Equita removal notice 24 hours to pay

[sjwilliams82]

Hi we have been disputing a debt to the council tax that has been over 7 years old and we only knew about it at the beginning of this year by letters of notice from Equita despite me trying to contact said bailiff I got no reply I also contacted sheffield city council and spoke to someone there who said he did not believe me that I was unaware of this debt so I asked him to post me proof even though the 2 more properties I lived at I paid my council tax and my name was on the council tax giro slip so why didnt they contact me there with this supposed debt in the end I got very worried as I have 2 young children and the thought of a bailiff entering my house taking their things would kill me so I arranged to pay 35 pound a month even though tbh we couldnt afford so I have paid a total of 110 pounds to them and my husband got made redundant 2 months ago and we have to fight for all the pennies we can get and now we have received a very abrupt removal notice from Equita saying if we do not pay in full in 24 hours they will gain access to our property even if we are not there what do i do now we cant afford a penny to them please help

[sjwilliams82]

Re: Equita removal notice 24 hours to pay

please help as I have tried to contact the bailiff but its going straight to voicemail Im so worried and scared that my children will not have anything left please please help

[Caspar]

Re: Equita removal notice 24 hours to pay

Have the bailiffs ever visited you at your current property?

Do you acknowledge this money is genuinely owed or do you dispute it?

What exactly has happened in the 10 months you've been disputing it? I can see you've paid the equivalent of £11 per month to it (£110 in total) - was this paid monthly, as a lump sum? When?

If you can give us more detail we are better placed to help you.

Meanwhile have a read of the Bailiffs Guide - click bailiff tab at top of page and scroll down to it.

[sjwilliams82]

Re: Equita removal notice 24 hours to pay

I want to pay this debt I really do but I cant produce the money we only paid the debt for 4 months until my husband got made redundant. they sent notices of intent to remove goods the whole time we were paying which when i contacted their office they said they could do that but as long as im paying my arrangement no action would be taken. since my husband being made redundant we have buried our heads in the sand very stupidly and we are only paying our utilities atm as thats all we can afford to do. yesterday a letter was 'hand delivered' by bailiff we werent in at the time and found it on our doorstep it says we have to pay in full within 24 hours otherwise they can gain rights to our property even if we are not present
I have been able to contact the said bailiff by text message and he says he would contact me monday to discuss matters further and i replied saying I would like to sort something asap as I was very worried and scared he then replied by saying stop worrying and enjoy your weekend?!??!?!?! was that meant to cheer me up or to be sarcastic I just want this sorting and I really cant see no end in sight :tinysmile_cry_t:

[Mrs James]

Re: Equita removal notice 24 hours to pay

Hi sj

First thing you need to do is take deep breath and calm yourself. With the help of people on here you'll be able to take control of the situation, it can be sorted, so try not to worry.

With regard to the Bailiff coming in and taking your children's things, they are not allowed to do that by law. So don't worry about that.

Have a read of the Bailiff Guide that Caspar suggested too.

[Caspar]

Re: Equita removal notice 24 hours to pay

What they can do (with correct permission from the courts) and what they will do are two different things. Forcing entry is always seen as last resort.

[sjwilliams82]

Re: Equita removal notice 24 hours to pay

so do you think we will be ok and allowed to pay what we can to clear this debt? my husband is trying his hardest to get a new job he's out everyday handing out cv's but we need a job with a certain amount of income to live and pay of debts :/

[Mrs James]

Re: Equita removal notice 24 hours to pay

Have the Council provided proof that you actually owe this debt as you asked them to?

Also, you need to make sure the amount you are paying to clear the debt, if indeed you do owe it, is allocated to the correct year.

