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Hi
I wonder if you can help me please? I'm a recovering alcoholic who is 27 months dry & also suffer with long term depression & anxiety which in the eyes of the medical profession & the law class me as a vulnerable person because of my health problems coupled with the fact that today is the second anniversiary since I lost my father which has being playing on my mind for some time. At about 8.55am on 2nd April 2013 I received a phone call whilst I was at work a rude, aggressive gentleman by the name of Mr Cox - a Marston Group bailiff saying he was parked outside my flat & had a distress warrant in my name & demanding full payment of a debt of £868 or for goods to be removed from my property to that value for an outstanding magistrates fine. I told him I did not have that sort of money to pay the debt in full & he then said to phone around & ask friends or relatives if they could help me as he wanted the matter resolved by the end of the day.
From 9.30am onwards he made numerous phone calls to myself demanding the money & harassing, threatening, intimidating, bullying & lying to me. A friend of mine spoke to him to see if he could help me but Mr Cox was not interested. The final straw came about 10.45am when Mr Cox phoned yet again stating that my friend was not going to pay & made out that I had no intention of paying & was going round to my property in the next 10 - 15 mins to execute the warrant & break in & seize goods as payment. I had no option but to come rushing home from work to put a stop to any action taking place. When I got home there was no sign of any one hanging around my property or trying to make entry - it was all a big, blatant lie.
I tried speaking to Marston staff on the phone during the day who were also rude & abrupt & didn't seem to care less & made the same demands as Mr Cox - payment in full or removal of goods. I also spoke to numerous debt charities who advised me on how to deal with the situation. I text Mr Cox later that evening & clearly stated my health condition to him & that the way he in which he behaved during that day had made me feel quite ill. If he'd followed the enforcement officer's guide lines as issued by the government last year he would have backed off there & then & referred it to the Marston vulnerable customer team. He continued the next morning by phoning me once again the next morning at 7.20am & stated that he was willing to give me more time to pay the debt & would give me until the following Wednesday (10th April 2013) to raise the funds even though he'd clearly stated the day before he wanted every tied-up then - even more lies & intimidation.
Over the next week the worry & anxiety got really bad & it was only with the support of my alcohol counselling centre & the Step Change debt charity that got me through. I then discovered information on DealingWithBailiffs that clearly stated any one with mental health issuess is classed as vulnerable. I emailed Marston numerous times stating this with no reply & called them to state this with the same response of "payment in full or removal of goods" yet again. Then comes the day of payment arrives - the 10th April, my anxiety really took a hold of me & I started to have serious panic attacks - the first of which was that severe I had to call 999 for an ambulance for myself as my breathing & shaking were completely out of control. I was treated by a paramedic in my own home who spent a good hour or so tending to me to make sure I was ok before he left.
I also blocked Mr Cox's mobile number on my mobile as the the sound of his voice alone put the fear of god into me alone. I had yet another further panic attack that day along with another two the day after on the Thursday. Then after a long, in-depth emotional conversation with my counsellor I finally got him to speak on my behalf to Marston & Mr Cox & finally get them off my case & understand my health problems & deal with the the situation in a non-confrontational manner from there on after submitting the details in writing to them from my doctor. The matter is now being handled by their vulnerable customer team & a formal complaint has also being lodged regarding the matter in which I was treat.
Would I have grounds to make a claim for compensation against Marston after the distress & effects it caused to my health & how would I go about making such a claim please?
I wonder if you can help me please? I'm a recovering alcoholic who is 27 months dry & also suffer with long term depression & anxiety which in the eyes of the medical profession & the law class me as a vulnerable person because of my health problems coupled with the fact that today is the second anniversiary since I lost my father which has being playing on my mind for some time. At about 8.55am on 2nd April 2013 I received a phone call whilst I was at work a rude, aggressive gentleman by the name of Mr Cox - a Marston Group bailiff saying he was parked outside my flat & had a distress warrant in my name & demanding full payment of a debt of £868 or for goods to be removed from my property to that value for an outstanding magistrates fine. I told him I did not have that sort of money to pay the debt in full & he then said to phone around & ask friends or relatives if they could help me as he wanted the matter resolved by the end of the day.
From 9.30am onwards he made numerous phone calls to myself demanding the money & harassing, threatening, intimidating, bullying & lying to me. A friend of mine spoke to him to see if he could help me but Mr Cox was not interested. The final straw came about 10.45am when Mr Cox phoned yet again stating that my friend was not going to pay & made out that I had no intention of paying & was going round to my property in the next 10 - 15 mins to execute the warrant & break in & seize goods as payment. I had no option but to come rushing home from work to put a stop to any action taking place. When I got home there was no sign of any one hanging around my property or trying to make entry - it was all a big, blatant lie.
I tried speaking to Marston staff on the phone during the day who were also rude & abrupt & didn't seem to care less & made the same demands as Mr Cox - payment in full or removal of goods. I also spoke to numerous debt charities who advised me on how to deal with the situation. I text Mr Cox later that evening & clearly stated my health condition to him & that the way he in which he behaved during that day had made me feel quite ill. If he'd followed the enforcement officer's guide lines as issued by the government last year he would have backed off there & then & referred it to the Marston vulnerable customer team. He continued the next morning by phoning me once again the next morning at 7.20am & stated that he was willing to give me more time to pay the debt & would give me until the following Wednesday (10th April 2013) to raise the funds even though he'd clearly stated the day before he wanted every tied-up then - even more lies & intimidation.
Over the next week the worry & anxiety got really bad & it was only with the support of my alcohol counselling centre & the Step Change debt charity that got me through. I then discovered information on DealingWithBailiffs that clearly stated any one with mental health issuess is classed as vulnerable. I emailed Marston numerous times stating this with no reply & called them to state this with the same response of "payment in full or removal of goods" yet again. Then comes the day of payment arrives - the 10th April, my anxiety really took a hold of me & I started to have serious panic attacks - the first of which was that severe I had to call 999 for an ambulance for myself as my breathing & shaking were completely out of control. I was treated by a paramedic in my own home who spent a good hour or so tending to me to make sure I was ok before he left.
I also blocked Mr Cox's mobile number on my mobile as the the sound of his voice alone put the fear of god into me alone. I had yet another further panic attack that day along with another two the day after on the Thursday. Then after a long, in-depth emotional conversation with my counsellor I finally got him to speak on my behalf to Marston & Mr Cox & finally get them off my case & understand my health problems & deal with the the situation in a non-confrontational manner from there on after submitting the details in writing to them from my doctor. The matter is now being handled by their vulnerable customer team & a formal complaint has also being lodged regarding the matter in which I was treat.
Would I have grounds to make a claim for compensation against Marston after the distress & effects it caused to my health & how would I go about making such a claim please?
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