Help with Rundles bailiffs and the council

[coldblooded]

Hi guys,

Was wondering if someone can help me please.

We had a letter from the courts stating we had to attend due to unpaid council tax and then a liability order was granted against us, we then spoke to the council and they where meant to send out a form so we could do a payment plan with them (they never sent this despite numerous phone calls asking for this to be sent out and then being told it had been, we also never received the liability order that was apparently sent to our address i only found out that one was obtained by speaking to the council).

I then phoned the council for an update, they then told me it had been passed to the bailiffs and then I phoned the bailiffs and they told me it had been passed back to the council (AND the debt wasn't even in my name but someone who used to live here with my details *all very confusing*). Then 3 months after that we had a letter from Rundles bailiffs, no date put on it just a 'hand delivered' letter stating that they called on that day (again no date) and would be calling back to remove our goods (no one called as my partner is home all day so would have heard). I then phoned the bailiffs and asked why I had the letter and they then informed me of unpaid council tax from a period when we where on benefits and getting the WHOLE of our council tax paid until March 2013.

After lots of phone calls to and from the bailiffs/council and CAB office I was informed to send a letter stating I refuse to let the bailiffs enter my home which I did do and then sent another one offering a payment plan and send a token payment of £5 which WAS accepted by them online (AND the council had also accepted an £80 token payment made by my brother). I then had an email back asking me to phone the bailiffs office which I did and then they point blank refused any payment plan and where very rude, a college of mine at work then spoke to them and stated a lot of legal stuff (she previously dealt with debt issues in her previous job so knew what she was talking about) and they again refused to take any payment plan and told us that it would be handed back to the council. About 2 weeks later we got a letter stating that within 48 hours of the dated letter they would be coming to our home to remove our goods, of course no one showed and then yesterday we got another letter stating that someone will be coming to remove good REGARDLESS of whether we are home or not, and if they cannot get the money needed from the goods then the account would be handed back to the council. I then spoke to the bailiffs stating we where told it was being handed back and well to be honest I have never in my life spoken to someone as rude as this lady was to myself.

Where do I go from here? In total the council have had £85 token payment from ourselves to pay this off and I will be directly paying £20 a month to the council until I can afford more.

My partner has become very ill with all of this stress and has actually had to go onto very strong antidepressants and I myself have been suffering panic attacks and mild depression and am also on antidepressants, their bully tactics are disgusting.

[bizzybob]

Re: Help with Rundles bailiffs and the council

Ask the council how many liability orders they have obtained for the address IN YOUR NAME
When they were obrtained
How much they are for

Also indicate that you may be vulnerable under the National Standards, due to your wife being on antidepressants, who along with yourself also on antidepressants is clinically depressed, send them evidence of this. and copy evidence of vulnerability to Bungles & co.

[labman]

Re: Help with Rundles bailiffs and the council

I then phoned the council for an update, they then told me it had been passed to the bailiffs and then I phoned the bailiffs and they told me it had been passed back to the council (AND the debt wasn't even in my name but someone who used to live here with my details *all very confusing*).

Hi,

Please could you clarify the bit in blue for me - if the debt was not in your name, I don't see why you should pay it.

Similar advice to Bizzybob - phone the council and find ask:

1. How many Liability Orders they have against you?
2. The dates they were obtained?
3. The addresses they were for?
4. The period of time each covers?
5. How much each one was for?
6. How much is still outstanding?
7. The dates they were passed on for enforcement?

Bizzybob's advice re vulnerability is spot on, though obviously you'll need to tell them this over the phone and say you're willing to provide proof (ensure you have proof). Make sure they answer all the questions.

They will probably try to tell you have to deal with the bailiffs - this is not true, so please be polite, but firm and don't be fobbed off with this.

[CleverClogs]

Re: Help with Rundles bailiffs and the council

I am sure that with this sorry saga of maladministration and the abusive threats uttered by the bailiffs, the Local Government Ombudsperson would utterly condemn that council.

[bizzybob]

Re: Help with Rundles bailiffs and the council

I am sure that with this sorry saga of maladministration and the abusive threats uttered by the bailiffs, the Local Government Ombudsperson would utterly condemn that council.

Attempting to extract payment for someone elses debt, and sending in their semi trained pitbulls from Bumbles & Co, means the Local Government Ombudsman will give them a severe tolchock to the yarbles.
f Bumbl;es bailiff turns up tell him you are NOT THE NAMED DEBTOR you are vulnerable have already informed the council and his office of this, so he has no right to be on or near your premises and film the sorry visit even using a mobile phone, to record any threats and mutterings about locksmiths, prison etc, for a debt that isn't yours. That will come in handy for any complaint made to council, and ultimately the Ombudsman.

