CSA Bailiffs, what can they take?

[dollface]

We have been fighting the CSA on what they say we owe as to cut a long story short the mother lied about pretty much everything and now the CSA are wanting double of what my partner actually owes. It's been going on for nearly 4 years now and everytime we thought we were getting somewhere they screwed us over and we had to start all over again.

Now they have sent in the bailiffs even though we offered to start paying. I do not work and my partner is a self employed taxi driver parttime. The bailiff saw when he was here that my partner has nothing of value to take so the bailiff said if we can come up with 1 grand in the next 2 weeks he wont take my partners driving lisence.

Obviously taking the license renders my partner instantly out of work, we have one child and another due in 12 weeks. Can the bailiff do this? We gave him £100 the day he turned up. He is due back here friday and by then we may be able to get £500 at a push but no chance of getting a grand.

I am petrified he is going to take his lisense anyway and then we have nothing literally.

[TUTTSI]

Re: CSA Bailiffs, what can they take?

First thing is DO NOT PANIC

Read our Bailiff section http://www.legalbeagles.info/forums/...Bailiff-Issues where you will find a lot of useful information especially in all the stickies. Have a good read and if you have any queries please come back and ask questions.

I very much doubt that they can take your partners driving licence as he needs that for his job and they are not allowed to take any tools of the trade. I believe it was a scare tactic only.

Did you let the Bailiff in?

If you had an arrangement with the council was this in writing when they agreed it? then they will have to call the bailiff off and deal with the arrangement.

Someone more knowledgable will be along to help you further but in the mean time have a good read and don't worry.

[wahoo_thomas]

Re: CSA Bailiffs, what can they take?

Just to put you at rest ,I have had a lot of dealings with the CSA I am by the sound of it in the same situation as your partner ,ex lied saying I had not paid etc.The CSA nor the Bailiffs have the right to revoke a driving licence.

However the CSA can apply to a court to have his licence suspended.They will only do this as a last resort and by the sounds of it if you are disputing what they say they will not go down that route.

I suggest contacting their legal department and getting all action stopped.Then send them any information you have regarding payments made .If you have like I did records of what was paid etc they soon change their tune.If you do not have the contact details I can message them to you when I am at home.

The Bailiff can only return the Debt to the CSA he is as typical a liar.Get in contact with the CSA straight away and get the Bailiff action stopped.

Jim

[labman]

Re: CSA Bailiffs, what can they take?

I can answer this in more detail, but am in a rush at the moment. If I forget to post again, pm me this evening and I'll post a comprehensive reply.

[dollface]

Re: CSA Bailiffs, what can they take?

Thanks for the replies guys. My other half has been to the CAB this morning to see what they say. They say he can not take the lisence and it was basically a scare tactic. Because we have made a payment it shows willing therefore he can not really do anything apart from report it back to the CSA.

They say even though we let him in when we made that last payment, because he did not make a list of items possible to take he CAN NOT now break in. We do not have to even be here tomorrow when he arrives and do not have to give him the 1 grand.

The CAB want us to take all letters from him and any we have from the CSA down to them and they are going to deal with the CSA for us as they can not believe what they have done to us. All we have to do is start making the £75 a month payment which the court ordered last time, which was only stopped because my partner lost his job at the time and he informed CSA of this who did not care and once he was working again they wanted MORE money than the courts had ordered. We could not afford this... and this is how all this came about.

sorry for the long post lol

[labman]

Re: CSA Bailiffs, what can they take?

These are the main pieces of legislation governing this:

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/...dule/1/enacted

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1.../contents/made

This will tell you whether or not they can suspend your driving licence. As it is a tool of your trade, I would doubt they can take away your livelihood.

Did the bailiff actually gain entry to your property? Did they levy on anything - it sounds from what you say there was nothing of worth on which to levy.

They are able to accept sensible payment arrangements, so it would be worth trying to negotiate a repayment plan that you can afford - it needs to be done on your terms, not his as you still have to live. They will take what they can get through trying to strike fear into you through their bullying tactics. Please don't succumb to these.

The bailiffs primary aim is to get full payment of arrears, or failing that, a payment arrangement whereby they would visit you regularly to collect payments. They normally aim to clear arrears over a 13 week period. If they cannot agree a sensible repayment agreement with you within the 13 weeks, they have to return it to the CSA. They've already established a levy is not an option from what you say, so they will now be using threats to try to get whatever they can.

Remember that even though you've paid £100, the bailiff will take his fees before passing any of this on to the CSA. Your best bet is to try to agree a repayment arrangement. I'd be inclined to try again with the CSA direct and get an account number to pay money into. This bypasses the bailiff, and you're paying at a rate you can afford. If they refuse point blank to do this, you should pay the bailiff only what you can afford to maintain on a regular basis, bearing in mind you have to live, and if the bailiff refuses this (they will to start with, but stick to your guns and only pay what you can afford) then we'll deal with that when / if it happens.

[dollface]

Re: CSA Bailiffs, what can they take?

They did come in but only into the front room, they did not levvie on anything at all. The CAB say because of this they can not now break in.


ps, i could not find anything in the links you gave me about driving lisences.

[labman]

Re: CSA Bailiffs, what can they take?

If they know there's nothing of value on which to levy, why would they want to break in?

[dollface]

Re: CSA Bailiffs, what can they take?

Because he never got to look around the rest of the house, and because they are ********s. :tung:

[dollface]

Re: CSA Bailiffs, what can they take?

UPDATE

Just to let you know, the bailiff came on friday as stated and my partner stopped him at the door and kept him outside. He told him he had taken CAB advice and also legal advice (white lie lol) and that we had been told not to deal with the bailiff what so ever, and that we do not have to give him the money. Also informed him he has no right what so ever to suspend my partners driving lisence like he said he was going too... he then changed his story saying he never said he would in the first place (lie) and that it is only the CSA who can apply to take your lisence as a last resort if you do not show willingness to pay (which we have).

Basically, at the end of the conversation he looked very embaressed. He told my partner that the CSA will not deal with the CAB (the CAB are dealing with the CSA for us)and that we would eventually lose the driving lisence. Again he was told he was wrong and he left looking very red faced.

We now have to write to CSA and tell them our intentions of paying £75 a month towards arrears and another £25 on top so £100 altogether. ther than that the CAB will deal with them. Yay to the CAB