[sjwilliams82]

Re: Equita removal notice 24 hours to pay

to be honest I just want to clear the debt I hate just scraping by and I want my children to grow up without knowing anything about these debts and bailiffs i'm all out of 'fight' I just want it sorting out once and for all

[Mrs James]

Re: Equita removal notice 24 hours to pay

to be honest I just want to clear the debt I hate just scraping by and I want my children to grow up without knowing anything about these debts and bailiffs i'm all out of 'fight' I just want it sorting out once and for all

Yes, I can understand you feeling like that. The first thing you need to establish is if you do indeed owe this debt. So as you've already asked the council for proof, I would chase this up. If you do owe it, then you need to start paying regular payments of an affordable amount to you to the council direct, making sure it's allocated to the correct year.

As far as the Bailiffs are concerned, as long as you don't allow them entry to your house, there is nothing they can do. You don't have to speak with them in any way. You could if you wanted, write to them and inform them that you will not be communicating further with them as you are dealing directly with the council.

If you have a car, I would move it away from your property, just to be on the safe side, as they could try and levy on this if they can't get into your house.


How many times have Equita visited your home?

[charitynjw]

Re: Equita removal notice 24 hours to pay

I'm not in any way an expert on these matters, so can I ask the more knowledgable folks whether this is a suitable case for an N245/EX160?

Or if completely disputed, an N244?

[Caspar]

Re: Equita removal notice 24 hours to pay

I asked in post 3 if the OP acknowledged the debt, and got the reply I want to pay it, which I took to mean they do acknowledge it.

It would be helpful if the OP answered some of the questions that have been asked from that post onwards.

[ploddertom]

Re: Equita removal notice 24 hours to pay

I'm not in any way an expert on these matters, so can I ask the more knowledgable folks whether this is a suitable case for an N245/EX160?

Or if completely disputed, an N244?

No, they are for disputing CCJ's etc.

PT

[ploddertom]

Re: Equita removal notice 24 hours to pay

Hi we have been disputing a debt to the council tax that has been over 7 years old and we only knew about it at the beginning of this year by letters of notice from Equita despite me trying to contact said bailiff I got no reply I also contacted sheffield city council and spoke to someone there who said he did not believe me that I was unaware of this debt so I asked him to post me proof even though the 2 more properties I lived at I paid my council tax and my name was on the council tax giro slip so why didnt they contact me there with this supposed debt in the end I got very worried as I have 2 young children and the thought of a bailiff entering my house taking their things would kill me so I arranged to pay 35 pound a month even though tbh we couldnt afford so I have paid a total of 110 pounds to them and my husband got made redundant 2 months ago and we have to fight for all the pennies we can get and now we have received a very abrupt removal notice from Equita saying if we do not pay in full in 24 hours they will gain access to our property even if we are not there what do i do now we cant afford a penny to them please help

I note you say this has been going on for a debt that is over 7 years old. You need to contact the Council and ask:
1 - when the Liability Order was obtained
2 - the period of time it covers
3 - how much it was for
4 - how much is still outstanding

Is there a possibility you moved at the time this LO was granted and it overlaps with a period of time you were not resident at that address? Please also note that Capita appear to run most of the back office functions at Sheffield inc Revenues, this means the majority of the time when you speak to the Council you are in fact dealing with an employee of a private company. Capita also own a Bailiff company called Equita so it is no surprise at the responses you have had so far.

The Bailiff can be beaten just by denying him access to your home or otherwise obtaining a levy on any external goods - most notably a car, this should be ay. parked well away. He will threaten, intimidate, bully, lie, cajole etc - he is incapable of treating you fairly. If he has never been in your home then he has no right to threaten to force entry as this will never happen. In the meantime you should ensure your doors are kept locked at all times and your windows firmly closed.

If he does call then speak to him through the letterbox or an upstairs window and try to record the conversation, unless absolutely necessary don't ring him as these people have very selective memories when it comes to recall. If you do have to pay then you can pay the Council direct using online banking, council website or automated phone line - I note Sheffield also offer BillPay as well, just make sure you use the correct Reference number. You may have to allow for some legitimate Bailiff Fees.

PT

[Amy]

Re: Equita removal notice 24 hours to pay

In the first instance, you need to read my guide Bailiff Guide - Legal Beagles Consumer Forum