Council Tax Bailiffs

[bluebottle]

Re: Council Tax Bailiffs

Right well i did that got letter back on the 15th April, which read :

further to your correspondence in connection with the above ( council tax )
Having looked at the case I note that no times of visits have been logged, there have been numerous visits made by our external team ( the invisible men, no one has made any visits apart from the ones i have said namely 2 visits pluss todays to declamp ) in the attempted collection of the debts ( only one debt ). On each occasion, where no contact has been established, a letter would have been left ( must have been too heavy and fallen through the floor, No such letters have been left no letters = no visits ).
STATEMENT
Our Ref ########
Liability Order Date: 06.08.2012

Debt £189.16
Statutory Visit Fees £24.50
Levy Fee £ 29.00

TOTAL £242.66

Total Recieved £ 0.00

BALANCE £242.66

I can confirm that our Bailiff Mr Lee Dubois was certificated at Bromley County Court on 11th March 2013. Your file remains with Mr Lee Dubois who should be contacted on ###########. Your account may be subject to further costs.

and both the Final Notice 24hr demand and the Form 7 which i recieved yesterday state:

Amount Owing ( council Tax ) £189.16
Bailiff Costs £238.50
Total amount if paid today £427.66

Having paid Equita today i asked for a reciept and a breakdown of all costs.

Are you saying these numpties cannot quote times and dates of visits? If so, they cannot charge fees for those visits as they cannot substantiate them. Also, if a payment plan was in place, you were taking steps to clear the debt. By clamping, they have not given you a chance to pay. By clamping a third-party vehicle, they cannot charge ANY fees for that as the bailiff acted unlawfully. It is futile for Equita to say a letter would have been left. They have to PROVE a letter was left on each occasion.

The behaviour of Mr Lee Dubois raises questions as to the veracity and legality of his actions. It is not, IMHO, wise to lodge a Form 4 complaint against him, but it may be worth making representations to the Circuit or District Judge at Bromley County Court. However, wait and see what comes back from Equita first.

[bizzybob]

Re: Council Tax Bailiffs

Which is why a breakdown of the £238.50 is needed.

I believe it will be:

• £ 24.50 Visit fee
• £ 29.00 Levy fee (improper levy)
• £185.00 "Attendance to remove" fee (on the same day - 30/4/13 - as the improper levy?)

That is how I see it also CC Crapquita need a good kicking by an ombudsman followed by a hefty fine from HSE

Tell me you haven't paid the thief and fraudster Dubois JediMaster07, as it will be a pain in the peachy cheeks to get it back.

[bluebottle]

Re: Council Tax Bailiffs

That is how I see it also CC Crapquita need a good kicking by an ombudsman followed by a hefty fine from HSE

Tell me you haven't paid the thief and fraudster Dubois JediMaster07, as it will be a pain in the peachy cheeks to get it back.

Bailiff companies tend to do 11th Hour settlements when served with an N1 Claim, bb. They know they cannot afford to have a CCJ against their name and the same goes for bailiffs.

[bizzybob]

Re: Council Tax Bailiffs

As they have perverted Form 4 into litigation I'm sure crapita and equita or other bailiff firms may be bold enough to defend an N1 soon so arrogant have they become.

[JediMaster07]

Re: Council Tax Bailiffs

That is how I see it also CC Crapquita need a good kicking by an ombudsman followed by a hefty fine from HSE

Tell me you haven't paid the thief and fraudster Dubois JediMaster07, as it will be a pain in the peachy cheeks to get it back.

Um i didnt actually pay Mr Dubois i payed Equita over the phone and recorded the convo to make sure all monies are paid and their was nothing else outstanding.

And now i can go in for the kill and rip them to shreds

[JediMaster07]

Re: Council Tax Bailiffs

Which is why a breakdown of the £238.50 is needed.

