigned to having my house broken into in a few days.

This kind of thing is pretty high on my list of things I don't want to happen, but giving in to intimidation is even higher, and I shall try to view their rotten prepayment meter as a badge of honour.

I am certain that this warrant should not lawfully have been issued, and once they have done their worst, I will work to ensure that BG face the consequences.

With regard to the warrant, my understanding is that it is valid for 28 days. I don't know if they are supposed to give you notice of another date if they miss the first one, but I don't trust them to follow any rules anyway.

One thing you might want to try, I have just done this, is to write to BG informing them that this warrant shouldn't have been issued because of court error (in your case look at HRA see if you think your right to a fair hearing was breached by the fact that you didn't know about it. I said that in view of that I recommended/requested they did not execute the warrant.

I also informed them that possession of the warrant does not obligate them to execute it, nor does it exonerate them from their obligations to act in accordance with with The Rights of Entry Act, Ga act 1986, Human Rights Act, OFT Guidedlines, or ny other relevant legislation or guidance.

I sent a copy of this letter to all those at BG who I had had recent letters from including the Head of Complaints and the woman who signed the warrant notice, and to Phil Bentley and Sam Laidlaw.

I don't have any real expecttion of that making any difference next week, but I hope to use the fact that key pople were clearly informed of the situation against them at a later date.

I have no legal training, and am only sharing what I have found out on my own behalf, but please understand I am probably ignorant of some things which are relevant. Please make your own checks, and get legal advise if you are unsure.

Sorry tis post is so long, I have 2 huge files on this so its hard to cut down. I have lost this round, but am determined to fight on as I believe large numbers of these applications go through with little or no real scrutiny, and as such people's HRA rights to respect for family life and the home, are routinely disregarded. In 21st centuary UK that is not acceptable.

[buchan]

Re: British Gas Warrant of Entry

Anyone willing to provide a witness statement regarding:
1. BG getting warrant of entry without notifying consumer of hearing. Especially if you're disputing the account.
2. Failing to respond to SAR.
If possible, I want to show court that BG does this as a matter of course and that it's not a one off mistake.
I'd also like to send evidence to MP.

Hi there,
I am dealing with a very similar situation. I have had BG apply for a warrant of entry 6 times now. Some of the times I get the notice on the day of the hearing, 1 day before and once not at all.
I'd be more than happy to give a statement and would be extremely happy to be given the same in return.
At BG's 5th attempt to obtain a warrant the judge told them this was turning into harassment.
My dispute is very long and complicated but does definitely cover the same areas as your dispute seems to do.

[buchan]

Re: British Gas Warrant of Entry

void-duplicate response-sorry

[Animal]

Re: British Gas Warrant of Entry

Hi there,
I am dealing with a very similar situation. I have had BG apply for a warrant of entry 6 times now. Some of the times I get the notice on the day of the hearing, 1 day before and once not at all.
I'd be more than happy to give a statement and would be extremely happy to be given the same in return.
At BG's 5th attempt to obtain a warrant the judge told them this was turning into harassment.
My dispute is very long and complicated but does definitely cover the same areas as your dispute seems to do.

Sorry, haven't been back here in a while.

This is still dragging on. I have written asking them to justify the repeated warrant applications, with no response. Somehow they've gotten hold of my unlisted telephone number and are now phoning repeatedly from various different numbers, even though I've told them to only communicate in writing.

I've given up on the statements, as you're the only one to respond. I'd still be happy to exchange, as it might be useful to send to my MP. But it might take me a while as there's a lot to include and I'm pretty busy with other matters.

My current course of action is to prepare a case for harassment and this will have priority...

[enquirer]

Re: British Gas Warrant of Entry

Somehow they've gotten hold of my unlisted telephone number and are now phoning repeatedly from various different numbers, even though I've told them to only communicate in writing.

BG is well known for it's bullying tactics, so carrying the war into their camp has a great deal to recommend it.

Note that the Protection from Harassment Act 1997 provides for both a criminal offence (s1) and a tort (s3). The civil remedy is damages and injunction. The burden of proof in civil cases is of course much lower.

Once they get the court documents, it will go up the BG ladder very fast, hopefully leading to somebody more senior reviewing what their underlings have been getting up to.

You could also use the Data protection Act 1998 against them - forcing them to disclose from where they obtained your unlisted number. If they evade the issue and say that they 'don't know', then even that may amount to a breach and merit a complaint to ICO.

[Animal]

Re: British Gas Warrant of Entry

Once they get the court documents, it will go up the BG ladder very fast, hopefully leading to somebody more senior reviewing what their underlings have been getting up to.

It's already been there. Rob Parker has looked at this and his 'proof of debt' was a plain piece of paper which looks like he knocked it up on a WP with a list of credits and debits. Some dates don't even match up with docs we already have from previous warrant application... No explanation for the repeated warrant applications (5 so far), or why they're threatening another after the Mag stated quite clearly that 'This is not a matter for this court'...

You could also use the Data protection Act 1998 against them - forcing them to disclose from where they obtained your unlisted number. If they evade the issue and say that they 'don't know', then even that may amount to a breach and merit a complaint to ICO.

I have asked three times, with no response.

[gwenlillian]

Re: British Gas Warrant of Entry

hi
glad to see you are keeping at it - I couldn't deal with my BG problems in the end and they had done the same thing to me, that is gone into Mag for a warrant with a plain piece of paper typed up by anybody style - inaccurate info and no opportunity to go to court with no advance warning - I note that E-On and local council tax enforcement teams do pretty much the same thing to their customers. Wasn't their a discussion somewhere online by judges about these warrants?