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Hi,
After searching the net for days it seems this is the most informative site i have come accross and was hoping someone may be able to help with my problem. It will be a bit long-winded, but please bear with me!
Deep breath - here goes!..
Since the start of the year i have received 3 fines at Milton Keynes magistrates court (not a good year so far!)
1st (Jan 2011) - £120 fine for being arrested for section 5 public order offence (was originally £80 fixed penalty, but sent to magistrates as i could not pay in time)
2nd (Jan 2011) - £95 fine for having no T.V licence.
3rd (Feb 2011) - £750 costs for failing to declare change of circumstances to local authority regarding housing benefit.
A grand total of £965
I spoke to the fines officer at the court and explained my financial situtation as follows:
I am on a low wage and receive working tax credits, a small amount of housing benefit (due to repaying an overpayment) and low rate disability living allowance (due to totally severing my arm in an accident, now re-attached, but thats another long story!)
He told me that i could consolidate the 3 seperate fines, and pay £80 per month for 12 months, with the first payment due 15th March, and following payments on the 15th of every month. This is really more than i can afford, but he refused to make the installments any lower. There was nothing i could do but agree to the terms.
I paid £80 before 15th March. In April i found myself short of money due to catching up on rent arrears so i telephoned the central payments office to explain i would be late with Aprils payment. The guy on the phone was very helpful (i originally thought!) and said that as long as it was paid in the month due no further steps would be taken. I assumed he meant by "month due" that i had to pay before 15th of the next month, which i did on 13th May.
I received a letter from Marstons dated 18th May saying that the fine had been passed to them and that i had 7 days to pay or bailiffs would attend to 'levy distress' on my property.
I went back to the fines officer who told me that there was nothing he could do now that it was sent to the bailiffs, and that the person on the telephone at 'central payments' was wrong in telling me that no action would be taken as long as each payment was made in the month due (by my understanding of the conversation to be between the 15th of each month)
The letter from Marstons states they have added £75 costs to my total (now £880 after paying £160 so far), and will add further costs on visiting my home.
There is no way i can pay the whole amount, plus the addition costs they will likely add when they do turn up. From what i understand they are allowed to make arrangements for payment over 90 days, but that still is likely to come in the region of £300+ per month. There is no way i can afford that either as i could barely afford the original £80 per month that the fines officer demanded.
I really need some help with this as soon as possible, i know my fines are caused by my own neglect / stupidity, but they dont seem to take into account that all of my income goes on just barely surviving i.e, rent, food, council tax ect. I have no disposable income at all. The 2 £80 installments i have made have already left me short on my council tax, and i have been living on frozen chips alone for a month - not the most healthy of dinner choices!
Thanks in advance, and keep up the good work!
Chris.
After searching the net for days it seems this is the most informative site i have come accross and was hoping someone may be able to help with my problem. It will be a bit long-winded, but please bear with me!
Deep breath - here goes!..
Since the start of the year i have received 3 fines at Milton Keynes magistrates court (not a good year so far!)
1st (Jan 2011) - £120 fine for being arrested for section 5 public order offence (was originally £80 fixed penalty, but sent to magistrates as i could not pay in time)
2nd (Jan 2011) - £95 fine for having no T.V licence.
3rd (Feb 2011) - £750 costs for failing to declare change of circumstances to local authority regarding housing benefit.
A grand total of £965
I spoke to the fines officer at the court and explained my financial situtation as follows:
I am on a low wage and receive working tax credits, a small amount of housing benefit (due to repaying an overpayment) and low rate disability living allowance (due to totally severing my arm in an accident, now re-attached, but thats another long story!)
He told me that i could consolidate the 3 seperate fines, and pay £80 per month for 12 months, with the first payment due 15th March, and following payments on the 15th of every month. This is really more than i can afford, but he refused to make the installments any lower. There was nothing i could do but agree to the terms.
I paid £80 before 15th March. In April i found myself short of money due to catching up on rent arrears so i telephoned the central payments office to explain i would be late with Aprils payment. The guy on the phone was very helpful (i originally thought!) and said that as long as it was paid in the month due no further steps would be taken. I assumed he meant by "month due" that i had to pay before 15th of the next month, which i did on 13th May.
I received a letter from Marstons dated 18th May saying that the fine had been passed to them and that i had 7 days to pay or bailiffs would attend to 'levy distress' on my property.
I went back to the fines officer who told me that there was nothing he could do now that it was sent to the bailiffs, and that the person on the telephone at 'central payments' was wrong in telling me that no action would be taken as long as each payment was made in the month due (by my understanding of the conversation to be between the 15th of each month)
The letter from Marstons states they have added £75 costs to my total (now £880 after paying £160 so far), and will add further costs on visiting my home.
There is no way i can pay the whole amount, plus the addition costs they will likely add when they do turn up. From what i understand they are allowed to make arrangements for payment over 90 days, but that still is likely to come in the region of £300+ per month. There is no way i can afford that either as i could barely afford the original £80 per month that the fines officer demanded.
I really need some help with this as soon as possible, i know my fines are caused by my own neglect / stupidity, but they dont seem to take into account that all of my income goes on just barely surviving i.e, rent, food, council tax ect. I have no disposable income at all. The 2 £80 installments i have made have already left me short on my council tax, and i have been living on frozen chips alone for a month - not the most healthy of dinner choices!
Thanks in advance, and keep up the good work!
Chris.
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