I believe it will be:

• £ 24.50 Visit fee
• £ 29.00 Levy fee (improper levy)
• £185.00 "Attendance to remove" fee (on the same day - 30/4/13 - as the improper levy?)

Sorry: what is the attendance to remove fee, as the only attendance was when he had to come back with pork jack to declamp an illegal clamping, the same as the levy fee which to me is funny in itself as 2 or 3 weeks ago he tried charging me the same amount without levy on vehicle or goods, its only since going to the council last Wednesday and complaining about Mr Dubois and his so called levy fees that i think he decided to come round to get his full penniesworth back.

[ploddertom]

Re: Council Tax Bailiffs

Equita have form for not providing dates etc of visits and is about time they were taken to task over this. Personally I would drop everything back into the Council's lap and insist they therefore provide all the necessary information following the failure & obstruction of their contractor in doing so.

[bizzybob]

Re: Council Tax Bailiffs

Sorry: what is the attendance to remove fee, as the only attendance was when he had to come back with pork jack to declamp an illegal clamping, the same as the levy fee which to me is funny in itself as 2 or 3 weeks ago he tried charging me the same amount without levy on vehicle or goods, its only since going to the council last Wednesday and complaining about Mr Dubois and his so called levy fees that i think he decided to come round to get his full penniesworth back.

He can only charge an Attendance To remove fee after he has gained a valid levy, no payment has been made and he then returns with a suitable vehicle to remove the goods, so it cannot be applied at the first visit, something Equita ignore as they are getting into the habit of frontloading all the fees before they leave the office, as in on the first visit if he can't get a levy £24.50 is all he can get, on the second visit , again if no levy, £18.50 is all he can have for that visit giving a total of £42.50, if he calls a third time and can't get a levy he can charge nothing, a big fat zero, zilch. the bailiffs rely on debtors not knowing the rules so that they can be ripped off and shafted.

In your case, all the cupid stunt Dubois is entitled to is £24.50

[JediMaster07]

Re: Council Tax Bailiffs

He can only charge an Attendance To remove fee after he has gained a valid levy, no payment has been made and he then returns with a suitable vehicle to remove the goods, so it cannot be applied at the first visit, something Equita ignore as they are getting into the habit of frontloading all the fees before they leave the office, as in on the first visit if he can't get a levy £24.50 is all he can get, on the second visit , again if no levy, £18.50 is all he can have for that visit giving a total of £42.50, if he calls a third time and can't get a levy he can charge nothing, a big fat zero, zilch. the bailiffs rely on debtors not knowing the rules so that they can be ripped off and shafted.

In your case, all the cupid stunt Dubois is entitled to is £24.50

So the £238.50 that he is charging is complete and utter illegal days wage

[bluebottle]

Re: Council Tax Bailiffs

I'd be inclined to pass information about this to your local Trading Standards Department and Northamptonshire Trading Standards, who are currently investigating Equita over their fees.

[bizzybob]

Re: Council Tax Bailiffs

So the £238.50 that he is charging is complete and utter illegal days wage

the charges are spurious and unlawful, he can only lawfully have £24.50, do as bluebottle suggests report them to local Trading Standards, and Trading Standards in Northampton

[CleverClogs]

Re: Council Tax Bailiffs

So the £238.50 that he is charging is complete and utter illegal days wage

Yes.

The only way that bailiff companies can profit from Council Tax enforcement is by swindling the debtors.

[bizzybob]

Re: Council Tax Bailiffs

Yes.

The only way that bailiff companies can profit from Council Tax enforcement is by swindling the debtors.

And councils are not permitted to profit from enforcement, but they try to do so.the system stinks worse than a Camembert full of maggots.

[JediMaster07]

Re: Council Tax Bailiffs

I'd be inclined to pass information about this to your local Trading Standards Department and Northamptonshire Trading Standards, who are currently investigating Equita over their fees.

Yes thankyou will be going down every avenue possible, just gotta wait for the replies to come back and then go from there. Thankyou