Bristow & Suitor and the usual BS

[suzik5]

Hi
I'm new here and have been reading the forums on B&S. May I say this is a fantastic forum - no sarcasm and really supportive.

My problem (as with so many others) is Bristow and Suitor. I am lost for words about this issue but will do my best to explain the maths.

Very briefly, my husband has been battling cancer for three years. He's now recovered and back at work but the debts we accrued (re rent & council tax) is something that will take even longer to recover.

On Dec 4th we received a liability order for £920 for the council tax 2012-2013. We had paid over 500 but got strapped for cash and so owed about £775 but court costs were added hence the £920.
My husband's father had a stroke about a month ago so we were away when the first letter had delivered notification of visit arrived. The letter demanded £2,199 (for the original £920 liability order) to be paid in ten instalments of £219 per month. We ignored it - well actually we laughed at the inflated sum demanded. Sometimes it is all you can do as utter jaw-dropping disbelief takes over...
On Friday (15th March) the notification of visit #2 was delivered by hand (I was in but obviously didn't answer the door).
This time this letter demanded a staggering £3,199
What is going on here? I know that no back dated CT arrears are involved as we have an attachment of earnings on the go which covers the previous three years CT (One was for over a thousand, and tow smaller ones covering 2009-10, 2010-11 and 2011-12). We are paying £34 per week for the last six months. The council called the bailiffs off last year when B&S demanded a whopping five grand from us.

I have not allowed them entry with liability order but I did last year (stupidly). Does this mean they can enter the property? The case for which they levied last year is now one of the attachment of earnings so this is an entirely new liability order from December 4th 2012 i.e. for £920.

On both occasions they charged £24.50 despite the second visit charge supposedly being just £18.

How do these thugs get away with inflating the money owed and how many people find themselves paying them without question? It's frightening that such extortion is going on. Anyway, I'd appreciate any advice regarding where we stand on this situation.
Thanks in anticipation...

[bluebottle]

Re: Bristow & Suitor and the usual BS

Hi and welcome to Legal Beagles.

I see Brain-Dead & Stupid are up to their usual, as always. The fees you say they are trying to charge are grossly disproportionate to the debt and, most likely, fraudulent. I am not surprised the local authority recalled a debt when B & S tried to charge £5,000. It would have exposed them to potential litigation and the magistrates court that granted the Liability Order would have eaten them alive.

I would be inclined to check the Attachment of Earnings Order (AEO) is still in force. Local authorities are required to notify a CT debtor, in writing, if they intend to cease collecting CT arrears by way of an AEO.

With regard to the LO where B & S entered your home, is this subject to an AEO? If so, they cannot attend to levy or remove as it is not lawful to subject a person to two different forms of enforcement for the same thing at the same time.

If B & S have provided a breakdown of their charges, could you please post this up? It should then be easier to see whether or not B & S need to be put in their place or the local authority need to recall it.