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Hello everyone, I am begging for a couple of questions asked here, please could someone reply and stop me wearing a hole in my carpet pacing up and down?!
I have had problems with the bailiffs for years and know a little bit about it all but there are a few things I need help with. I owed the council some council tax arrears and it got sent to the bailiffs - I was in a right old state at the time (for various other reason and a LONG history of mental illness) and as a result ended up back in hospital. I am also a single parent and managed to pull myself together enough to do some research and managed to get the debt returned to the council because of my 'vulnerable debtor' status. I shortly after finished work due to my poor mental health and was on benefits and a deduction was made from my benefits towards this debt which was fine. I then felt well enough - 2 years later to return to part time work and of course benefits stopped - and thus payments from my arrears. I had informed the council of this etc however did not receive any communication regarding the ct arrears only a current bill (I am on a ridiculously low income - £10 per week more than benefits - therefore still entitled to ct benefit) I then received a letter from Jacobs stating they were calling within 48 hours to collect payment or levy my goods and set up a plan to repay. I didn't let him in and although they refused at first to accept payments without a levy in place I wrote to the council and they instructed the bailiffs to accept the repayments. Now I made my payments every week over the internet payment system and the amount was going down, until around a month ago when I missed a payment (I know I broke the agreement but I did have good reason) When able I then went online to pay the missed installment and that weeks installment - the system would not let me - it gave no details just 'unable to process your payment'. Having phoned the company before I knew that I was likely to be kept on hold for ages and I simply do not have the money to keep topping my phone up to deal with these people, so I wrote to them - and received no reply. I know I should have sent it recorded but literally had to borrow a stamp to post it! Yesterday I received a hand delivered letter stating that I had to pay within 48 hours or the bailiff 'in charge' would return to remove my goods - even if I wasn't in. Can they do that? No bailiff has ever entered my home and I have signed nothing, and I know that initially they must gain peaceful entry before they can break in, but is that changed now by the fact that I broke the agreement? Have they got a warrant or something from the court to allow them to break in and will I come home to find all my stuff gone and my door kicked in? I have had nothing from the courts but read somewhere that they don't have to inform you.
In addition I used a pre pay credit card to pay online and all the money is on there - I can't take it off the card and the automated system on their website still won't let me pay. I have text the bailiff (free texts - no credit!) to explain this and said that I will pay what is on the card when I am allowed to use the system. I cannot afford to replace that money to give it in cash or send a postal order and the office refuse to let me pay on the phone when I used a friends phone to call them. I am totally stumped as what to do - please could someone give me some advice I am fast becoming stressed again and if I end up back in hospital I don't know what will happen this time with my child and everything.
I have had problems with the bailiffs for years and know a little bit about it all but there are a few things I need help with. I owed the council some council tax arrears and it got sent to the bailiffs - I was in a right old state at the time (for various other reason and a LONG history of mental illness) and as a result ended up back in hospital. I am also a single parent and managed to pull myself together enough to do some research and managed to get the debt returned to the council because of my 'vulnerable debtor' status. I shortly after finished work due to my poor mental health and was on benefits and a deduction was made from my benefits towards this debt which was fine. I then felt well enough - 2 years later to return to part time work and of course benefits stopped - and thus payments from my arrears. I had informed the council of this etc however did not receive any communication regarding the ct arrears only a current bill (I am on a ridiculously low income - £10 per week more than benefits - therefore still entitled to ct benefit) I then received a letter from Jacobs stating they were calling within 48 hours to collect payment or levy my goods and set up a plan to repay. I didn't let him in and although they refused at first to accept payments without a levy in place I wrote to the council and they instructed the bailiffs to accept the repayments. Now I made my payments every week over the internet payment system and the amount was going down, until around a month ago when I missed a payment (I know I broke the agreement but I did have good reason) When able I then went online to pay the missed installment and that weeks installment - the system would not let me - it gave no details just 'unable to process your payment'. Having phoned the company before I knew that I was likely to be kept on hold for ages and I simply do not have the money to keep topping my phone up to deal with these people, so I wrote to them - and received no reply. I know I should have sent it recorded but literally had to borrow a stamp to post it! Yesterday I received a hand delivered letter stating that I had to pay within 48 hours or the bailiff 'in charge' would return to remove my goods - even if I wasn't in. Can they do that? No bailiff has ever entered my home and I have signed nothing, and I know that initially they must gain peaceful entry before they can break in, but is that changed now by the fact that I broke the agreement? Have they got a warrant or something from the court to allow them to break in and will I come home to find all my stuff gone and my door kicked in? I have had nothing from the courts but read somewhere that they don't have to inform you.
In addition I used a pre pay credit card to pay online and all the money is on there - I can't take it off the card and the automated system on their website still won't let me pay. I have text the bailiff (free texts - no credit!) to explain this and said that I will pay what is on the card when I am allowed to use the system. I cannot afford to replace that money to give it in cash or send a postal order and the office refuse to let me pay on the phone when I used a friends phone to call them. I am totally stumped as what to do - please could someone give me some advice I am fast becoming stressed again and if I end up back in hospital I don't know what will happen this time with my child and everything.
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