help with Marstons PLEASE

[singledad]

Hello .... i really could do some help ASAP ... dealing with Marstons ...


I got a fine for not having a tv lic ......
i,m not getting away from the fact that that i have to pay and will but this is getting out of hand and the amoung has gone up from the original court fee of 560 to now as it stands today 870 ....

I got a letter the end of oct from marstons saying that i owed 635 .... it was the 560 plus 75 comp fee

i called thenm and explained that i was a single dad and self emplyed and money was coming that past and could i please make monthly payments .....
Now i must admit that the lady i spoke to seemed nice to me .. but said the rules had changed and that the only thing that could be done is to spread it over 8 weeks ..... which meant it had to be paid by 31st dec ...
i felt i had no choice but to agree ....

During that time i became ill .(heart problem).. and wasnt able make any payments .....
I actually had to go and stay at my mothers for a short while ...while i recovered ..... luckly my children are teens and were able to help ....

\i came back home end of last week .and it was playing on my mind that they could turn up .... so i decided to get advice this week before contacting them .......
i was told to contact the courts and ask them to take it back and ask for a means hearing ....
i was told that they cant take any tools in my house as i need them for my work ....
i was told that if my kids have there own stuff ie tv playstation that they cant take this ? .. not sure about that one
i was told to hide my car .... which i have put on another road ... ..... but can they check on the spot who owns a car ?

today is Saturday .....
itryed to contact the courts all day thursday with no joy ... i was told to try emailing them and i did ....
finally got to speak to someone at salford enforcment dept on friday ...

I explained that i had the agreement with marstons but have become ill with heart issues ... and wasnt able to apy ... i explained that i could provide a not saying this and i wasnt back in work for about a month and i would like a means hearing and delay any action .... i also explained that my children prefered to stay at friends cos they were worried about a baliff forcing entry and cleaning out the house .....
She basically refused to help and said it was up to marstons to make any dealings .. and up to them to pass it back to the court ...
i begged and asked several times with no luck ....
she only offered to put a notice on the file that i had contacted and explained about my health and wanted to make monthly payments ... and i would be contacting marstons that day ......

So ..... friday afternoon i called marstons ....
i explained the above ... that i had contacted the courts and that they had put a note on the file ....
i explained my kids wouldnt stay at home ...
i explained that i had been ill with heart problems and actually had to stay at my mothers and now back home ...
i said that its stress i cant handle right now and wanted to come to an agreement ... to pay monthly and increase when i,m back to work

she said that although they were baliffs that they werent mean and asked to put me on hold while she spoke to her manager ...
She came back and said that it was already assigned to a baliff ... that would be coming to my house and to deal with her ..
She also said that a note would be put on the file to explain it to her ...... and that to speak to her and that you were going to get a letter from the doctors to back what i said and then it would be given to another department to see about payments ....

I felt a bit better .......

So i couldnt sleep last night and ended up falling asleep on the sofa .....
7 am this morning .. i hear someone knocking on my window .... several times .... then i hear her shouting through the letter box that she was a baliff and to answer the door or she will be entering with a locksmith ....
she stayed for 5 min ... then i hear her asking for someone called Gina on the phone ... freaking out that maybe it was a locksmith company ...
She stayed in her car another 5 min and even tryed to call me on my mobile ... ( i didnt answer )
She left a notice through the letter box ... a nice RED letter .. Final Notice ...

saying that

despite numerous notices and attendances i shall attend to take control of goods and remove for sale by public auction ....
and take notice that unless full payment is made imediatly i shall remove your goods for sale at public auction

there were several boxes to tick ... ie ...
one evening this week .
one morning this week
after 7pm today
this weekend ..

she crossed out the 7pm one and circled Today ...

now after all the begging and explaining my situation and im willing to pay but on monthly payments ....
i cant believe this ...

What can i do and what rights do i have .... i really need to know what to do

thanks for any real help

[Sir Vere Brayne d'Emmidge]

Re: help with Marstons PLEASE

Hi single dad and welcome to the forum

I am afraid I do not have good news or advice for you since so far everything has been handled quite professionally and somewhat sympathetically by Marston.

You first knew at the end of October that a warrant had been issued and that the Marston Group were the enforcement agency, you got in touch with them and they told you that you had to pay within 8 weeks, to which, more or less wilfully you agreed.

Unfortunately your health got in the way and you could not keep up with the agreed terms and now the warrant is gone to full enforcement.

For the bailiff to seize £945.00 worth of goods to sell at auction they would have to take the equivalent of stuff with a "new" price tag of close to £10k, which I doubt (no offence meant) you have, optherwise you would have paid the fine in the first place or even better not failed to pay £100 of TV licence.

You are still in time to negotiate with the Enforcement Agent a monthly payent plan, but also do remember that the warrant must be paid in full by no later than 23 weeks form it's date of issue, which, from what you say, is coming very soon, I reckon end of March, mid April.

The woman who knocked on your door and left you the FINAL NOTICE is actually the officer in charge, so you must engage with her and come to a solution which is going to acceptable by both parties, but mainly her.

The sooner you can clear this debt the less stressful it's going to be on you and your children.