Tweet
Help!! Collect Services want £407 for a PCN Reading Borough Council £90!!!
Sorry this is rather long but I wanted to accurately put the facts - Please help Bailiffs about to remove and dispose of my car - and I am a struggling single parent - Thank you I hope someone can advise me what to do - 1st time on here, posted yesterday to wrong Forum so hope someone on here can help me.
I received a PCN from Reading Borough Council dated 9 April 2014, which I appealed, then didn't acknowledge or reply but I then received a Charge Certificate dated 16 May 2014 showing Penalty charge £60 - Charge Certificate now £90 stating Failure to pay the balance within 14 days of date of notice will result in Council registering the debt at the County Court - a Warrant may then be issed to a certified Enforcement Agent to recover payment and you will also become liable for the additional fees of the County Court and the Enforcement Agent.
I contacted Reading Borough Council the standard Charge Certificate and informed them I was still awaiting a response to my appeal - they said they would look into it and notify me.
I heard nothing further so assumed my appeal was upheld until the 14 Oct 2014 an Enforcement Agent from Collect Services put an Enforcement Notice through my door whilst I was out to enforce the Warrant issed on the authority of the Traffic Enforcement Centre at the County Court Business Centre (which I have now found out is in Northampton!) in accordance with the Taking Control of your Goods and Removing them for Sale at Auction with Total Due of:
Compliance Stage Balance: £172.00
Enforcement Fee: £235.00
--------
Total Due: £407.00
Upon my return I immediately contacted Reading Borough Council to find out what was going on as I had heard nothing following my appeal I assumed it had been accepted and if they had written to say it was not upheld I would of paid the £97. I was informed there was nothing they could do or answer any questions and the matter was with Collect Services and I was to contact them for the Warrant to be returned. I have tried on numerous occasions to contact Collect Services, line rings, no one answers and then it cuts off and goes dead. I sent an email to them on 21 October 2014 explaining the details and my appeal, requested visits to my home cease and the matter returned to Reading Borough Council in order for me to make direct payment to them.
I received an immediate automated response to my email stating my email will be dealt with as soon as possible, and they aim to provide a response within 7 days of receipt. To date, now 3 weeks, I still have not received a response and assumed the Warrant had been returned.
Yesterday the same Enforcement Officer attended my home, I open the door and explained I was awaiting a response to my email from his company - which he acknowledged but still said I had to pay the amount of £407 or he would serve a Notice on me for the Control of Goods, namely my car parked on my drive - which he did but said he wouldn't clamp it so that I could drive it until he returned to remove it unless I paid the £407 in full.
I asked to see the County Court Warrant, he replied he doesn't carry it on him but would write me out a Warrant of Control, which he did but looks suspect to me, his name is not on it and neither is the name of Collect Services Ltd - it's a printed standard looking form which he filled in and states at the bottom 'Drawn upon the authority of: The Traffic Enforcement Centre, County Court Business Centre, with an address and telephone number in Northampton. I said I will now contact them directly ( but would like advice before doing so). He has written an Amount Due of £97 which states it includes Court Fee and any Adjudication Cost - which I think is £90 PCN + £7 Court Fee so how can they be claiming £407????
I also requested from him a breakdown of the charges that amount to £407 - he said he couldn't give it to me in writing but could verbally give me an idea - I said I wanted the breakdown in writing and if he couldn't give it to me to request it was sent to me and that I wasn't interested in discussing anything further, asked him to leave my property and said if he refused I would call the Police as he would be in breach of the peace.
He will return to take my car as he has listed it on an 'Inventory' document - I need to contact Northampton as above but not sure what to do next - please help???!!!! :tinysmile_cry_t:
I received a PCN from Reading Borough Council dated 9 April 2014, which I appealed, then didn't acknowledge or reply but I then received a Charge Certificate dated 16 May 2014 showing Penalty charge £60 - Charge Certificate now £90 stating Failure to pay the balance within 14 days of date of notice will result in Council registering the debt at the County Court - a Warrant may then be issed to a certified Enforcement Agent to recover payment and you will also become liable for the additional fees of the County Court and the Enforcement Agent.
I contacted Reading Borough Council the standard Charge Certificate and informed them I was still awaiting a response to my appeal - they said they would look into it and notify me.
I heard nothing further so assumed my appeal was upheld until the 14 Oct 2014 an Enforcement Agent from Collect Services put an Enforcement Notice through my door whilst I was out to enforce the Warrant issed on the authority of the Traffic Enforcement Centre at the County Court Business Centre (which I have now found out is in Northampton!) in accordance with the Taking Control of your Goods and Removing them for Sale at Auction with Total Due of:
Compliance Stage Balance: £172.00
Enforcement Fee: £235.00
--------
Total Due: £407.00
Upon my return I immediately contacted Reading Borough Council to find out what was going on as I had heard nothing following my appeal I assumed it had been accepted and if they had written to say it was not upheld I would of paid the £97. I was informed there was nothing they could do or answer any questions and the matter was with Collect Services and I was to contact them for the Warrant to be returned. I have tried on numerous occasions to contact Collect Services, line rings, no one answers and then it cuts off and goes dead. I sent an email to them on 21 October 2014 explaining the details and my appeal, requested visits to my home cease and the matter returned to Reading Borough Council in order for me to make direct payment to them.
I received an immediate automated response to my email stating my email will be dealt with as soon as possible, and they aim to provide a response within 7 days of receipt. To date, now 3 weeks, I still have not received a response and assumed the Warrant had been returned.
Yesterday the same Enforcement Officer attended my home, I open the door and explained I was awaiting a response to my email from his company - which he acknowledged but still said I had to pay the amount of £407 or he would serve a Notice on me for the Control of Goods, namely my car parked on my drive - which he did but said he wouldn't clamp it so that I could drive it until he returned to remove it unless I paid the £407 in full.
I asked to see the County Court Warrant, he replied he doesn't carry it on him but would write me out a Warrant of Control, which he did but looks suspect to me, his name is not on it and neither is the name of Collect Services Ltd - it's a printed standard looking form which he filled in and states at the bottom 'Drawn upon the authority of: The Traffic Enforcement Centre, County Court Business Centre, with an address and telephone number in Northampton. I said I will now contact them directly ( but would like advice before doing so). He has written an Amount Due of £97 which states it includes Court Fee and any Adjudication Cost - which I think is £90 PCN + £7 Court Fee so how can they be claiming £407????
I also requested from him a breakdown of the charges that amount to £407 - he said he couldn't give it to me in writing but could verbally give me an idea - I said I wanted the breakdown in writing and if he couldn't give it to me to request it was sent to me and that I wasn't interested in discussing anything further, asked him to leave my property and said if he refused I would call the Police as he would be in breach of the peace.
He will return to take my car as he has listed it on an 'Inventory' document - I need to contact Northampton as above but not sure what to do next - please help???!!!! :tinysmile_cry_t:
Comment