My wife and I fell into arrears on our council tax, and after some time we ended up with Bristow and Sutor pursuing us for the money.
We owed over £2000 so we set up a payment arrangement with them of £77 per week, which was the minimum they would accept. We paid this a number of times but really struggled, and ended up missing a few payments. About 6 months ago, a bailiff called while we were out and left a letter with his number on, and not to call the office because they would only refer us to him. I tried to call him numerous times but there was never any reply.
A couple of days later I ended up calling B&S again and surprisingly they let me set up another payment arrangement of £55 per week. They said the bailiff had passed it back to them, which I found odd but put down to the fact he wasn’t able to levy anything (no car on the drive etc.) so he wasn’t interested. We never heard from the bailiff again.
Unfortunately, after a couple more missed payments (we have probably paid off about £220 in the last 2 months) we had another bailiff call yesterday evening, again while nobody was home. He posted a letter through which says:
“An enforcement agent has again attended your premises today to take control of your goods as this debt still remains outstanding. Your goods are going. You cannot remove, sell or otherwise dispose of them. Further visits can be made to your property. These visits can be made without warning, between 0600-2100 hours 7 days a week, in order to remove your goods for sale at public auction... You must ring me immediately on...”
My wife called him this evening and after her explaining that we have been paying somewhat sporadically, he offered to accept a payment plan of £43 per week, but said he would need to come round to the house so that we could sign some paperwork. I immediately heard alarm bells, so she said she would call him back with a convenient time to come.
He was insistent that the papers be signed in the house, and said they were court papers. I’m assuming he wants to come inside so that he can then levy or seize goods. I don’t see why paperwork can’t be signed outside. I also found it odd that he offered a payment arrangement when, in theory he could have just demanded full payment. We do have a car which I’m worried he will take possession of.
Can someone advise me on what to do next please? We are keen to make payment as best we can, but I don’t want to have the worry of having the car taken away or people turning up at the house constantly hanging over me.
Thanks.
We owed over £2000 so we set up a payment arrangement with them of £77 per week, which was the minimum they would accept. We paid this a number of times but really struggled, and ended up missing a few payments. About 6 months ago, a bailiff called while we were out and left a letter with his number on, and not to call the office because they would only refer us to him. I tried to call him numerous times but there was never any reply.
A couple of days later I ended up calling B&S again and surprisingly they let me set up another payment arrangement of £55 per week. They said the bailiff had passed it back to them, which I found odd but put down to the fact he wasn’t able to levy anything (no car on the drive etc.) so he wasn’t interested. We never heard from the bailiff again.
Unfortunately, after a couple more missed payments (we have probably paid off about £220 in the last 2 months) we had another bailiff call yesterday evening, again while nobody was home. He posted a letter through which says:
“An enforcement agent has again attended your premises today to take control of your goods as this debt still remains outstanding. Your goods are going. You cannot remove, sell or otherwise dispose of them. Further visits can be made to your property. These visits can be made without warning, between 0600-2100 hours 7 days a week, in order to remove your goods for sale at public auction... You must ring me immediately on...”
My wife called him this evening and after her explaining that we have been paying somewhat sporadically, he offered to accept a payment plan of £43 per week, but said he would need to come round to the house so that we could sign some paperwork. I immediately heard alarm bells, so she said she would call him back with a convenient time to come.
He was insistent that the papers be signed in the house, and said they were court papers. I’m assuming he wants to come inside so that he can then levy or seize goods. I don’t see why paperwork can’t be signed outside. I also found it odd that he offered a payment arrangement when, in theory he could have just demanded full payment. We do have a car which I’m worried he will take possession of.
Can someone advise me on what to do next please? We are keen to make payment as best we can, but I don’t want to have the worry of having the car taken away or people turning up at the house constantly hanging over me.
Thanks.
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