jacobs demanding payment by 5pm!

[becky90]

Hi, hope someone can help. I have recieved numerous letters off jacobs demanding payment for council tax debt. The debt is for £701.07 but with costs on, jacobs want £1006.07 off me.
They hand posted letters last month stating 24hour removal and then 2 days later fetched another one stating they would be back at 5pm to remove goods.
I have e-mailed jacobs and offered them payment of £40-£50 a month but they keep telling me they can not discuss via email. I have told them i will not phone or speak to them in person as i have no evidence of what has been said.
Then on tueaday i receieved another letter saying 24hour removal notice, i emailed them to tell them again i have offered them payment of £40-£50 a month which their reply was that they had e-mailed me back 7days after i had e-mailed them, telling me they couldnt accept the offer as the debt is with an enforcement agent and that if i did not speak to him then further recovery action will take place. (I never recieced that e-mail)
Then today i have had two men banging on my door and trying my door handle, when i didnt answer they posted a notice through saying 'removal 5pm' further tomy previous letter REMOVAL PROCEEDINGS are now imminent. As previously advised full payment is now required to prevent enforcement action. REMOVAL may take place in your absence.
You must contact me mr.davies IMMEDIATELY ON ...... to arrange PAYMENT IN FULL BY 5PM TODAY

He has not been in my property before to list goods so just wondering where i stand, im a single mum and work part time and cant afford to pay the full amount in one go.
Thank you
Becky

[bizzybob]

Re: jacobs demanding payment by 5pm!

Hi Becky90 welcome to Legal Beagles.

Do not let him in, he cannot force entry at this stage, have you contacted the council to offer payments? If you have a car keep it well away or Jacobs WILL clamp it, as you have offered them payment by email, work out your income and expenditure make another offer based on that, copy the I & E to them also and phone your local councillor to see if they can help you.

Other Beagles will be along soon so sit tight. keep the doors locked and the windows, but a bailiff cannot climb in through windows any more, but don't take the chance.

[Kati]

Re: jacobs demanding payment by 5pm!

Hi [MENTION=61154]becky90[/MENTION]

As Bizzybob has already said, you need to move your car (if you have one) away from your house - around the corner or somewhere - to ensure they do not clamp it. Get an income and expensiture breakdown sorted out so you have written proof of how much you can afford to repay (weekly/monthly) and do not let them in when (if) they return later today.

• They cannot force entry without getting a court order (keep your doors locked and chained)
• They cannot gain entry via anything other than a 'usual means of entry' (so no climbing through windows)
• They cannot force you into making a payment that you cannot afford.
• You do not even have to talk to them when (if) they arrive if you do not want to!

As this is for council tax, there are certain things you should do.

1 - You need to phone up the council involved and ask them:

• How many Liability Orders they have against you?
• The dates they were obtained?
• The addresses they were for?
• The period of time each covers?
• How much each one was for?
• How much is still outstanding?
• The dates they were passed on for enforcement?

It is fine to do this by phone and they HAVE to give you that information. They are not allowed simply to say you must speak to the bailiffs. Try to record the call, even if only on a mobile phone. Be very clear if they say you must speak to the bailiffs, to ask, "Are you refusing to give me the information I'm asking for?"

2 - contact the bailiffs firm and find out what charges/fees have been added to the debt so far.

Get answers for ALL those questions and post back up on here.

I'm sure you will get lots of advice from the knowledgeable Beagles, so please try not to worry too much at the moment (hard I know) ... we will help you all we can

Kati x

[bizzybob]

Re: jacobs demanding payment by 5pm!

If they come back, film them through the letterbox with a mobile phone even to capture any threats or bulling that might be unlawful. You don't have to speak to them just record their threats. tHisd could come in handy later if you need to make any Formal Complaint, say about Jacobs refusing to accept reasonable offers, or insisting they MUST come in to take goods before any agreement can be accepted.