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Hello all.
I (like many) have an outstanding debt for Council Tax. It relates to the year 2009/2010 and is for £1049.83p. Last summer, whilst still living in the address that the debt relates to, the debt was passed over to Bristow & Sutor. A succession of letters came through my door, each using a higher degree of threat regarding seizure of goods and several times adding various charges up to £180.
I never once spoke directly to any of the bailiffs or allowed them onto the premices (I was nearly always out and stopped opening the door to unexpected callers upon recieving the first of these letters). The amount owed to B&S (according to their Bailiff delivered letters) steadilly rose to £1499.00. Last autumn I left the property having not had any direct contact with B&S.
A couple of months later they caught up with me at my new address. Upon recieving the first letter from them I contacted the council directly to explain that I aknowledge the debt but was not at that point currently in a financial position to make a payment commitment and was seeking advice through the CCCS and CAB. They were actually rather pleasant and allowed my a 2 month period where no further action would be pursued and that they would inform B&S of this. This did actually happen.
I will admit that I was lax in this period and buried my head in the sand rather than using it to my advantage and obtaining advocacy/help.
A couple of days ago I started getting voicemail messages from a B&S registered Bailiff (I checked him out via the online tool) and another of their letters through my door. Oddly (without having previously spoken to them directly or having mentioned it to the council) the amount stated as outstanding had dropped back down to the original £1049.83 but they had also once again added an extra £180 (listed as "the initial charge for todays visit") making the outstanding debt £1229.83
Due to a recent change in circumstance I am now able to face and pay off the debt, although can only realistically pay it off in installments over an extended period of 12 months (10 if the amount returns to the original debt of £1049.83). Now here's the bit that I need help with the most. Yesterday I (now I understand) foolishly decided to call the bailiff back (after he'd left another voicemail) to explain to him that it was my intention to go to the council today with an offer of payment under the terms that I can afford (I work part time and £100 a month really is the upper limit that I can afford). The bailiff was pretty blunt about what he thought of that informing me that "I'm telling you now they will not take the debt back!" he then went on to tell me that the only way that I could stop the process of goods being seized would be to make a payment of half the outstanding debt (£664) that day and then he may be able to set up an installment plan for the rest over a period of 3/4 months.
There's no way on earth that I can raise the cash for an initial payment that high (or anywhere close) so I essentially fobbed him off by saying that I would have to see if I could borrow funds. he said he'd give me until 6pm (it was 2pm at the time of this conversation) and would call back. When he called back I told him that I was still trying to see if I could raise the funds through family (I wouldn't be drawn into giving further details) but would also be contacting the council in the morning regardless to his assertion that it was beyond them being able to get involved ("It's gone too far" to paraphrase)
He then (possibly because I wasn't crumbling and clamouring to give him my card details) said he'd give me a days grace and remove the £180 addtional charge should I be able to secure the funds for the initial payment of half the debt.
So, obviously without having been to the council yet, I don't know if this guy was talking out of his rear end as regards to whether they would involve themselves in a reasonable repayment structure...I'll find that out in a few hours time. What I really need to know is, if the council do assert that the debt is now soley in the hands of B&S what rights do I have regarding expecting them to accept a reasonable request to pay the debt in full by affordable installments?
Also, should I have to deal with the Bailiff direct? (by this I mean the man with a van and a penchant for potentially misleading 'advice' and an ad hock approach to repayment structure!) or is it reasonable to expect B&S to deal with me through their offices rather than this dubious fellow?
Finally, are the £180 charges that they seem to randomly add and remove from the balance of the debt legal?
Some words of advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.
ps. apologies for typos or poor grammar, it's nearly 5am and I haven't slept.
I (like many) have an outstanding debt for Council Tax. It relates to the year 2009/2010 and is for £1049.83p. Last summer, whilst still living in the address that the debt relates to, the debt was passed over to Bristow & Sutor. A succession of letters came through my door, each using a higher degree of threat regarding seizure of goods and several times adding various charges up to £180.
I never once spoke directly to any of the bailiffs or allowed them onto the premices (I was nearly always out and stopped opening the door to unexpected callers upon recieving the first of these letters). The amount owed to B&S (according to their Bailiff delivered letters) steadilly rose to £1499.00. Last autumn I left the property having not had any direct contact with B&S.
A couple of months later they caught up with me at my new address. Upon recieving the first letter from them I contacted the council directly to explain that I aknowledge the debt but was not at that point currently in a financial position to make a payment commitment and was seeking advice through the CCCS and CAB. They were actually rather pleasant and allowed my a 2 month period where no further action would be pursued and that they would inform B&S of this. This did actually happen.
I will admit that I was lax in this period and buried my head in the sand rather than using it to my advantage and obtaining advocacy/help.
A couple of days ago I started getting voicemail messages from a B&S registered Bailiff (I checked him out via the online tool) and another of their letters through my door. Oddly (without having previously spoken to them directly or having mentioned it to the council) the amount stated as outstanding had dropped back down to the original £1049.83 but they had also once again added an extra £180 (listed as "the initial charge for todays visit") making the outstanding debt £1229.83
Due to a recent change in circumstance I am now able to face and pay off the debt, although can only realistically pay it off in installments over an extended period of 12 months (10 if the amount returns to the original debt of £1049.83). Now here's the bit that I need help with the most. Yesterday I (now I understand) foolishly decided to call the bailiff back (after he'd left another voicemail) to explain to him that it was my intention to go to the council today with an offer of payment under the terms that I can afford (I work part time and £100 a month really is the upper limit that I can afford). The bailiff was pretty blunt about what he thought of that informing me that "I'm telling you now they will not take the debt back!" he then went on to tell me that the only way that I could stop the process of goods being seized would be to make a payment of half the outstanding debt (£664) that day and then he may be able to set up an installment plan for the rest over a period of 3/4 months.
There's no way on earth that I can raise the cash for an initial payment that high (or anywhere close) so I essentially fobbed him off by saying that I would have to see if I could borrow funds. he said he'd give me until 6pm (it was 2pm at the time of this conversation) and would call back. When he called back I told him that I was still trying to see if I could raise the funds through family (I wouldn't be drawn into giving further details) but would also be contacting the council in the morning regardless to his assertion that it was beyond them being able to get involved ("It's gone too far" to paraphrase)
He then (possibly because I wasn't crumbling and clamouring to give him my card details) said he'd give me a days grace and remove the £180 addtional charge should I be able to secure the funds for the initial payment of half the debt.
So, obviously without having been to the council yet, I don't know if this guy was talking out of his rear end as regards to whether they would involve themselves in a reasonable repayment structure...I'll find that out in a few hours time. What I really need to know is, if the council do assert that the debt is now soley in the hands of B&S what rights do I have regarding expecting them to accept a reasonable request to pay the debt in full by affordable installments?
Also, should I have to deal with the Bailiff direct? (by this I mean the man with a van and a penchant for potentially misleading 'advice' and an ad hock approach to repayment structure!) or is it reasonable to expect B&S to deal with me through their offices rather than this dubious fellow?
Finally, are the £180 charges that they seem to randomly add and remove from the balance of the debt legal?
Some words of advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.
ps. apologies for typos or poor grammar, it's nearly 5am and I haven't slept.
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