Newlyn Bailiffs Council Tax - Paid half but can i still argue fees?

[flip2000b]

Hi Guys,

New here and would like some information if possible. Stupidly let my council tax get in arrears for my current address and it turns out I had some owed from a previous time I was living in the town. Then ignored the letter stuff that came through until all of a sudden I get a bailiff letter from Newlyns. I owe the council £512.46 but Newlyns are asking for £728.46. In a blind panic this morning I phoned Newlyns and paid half (all I could afford at the moment) and then decided to look around the internet and people seem to be saying that there fees are too high.

The letter I received from the bayliff had a random number plate on it regarding a levy (I don't drive!) so not sure what this was all about. My question is am I now screwed and liable for all of the payments to Newlyns as I have already paid half to them (I realise I should probably have contacted the council and paid them directly) or can I still argue that the fees are excessive and unjust?

Look forward to any help and replies.

Regards

[ploddertom]

Re: Newlyn Bailiffs Council Tax - Paid half but can i still argue fees?

You need to write to them to ask for a breakdown of the fees charged and advise them as you do not drive you do not own a car so therefore any Levy Fee and associated charges must be removed.

[flip2000b]

Re: Newlyn Bailiffs Council Tax - Paid half but can i still argue fees?

Hi,

Thanks for the quick reply.

Should I also contact the council to advise them that I have made a payment to Newlyn? Really annoyed at myself that I panicked and paid half to them straight away!

Thanks
Phil

[bizzybob]

Re: Newlyn Bailiffs Council Tax - Paid half but can i still argue fees?

You could ask the council for a complete breakdown of what you owe THEM, it will differ considerably from what Newlyn are after due to their unlawful third party levy on a car.

[ploddertom]

Re: Newlyn Bailiffs Council Tax - Paid half but can i still argue fees?

You need to speak to someone at the Council and ask the following questions:
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
8 - the dates & amounts of any payments

[ploddertom]

Re: Newlyn Bailiffs Council Tax - Paid half but can i still argue fees?

Letter 1 is what you need to get a breakdown of fees, availiable at http://www.legalbeagles.info/forums/...Useful-Letters

[ploddertom]

Re: Newlyn Bailiffs Council Tax - Paid half but can i still argue fees?

Hi,

Thanks for the quick reply.

Should I also contact the council to advise them that I have made a payment to Newlyn? Really annoyed at myself that I panicked and paid half to them straight away!

Thanks
Phil

Well have to say if you did and they have paid it over to them that you might be surprised how little they have received as the Bailiff is allowed to retain his fees first.

[flip2000b]

Re: Newlyn Bailiffs Council Tax - Paid half but can i still argue fees?

Thank you for the replies, will get those replies out.

One thing that I just forgot to add at the start, they actually had the wrong address for me! The place where the letter was served by the bailiff was my parents, which I have not been registered at for over a couple of years and the address that the council tax bill relates to is my current address where I am. When I contacted Newlyn they confirmed that they had my current address, which relates to the council tax debt, so does the fact that they served the letter to an incorrect address also change anything? I am only registered at my current address and cannot see why they had my parents old address for me and my wife!

Thanks again.

[bluebottle]

Re: Newlyn Bailiffs Council Tax - Paid half but can i still argue fees?

Work out what fees Newlyns are LAWFULLY entitled to charge and deduct from the total they are claiming. It is likely lawful AND unlawful fees have been deducted from any monies owed to the local authority, who are likely to be not best-pleased when it dawns on them that their contracted enforcement agent has not only attempted to rip you off, but them, too.

[CleverClogs]

Re: Newlyn Bailiffs Council Tax - Paid half but can i still argue fees?

Work out what fees Newlyns are LAWFULLY entitled to charge and deduct from the total they are claiming. It is likely lawful AND unlawful fees have been deducted from any monies owed to the local authority, who are likely to be not best-pleased when it dawns on them that their contracted enforcement agent has not only attempted to rip you off, but them, too.

If the council is anything like some of the others who have employed Newlyns, they'll not care in the least by how much the tax-payer is being cheated.

[bluebottle]

Re: Newlyn Bailiffs Council Tax - Paid half but can i still argue fees?

If the council is anything like some of the others who have employed Newlyns, they'll not care in the least by how much the tax-payer is being cheated.

Sounds like the OP needs to ask their MP to ask Eric Pickles to go along and sit on the burghers at the OP's local council.

Seriously, though, if Newlyns and the local authority are performing stitch-ups of CT debtors, then that is something DfCLG needs to know about. The OP's MP is the best route to Eric Pickles as it often stops civil servants intercepting letters addressed to Secretaries of State and Ministers.