Marstons broke my locks HELP URGENT

[Namsey78]

Can someone give me some advise please. I had a court fine for tv licence. I spoke to marstons who refused to set up an arrangement because I went over by 1 day! The bailiff came 3 times and posted letters through and i told them i cant pay as i dont work i have a 9 month old baby and 2 and 3 and 8 year old, he didnt want to listen to anything, He came this morning with a locksmith and drilled my back door i have nothing of value, a sewing machine and cooker thats my mums which she ia going to take. Other than that they got a tv which is damaged and a few small things.

He wants nearly £1000.00 and I dont have it. I have rung everyone and anyone but no one has that kind of money. I emailed and rang the court and they don't want to know. They told me its been issued correctly. My husband has tried to get the money together and they were speaking to him as I couldnt deal with and I dont work.

I dont know what to do. Please can someone help me as I dont have that kind of money

[Namsey78]

Re: Marstons broke my locks HELP URGENT

Any body???

[Kati]

Re: Marstons broke my locks HELP URGENT

sit tight ... I'm sure someone will be along soon

I'll tag [MENTION=26498]ploddertom[/MENTION] [MENTION=9189]bizzybob[/MENTION] for you xx

[Namsey78]

Re: Marstons broke my locks HELP URGENT

Thank you. I split from my husband for a while and got in a mess and i contacted stepchange for help but marstons dont want to know anything and i'm on the verge of a breakdown now. There is noway we can arrange that kind of money. A neighbour told me it will eventually go back to court they wont break the locks but they did. He was in hospital because he nearly took his thumb off at work, his fault so he cant sue or get paid for it. So we really struggling financially with 4 children.

[ploddertom]

Re: Marstons broke my locks HELP URGENT

Did you know about the original Court case & fine?

[Namsey78]

Re: Marstons broke my locks HELP URGENT

I didnt know abou the original court case i only found out when the fine cane theough and asked the court what it was about and i told them i will try and pay £5.00 a week but i'lk be honesy I didnt with all the issues with my family for moving away from my inlaws. They were screaming and shouting because my husband moved in with me and left his family, pur culture its the woman that does that so I had all that going on and by the time things settled marstons turned up. I moved town with 3 kids away from them as i couldnt take it anymore but landed in more trouble, should have stayed with them and taken their abuse!!!!

[Namsey78]

Re: Marstons broke my locks HELP URGENT

I send a long email explaining my siutation the fines manager and she emailed back everything is correct and it is with marstons I have to deal with them. They've said they're coming back tomorrow and will break the locks agaib and charge me another 300 for it. I cant get that kind of money from anywhere and the courts don't want to know. They're said they're back in the morning with the lock smith again. I have told them I cant pay

[ploddertom]

Re: Marstons broke my locks HELP URGENT

The problem is having let it get to this stage, how long ago did this start?

There will have been quiteb a bit of communication from the Court and essentially they are looking at it as if all has been ignored. Unfortunately once Bailiffs are involved the Court will refer you to them.

You say they drilled your back door - did they gain entry and did they seize any goods and ask you to sign a Controlled Goods Arrangement? If so what was listed exactly as described on the Form? You also make reference to a car - what sort of value is it worth and who actually owns it? Were you given new keys for the new lock they should have fitted and were you given any paperwork about the cost of all this? I cannot see why they should need to come back again with a locksmith if they have already done it this morning.

The thread of forced entry is for when they know you are at home but refuse to engage with them. They would also have to have a good idea there are goods inside that are worth seizing and removing for sale - if you owed £1000 then they should be looking for approx £5000 minimum as auction values are very low. Given most household items are now exempt then in my view he is chancing his arm by doing this unless you have a couple of Bentleys on the drive and wear a Rolex on each arm.

[Namsey78]

Re: Marstons broke my locks HELP URGENT

The letter from court came in january apparently the case was in october. They did come and knock on the door once at 6 but i didnt open it and second third time i wasnt at home. I dont own a car and the things they listed was a sewing machine, a crappy old lcd tv i got from a friend for 70 quid its 50 inch but its all sratched a blender i old cabinet a microwave and a broken cooker that dont belong to me and the sofas which are also broken, makes me laugh as this lot wont even get 200 quid at auction as i really dont have anythong of value, i ended up starting on my own again a year and half ago and couldnt afford anything. Its all second hand and mostly broken. He posted a letter about just over a week ago and i rung him n told him i cant pay. I dont have the money and nothing of value as they checked everything.

They put a list together but I didnt signed anything and the car isnt ours.

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[Namsey78]

Re: Marstons broke my locks HELP URGENT

I wasnt given any paperwork with the locks and he did put a new lock in they said its nearly 300 quid for that and he got in from the back door entry

[Milo]

Re: Marstons broke my locks HELP URGENT

Thank you. I split from my husband for a while and got in a mess and i contacted stepchange for help but marstons dont want to know anything and i'm on the verge of a breakdown now.

There is no way we can arrange that kind of money. A neighbour told me it will eventually go back to court they wont break the locks but they did.

He was in hospital because he nearly took his thumb off at work, his fault so he cant sue or get paid for it. So we really struggling financially with 4 children.

I will try to address each point you have raised above:

Have you contacted Stepchange for assistance with this matter?

Are Stepchange assisting you with your other debts?

Your neighbour has given you extraordinarily bad advice. The debt is a court fine and the warrant itself permits bailiffs to force entry. That bad advice has directly led to you being charged an additional £300 locksmith fee.

Ploddertom is correct, as forced entry has already taken place, there will not be second locksmith attendance.

Coming back to the court fine, you have said that you contacted the court and offered to pay £5 per week but that you didn't make any payments. Just so that you are aware, if somebody has a court fine and is unemployed and in receipt of benefits, the law provides that the minimum payment that the courts can accept is set at £5 per week.

[Namsey78]

Re: Marstons broke my locks HELP URGENT

Ok, he did give me a letter which says inventory on it and seperate one with the list of things, and no offence taken as I genuinely can't afford to get anything. Nothing else was left and I didnt sign anything. They were speaking to my husband. I will email the court asap but they dont want to know really.

[Namsey78]

Re: Marstons broke my locks HELP URGENT

Another question, do they use cameras? I told him on numerous times i dont own the car and it doesnt belong to me. My husband uses it for work. He's been speaking to my neighbours about this when i wasnt in and i can prove I wasnt in as I went to the job centre of all places and have a letter showing this. Can he discuss my account with my neighbours and will he have recorded what was said? He knocked on like 5 doors and all of them told me 2 didnt open the door but the nosy one did and he was talking to her she told him i drive a car but it doesnt belong to either of us, it belongs to a friend and i'm borrowing it.

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Can they take the few broken things I have?

[Namsey78]

Re: Marstons broke my locks HELP URGENT

The second document just says good taken into control at the top and lists the few items nothing else

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So if i copy most of your message and send it to the fine manager do you think it will stop them because these guys were horrible and ruthless. I dont want them coming back, the manager did respond straight away but shes wasnt very helpful. Can they take it back on the grounds that marstons paperwork wasnt correct?

[Namsey78]

Re: Marstons broke my locks HELP URGENT

No thats fine I would rather the court take it back and I can go into an agreement with them as I cant afford to pay nearly £1000.00.

I'll put the email together now, i'll copy the above info and see what happens as they're coming back tomorrow and have said they are going to break the locks again and take the car and report it

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Ok thank you sooooo much, pls keep your fingers and everything crossed that she agrees to take it back.