Jacobs Bailiffs

[Kezza]

Have dealt with them many times over the past few years, my husband has bipolar disorder, I am only earner in the house. Bailiff called at new address last month with a letter demanding 2900, this is for different council tax arrears over different years (council tax benefit was stopped when I didn't complete renewal pack as I was changing employment) and also 4 unpaid parking tickets. I never let him in, have dealt with this bloke before, asked for time to pay something and then work out a payment plan and he agreed. However, never had the money in last 4 weeks to pay anything. Today he turned up, spoke with my husband in the garden and then me on the street. He has given me till Friday to find 580, payment for one of the parking tickets, he will then help me work out a payment plan. If I don't, he says he will come and take my car, he wont get in the house at all as all gates are door sized and locked at all times to keep the dogs in. However, there is no way I can find that amount of money in that space of time. He left a 24 hour notice behind that has the total owing not the individual amounts.

What can I do, mI know the usual, don't let them in, park car elsewhere etc, but I have realised I need to sort this once and for all, other help online is trying to steer me towards an IVA, I would like to avoid this.

[Kati]

Re: Jacobs Bailiffs

tagging [MENTION=30402]Milo[/MENTION] [MENTION=9189]bizzybob[/MENTION] [MENTION=26498]ploddertom[/MENTION] for advice xx

[R0b]

Re: Jacobs Bailiffs

Do you own the car or is it financed?
Can you also break down the fees that he has charged or do you not have that information?

[Kezza]

Re: Jacobs Bailiffs

The car is an old one, owned out right. Don't have a breakdown of the fees with me, I know I have received different notices for different things, we moved house though and lots of stuff is still boxed. I had this kind of dealing with this bailiff once before about an outstanding amount. He text me and told me a van would be calling to remove goods, I borrowed what I could and paid up. another time I even applied for and got an overdraught to pay him, I realise that they have a job to do, but he is now getting very unfriendly, he told me they have had no money off me since February which is when I thought I had finished paying. The other amount have been added since, or so I thought.

I am really confused about it all now, not sure what is owed and from which year to be honest

[Milo]

Re: Jacobs Bailiffs

Have dealt with them many times over the past few years, my husband has bipolar disorder, I am only earner in the house. Bailiff called at new address last month with a letter demanding 2900, this is for different council tax arrears over different years (council tax benefit was stopped when I didn't complete renewal pack as I was changing employment) and also 4 unpaid parking tickets.

I never let him in, have dealt with this bloke before, asked for time to pay something and then work out a payment plan and he agreed. However, never had the money in last 4 weeks to pay anything.

Today he turned up, spoke with my husband in the garden and then me on the street. He has given me till Friday to find 580, payment for one of the parking tickets, he will then help me work out a payment plan. If I don't, he says he will come and take my car, he wont get in the house at all as all gates are door sized and locked at all times to keep the dogs in. However, there is no way I can find that amount of money in that space of time.

He left a 24 hour notice behind that has the total owing not the individual amounts.

What can I do, mI know the usual, don't let them in, park car elsewhere etc, but I have realised I need to sort this once and for all, other help online is trying to steer me towards an IVA, I would like to avoid this.

You have mentioned also that you stopped paying Jacobs in February as you thought that you had cleared the account. Have you checked with the council to find out how much is owed for each council tax debt? You really should do so.

Jacobs are also enforcing 4 PCN debts. Were you aware of these?

[Kezza]

Re: Jacobs Bailiffs

Hi, I wasn't sure, I know I cleared at least one of the outstanding as the bailiff had been threatening to call and remove goods, so I borrowed off my dad and paid them off. He then left me alone.

The Parking fines were a complete memory lapse on my part, my job kept involving me parking in stupid places (I worked as a home carer at that time) and I simply lost track of what I had paid and what I hadn't.

My husbands bipolar heaped a lot of pressure on me, he withdrew from everything and I struggled to cope alone.

I will check with the council tomorrow and get exact amounts owed for each debt. The bailiff has lumped everything together in one handy lump sum, but that has confused me, as I really did believe that I had cleared more than he is saying.

Thanks for the pointers, will get onto that tomorrow. Any other ideas gratefully received.

