Rossendales Baillifs - Final notice through letterbox !!

[dazlia]

Hi folks, need some advice.

I've had rossendales chasing me for £1900 council tax. They visited about 2 months ago and put somethign through my door so me being me I called them. They sent me some Income and Expenditure forms outand basically after all my ourgoings at present I have very little left. So, I offered to pay £50 a month (2 or 3 months ago) rising to £100 per month (which i cant really afford). They sent me a letter back saying that they would accept nothing less than £250 per month so I tried to sort it out and was told there was nothing they could do. I then phoned Rossendales and was told it had been passed to MR Carlisle (the bailiff) and I had to communicate witht hem directly.

They gave me his number on 2 different occasions and I tried to call this guy but phone was unobtainable. Tonight I have come home and phoned a letter saying "FINAL NOTICE" - "Magistrates Liability Order / Warrant of Execution dated 3/10/2011"

"BALANCE DUE IN FULL - 24 HOURS "£1798.76 Inclusive of costs"

"I MUST NOW GIVE YOU 24 STATUTORY NOTICE OF MY INTENTION TO RECALL AND REMOVE YOUR EFFECTS, SUFFICIENT TO SATISFY THE DEBT AND COSTS"

I have tried to call the guy on the mobile number given on the bottom of the sheet as soon as i got home tongiht and found the letter but there was no reply so ive left him a voicemail

What i'd really like to know for now is where i stand please? Can they force entry into my home? Or can they only gain access if i let them in or leave a window open etc?

I'm so sick of these muppets and having to leave my curtains drawn all day and night and living in fear of these people! It's not like i havent tried to sort it out but they are just playing stupid games and demanding money i simply havent got.

Any advice on what to do would be REALLY appreciate as I only have 24 hours apparently!

Thanks in advance folks

P.S It may also be worth mentioning that i DID phone the council once they asked me for £250 per month and I was told that I needed to deal with the baillifs/rossendales directly. I asked them if they were refusing to take a payment and she said "no we aren't but the debt stays with them". Naturally, with the prospect of someone turning up and removing my goods I haven't made a payment as I could do that and they could end up still chasing me. The bailiff hasnt been in my house and I have no intention of letting him in either for that matter if i can avoid it! HELP!

[ploddertom]

Re: Rossendales Baillifs - Final notice through letterbox !!

The phrase " can't get blood out of a stone" applies. How on earth to they expect you to pasy something you plainly cannot afford - that is because they that and can then engineer themselves a default in payments meaning they can start to add fees very akin to telephone numbers. Of course the problem with that is because they need a levy on your goods first.

In a nutshell deny them entry to your home - they cannot force entry. They may be able to levy on goods outside - usually a car - and aren't too fussy who it actually belongs to. Best bet is just to pay the Council direct via online banking, Council website or automated phone. No need to inform them as they will soon see it coming through. You must if doing this do it regularly - £10 every Thursday for example. Once the Bailiff realises he is gettin nowhere he will move to pastures new.

[labman]

Re: Rossendales Baillifs - Final notice through letterbox !!

......... and when he moves on, the council will have to take the debt back. We may be able to help get it back to them a little sooner though.

[dazlia]

Re: Rossendales Baillifs - Final notice through letterbox !!

Thanks Plddertom, Thanks Labman, much appreciated

Just couple more questions if you dont mind. When Bailifs talk about getting a court warrant.......whats the point? If a bailiff cant 'force' entry into your home WITH or WITHOUT a court warrant for council tax then what extra powers do that peice of paper from the court make?

When you say......

"and can then engineer themselves a default in payments meaning they can start to add fees very akin to telephone numbers. Of course the problem with that is because they need a levy on your goods first"

Do you mean that without gaining entry to your home they are unable to engineer payment defualts then?

Thanks again

[labman]

Re: Rossendales Baillifs - Final notice through letterbox !!

I'm not trying to avoid your questions, but they are irrelevant to your situation. By far the best thing you can do is what PTom suggested in the second paragraph of Post #2. As long as the bailiffs don't gain peaceful entry or a levy on anything outside, all they can do is return it to the council eventually.

If you pay the council what you can afford on a regular basis via one of the methods suggested, ideally same day every week so you build up a quick, reliable repayment history, then we can write and encourage the council to take it back.

The bailiffs will use every trick in the book to scare you into paying - don't fall into their trap.

[CleverClogs]

Re: Rossendales Baillifs - Final notice through letterbox !!

I only have 24 hours apparently!

Before you are executed?

Ignore their threats. Bailiffs tell lies and, besides, the HSE won't let them kill debtors.

[Inca]

Re: Rossendales Baillifs - Final notice through letterbox !!

Before you are executed?

Ignore their threats. Bailiffs tell lies and, besides, the HSE won't let them kill debtors.

I've been beheaded,hung, drawn, quartered and disembowelled more times than I care to count yet still I live to fight another day ..Bailiffs tell fibs dontcha know???

[CleverClogs]

Re: Rossendales Baillifs - Final notice through letterbox !!

"FINAL NOTICE" - "Magistrates Liability Order / Warrant of Execution dated 3/10/2011"

"BALANCE DUE IN FULL - 24 HOURS "£1798.76 Inclusive of costs"

Firstly, you need to telephone the council to find out:

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?