Rossendales bailiffs for council tax

[Esmae]

Hi just a little advice please as I'm worried sick I had a knock on the door on Monday afternoon when I answered there was a man saying he was looking for me from rossendales I said yes struggling to settle my 8 week old baby so I could listen to what he wanted he asked for £608 for unpaid council tax I said i have a baby and 4 other children I don't have that kind of money so he said ok and handed me a notice for 48 hrs the letter says they'll attend my property again on the 6/4/16 that's tomorrow to remove goods from my property even in my absence it also says to avoid the above action phone immediatly with the number hand written so I settled the baby and phoned the number and asked if I could sort out a payment plan to avoid the action and they said no unless I pay in full they will remove my goods I'm worried sick can they force their way in ? I'm on maternity but because I'm only bank staff as a senior healthcare assistant I had to get maternity pay from benefits I have really struggled the last few months with Christmas and having a baby I don't know what to do

[charitynjw]

Re: Rossendales bailiffs for council tax

Hi just a little advice please as I'm worried sick I had a knock on the door on Monday afternoon when I answered there was a man saying he was looking for me from rossendales I said yes struggling to settle my 8 week old baby so I could listen to what he wanted he asked for £608 for unpaid council tax I said i have a baby and 4 other children I don't have that kind of money so he said ok and handed me a notice for 48 hrs the letter says they'll attend my property again on the 6/4/16 that's tomorrow to remove goods from my property even in my absence it also says to avoid the above action phone immediatly with the number hand written so I settled the baby and phoned the number and asked if I could sort out a payment plan to avoid the action and they said no unless I pay in full they will remove my goods I'm worried sick can they force their way in ? I'm on maternity but because I'm only bank staff as a senior healthcare assistant I had to get maternity pay from benefits I have really struggled the last few months with Christmas and having a baby I don't know what to do

Hi Esmae & welcome to LB

https://www.gov.uk/county-court-judg...y-the-judgment

You may be able to stop the bailiff from visiting, by filling in the N245 application form.
Say on the form how you’ll repay the money - eg weekly or monthly payments.
If your offer is accepted, the warrant will be stopped as long as you keep up with the payments.

https://www.gov.uk/government/public...-tribunal-fees

Or you can contact your local CAB, but you'd need to stress the urgency.

[Esmae]

Re: Rossendales bailiffs for council tax

That's great news thank you I hope it works xx

[ploddertom]

Re: Rossendales bailiffs for council tax

Hi Esmae & welcome to LB

https://www.gov.uk/county-court-judg...y-the-judgment

You may be able to stop the bailiff from visiting, by filling in the N245 application form.
Say on the form how you’ll repay the money - eg weekly or monthly payments.
If your offer is accepted, the warrant will be stopped as long as you keep up with the payments.

https://www.gov.uk/government/public...-tribunal-fees

Or you can contact your local CAB, but you'd need to stress the urgency.

Unfortunately in this instance you cannot do the above.

Some questions first.
Did you have previous knowledge about this debt?
What year are they saying it is from?
Is the debt for your current address or a previous one?
If a previous one then did you advise the Council you had moved?
Have you had previous letters from the Council or Enforcement Co about this?
Do you have a car sitting outside? If so is it on finance - HP?
If not on finance then you must move it ASAP?
Have you paid anything towards it?
Have you checked to see what the original sum owing was - as confirmed by the Council?
Has the Bailiff been inside your home?

[charitynjw]

Re: Rossendales bailiffs for council tax

Unfortunately in this instance you cannot do the above.

Some questions first.
Did you have previous knowledge about this debt?
What year are they saying it is from?
Is the debt for your current address or a previous one?
If a previous one then did you advise the Council you had moved?
Have you had previous letters from the Council or Enforcement Co about this?
Do you have a car sitting outside? If so is it on finance - HP?
If not on finance then you must move it ASAP?
Have you paid anything towards it?
Have you checked to see what the original sum owing was - as confirmed by the Council?
Has the Bailiff been inside your home?

Is that because it's Council Tax LO, [MENTION=26498]ploddertom[/MENTION]?

[ploddertom]

Re: Rossendales bailiffs for council tax

You should already have had a Notice of Enforcement - charge £75 - about this from the Bailiffs. Now they have made a visit they will also have added the enfocement fee of £235 to what you owe. This means that to date the debt has risen by £310.

If he has not had access to your home then he cannot force entry. The reason they say removing goods in your absence is if you have anything of value outside they can take - car, caravan, good BBQ or good garden Furniture.

Providing you deny him access to your home he is pretty much powerless. He will make 3 or visits before he realises he is wasting his time & possibly then return the account back to the Council - could be 3 or 4 months time - and the Bailiff fees are then removed. The reason they will not entertain a payment plan is because they look at it that you have not engaged them prior to this.

Are you a single parent? With your youngest only being 8 weeks old then you should be considered as potentially vulnerable - what ages are the other children.

[ploddertom]

Re: Rossendales bailiffs for council tax

Is that because it's Council Tax LO, @ploddertom?

It is.

Primarily Set Aside (N244) & Variation Orders (N245) are for CCJ's and the like. Unfortunately for Council Tax, PCNs issued by the Council or Court Fines it is a separate procedure altogether and usually a lot more awkward.

[charitynjw]

Re: Rossendales bailiffs for council tax

It is.

Primarily Set Aside (N244) & Variation Orders (N245) are for CCJ's and the like. Unfortunately for Council Tax, PCNs issued by the Council or Court Fines it is a separate procedure altogether and usually a lot more awkward.

Apologies to @Esmae.

CT is Magistrates court, not county (or at least a kangaroo version, as very rarely does a magistrate take part in the proceedings - other than to rubber-stamp the order).

& they (the LA & magistrates) seem to have a weird system going - not like the usual debt claim situation.

Thank goodness @ploddertom was around to correct me!