[bizzybob]

Re: Jacobs Bailiffs

You need to find out what each individual debt is, as Jacobs might be adding multiple fees,

[Kezza]

Re: Jacobs Bailiffs

I have been in touch with the council today, gotten the totals for each council tax debt but the combined total for the parking. They are as follows

Parking £328
Council tax 1 - is for this year from moving in to new house £252
Council tax 2 - 2014/2015 £943.09
Council tax 3 - 2015/2016 £857.31

The lady in the parking fines department offered to be helpful after I explained my circumstances, (boyfriend - bipolar, suicidal, hiding correspondence, not earning etc) if Bailiff was not helpful as she assumed they would be. I explained that they wanted one of the debts paying in full before they would look at a repayment plan and that the amount they wanted was 582 ish, which I didn't have. She has since emailed me back to say she spoke to the company on my behalf but they were unwilling to do anything until 528 was paid.

So, I am now back at square one, I emailed the council tax department to thank them for providing information on the debt and explained my circumstances further, that I was more than willing to make arrangements to repay all monies owing now that my financial situation was more settled but that Jacobs were unwilling to enter into a payment plan until I had paid 582 which I don't have. This would leave me unable to make payments for this months Council Tax and probably involve Jacobs further down the line. I also asked if there was any further help they could give me but have heard nothing.

I am now actually really worried that I may have made the situation worse. I will not be in a position to make rent payments, my finances were out of control for a long time, I thought I would slowly be able to get them back settled but now this is making me think it will be impossible. The threat of Bailiff action is already affecting my partners mental state, I am really worried.

[Kati]

Re: Jacobs Bailiffs

[MENTION=9189]bizzybob[/MENTION] [MENTION=30402]Milo[/MENTION] ??

[bizzybob]

Re: Jacobs Bailiffs

Have you contacted your local councillor, if not do so and explain the situation your partners condition, and the fact that the council's agents Jacobs are refusing all offers of payments that you can afford. Also fill in an Income and Expenditure statement, National Debtline and the CAB have templates and send to council, and Jacobs. As partner is Bi-Polar, you could try contacting Jacob's Welfare department.

https://www.cab.org.je/index.php?opt...d=77&Itemid=64

[Kezza]

Re: Jacobs Bailiffs

I hadn't tried those things but I will do that today, thank you for the advice.

[Kezza]

Re: Jacobs Bailiffs

Thankyou for your advice. I have downloaded an income an expenditure statement and aim to get that sent off later today or tomorrow (D-day for the Bailiff). I have emailed Jacobs and will try and speak with welfare team tomorrow. I have also contacted and emailed my local councillor. My only other option is to hope that the Bailiff will accept whatever amount I have available to pay, which wont be much as I need to pay rent etc.
Again, thanks for the advice.

[Kezza]

Re: Jacobs Bailiffs

Well I have an update, the Welfare team at Jacobs are aware of my problems but prepared to do nothing! Apparently no one in the office can do anything now that its with the enforcement agent, its payment to him only. I told them he intimidates me and that no matter how many times he came round he couldn't and wouldn't be given access to my home, she said she was really sorry but there was nothing they could do, I would need to speak to the agent. The council spoke to them but were told the same thing apparently. I have not heard from my Councillor but am now holding out no hope what so ever that anyone can do anything.

I am now at my wits end, I could pay something today, just not the amount is he wanting and don't know what to do for the best.

[bizzybob]

Re: Jacobs Bailiffs

Complain to the Elected Leader and EO copy in your apparently useless local member, it is the council who send Jacobs so they are responsible for their actions. he welfare dept CAN intervene, but seem to choose not to.

[Kezza]

Re: Jacobs Bailiffs

Complain to the Elected Leader and EO copy in your apparently useless local member, it is the council who send Jacobs so they are responsible for their actions. he welfare dept CAN intervene, but seem to choose not to.

Thank you, I will do that today, I imagine there will be no reply because of the bank holiday but will definitely do that. I have my income and expenditure firm and believe that I can afford, 100 to 150 a month and still afford my other outgoings, I told Jacobs and the council this but to no avail. They all say one individual debt must be paid in full to the enforcement agent and he has then said he will consider a payment plan.
I even told the Jacobs welfare lady that the Bailiff is very intimidating, her advice was to get the CAB to speak to him on my behalf, they really don't want to intervene.
Again, thank you for this advice, I will let you know if anything comes of it.