[coldblooded]

Re: Help with Rundles bailiffs and the council

Thanks for the replies, The council have 1 liability order against me for the sum of £1206 this was obtained in December. What proof would they need to see about antidepressants? would a letter from the doctor be ok? That is what I cannot understand and what noone will tell me, why was I told the debt was not in my name and why was I told that it has been returned to the council twice now! Not one of them can answer it for me.

I'm guessing Rundles have no actual power over the property? the fact is that we rent from my partners mum (again Rundles are aware of this) and they are still trying to state they will 'collect goods regardless if we are there' despite also being told that none of the goods in our home belong to us as this is a fully furnish rent.

Its just very worrying as I have never been in any kind of debt like this before and neither the council nor bailiffs are any help what so ever and to keep threatening with entering my property even after being refused via phone and email 3 times, then to say they will take the goods regardless if we are present (as far as I am aware is an illegal action of the bailiff as this would mean breaking and entering as they have never obtained access to the house).

Do I make a complaint directly to the council about their bailiffs? can I say to the council due to the threatening behaviour that we now refuse to deal and have any communication with the bailiffs? sorry guys I know I'm asking a lot of questions but I've never really dealt with anything like this before!!

[bizzybob]

Re: Help with Rundles bailiffs and the council

Send a letter from doctor to ground the vulnerability, a copy of the tenancy agreement showing the let is furnished, also copy this to Bumbles & Co; and send a Formal complaint to head of revenues, and the Council CEO, the elected leader and your MP. indicate that as this is prima facie maladministration, you will be progressing this complaint to the Local government ombudsman in the fullness of time. In order to show good faith offer a sum you can reasonably afford to pay regularly, and make a payment on account using the online system printing off any receipt.

[coldblooded]

Re: Help with Rundles bailiffs and the council

Send a letter from doctor to ground the vulnerability, a copy of the tenancy agreement showing the let is furnished, also copy this to Bumbles & Co; and send a Formal complaint to head of revenues, and the Council CEO, the elected leader and your MP. indicate that as this is prima facie maladministration, you will be progressing this complaint to the Local government ombudsman in the fullness of time. In order to show good faith offer a sum you can reasonably afford to pay regularly, and make a payment on account using the online system printing off any receipt.

Thank you Bizzy bob I will call my doctors today and ask them to send out a letter! are there any letter templates on here? as I am no good at writing letters such like this. Thank you for your help!

[bizzybob]

Re: Help with Rundles bailiffs and the council

Thank you Bizzy bob I will call my doctors today and ask them to send out a letter! are there any letter templates on here? as I am no good at writing letters such like this. Thank you for your help!

Check the letter templates here:
http://legalbeagles.info/useful-letters/

[CleverClogs]

Re: Help with Rundles bailiffs and the council

Send a letter from doctor to ground the vulnerability, a copy of the tenancy agreement showing the let is furnished, also copy this to Bumbles & Co; and send a Formal complaint to head of revenues, and the Council CEO, the elected leader and your MP. indicate that as this is prima facie maladministration, you will be progressing this complaint to the Local government ombudsman in the fullness of time.

As the Piddles bailiffs know that none of the goods and chattels in the property belongs to the debtor(s), one might wonder if their repeated threats to remove goods and chattels (using a locksmith if necessary) could be considered to be evidence of a criminal conspiracy. Giving them a sworn Statutory Declaration that the residents at the property own none of the goods and chattels therein should leave Piddles in no doubt whatever.

Writing to the elected Fuhrer of the council might be less effective if s/he thinks it can safely be ignored; I would suggest writing to the elected leader and to the leader of the opposition group(s) or the Official Resistance, as appropriate.

[CleverClogs]

Re: Help with Rundles bailiffs and the council

yesterday we got another letter stating that someone will be coming to remove good REGARDLESS of whether we are home or not,

Can you scan (or photograph) and post that singularly foolish letter?

[bizzybob]

Re: Help with Rundles bailiffs and the council

Can you scan (or photograph) and post that singularly foolish letter?

Please do scan and post as per CleverClogs, are they intent on impounding a doormat one wonders?

[bluebottle]

Re: Help with Rundles bailiffs and the council

From what I have read, it is clearly evident the local authority involved have gone to court, mislead the court into granting them a Liability Order and then proceeded to harass you for money you clearly do not owe. As for CAB telling you to pay, someone at the CAB you went to needs a good hard kick up the backside.

This is a clear case for a Regulation 46 complaint to the magistrates to have the local authority and Rundles stopped.