A friend of mine has just called me in a right panic, he got a fine a while ago and somehow forgot about it !

A debt company started hassling him and hand delivered a letter - for which they charged £100 :o

He rang and told them he wasnt going to pay it as it seems there is no set scale for these kind of charges and he thought that £100 was extortion.

A baliff turned up earlier today and informed him the original amount has more than tripled - gave him 40 days to pay it.

He can afford to pay this within the time given but he is trying to find out if what the baliff told him is true.

The baliff said that if he didnt pay it, they would return to remove goods (this is normal as I understand it) what he doesnt beleive is that they can also remove his partners goods as well (seeing as it is not her debt)

I would have thought that was correct but apparently the baliff said that they can now do that.

So, is he panicking over nothing ???

He should pay up.

Usually a debt is passed to bailiffs via a County Court judgement and bailiffs are entitled to claim their charges as well. The cost of obtaining the judgement will have been added as well.

Each visit will increase their charges.
They cannot take assets belonging to another person but sometimes shared ownership can be claimed.
They will sell the goods at far less than market value and you will still owe the balance after the proceeds of the sale have been used.

He should have been given paperwork that details the original debt and additional costs/charges.

Unless your a dodger like someone i know.
He should have sent the wife to the door to say he doesnt live there no more.
All she has to do is show a letter with her name on.
And if your tryin to dodge them never register on the electorol.
They cant take stuff that aint his as long as his wife has receipts of the stuff that was bought they cant touch it.
charlie

p.s. advise given purley on what iv been told about these things being me id go citizans advice at foxhill they can sometimes clear your debts

A friend of mine has just called me in a right panic, he got a fine a while ago and somehow forgot about it !

A debt company started hassling him and hand delivered a letter - for which they charged £100 :o

He rang and told them he wasnt going to pay it as it seems there is no set scale for these kind of charges and he thought that £100 was extortion.

A baliff turned up earlier today and informed him the original amount has more than tripled - gave him 40 days to pay it.

He can afford to pay this within the time given but he is trying to find out if what the baliff told him is true.

The baliff said that if he didnt pay it, they would return to remove goods (this is normal as I understand it) what he doesnt beleive is that they can also remove his partners goods as well (seeing as it is not her debt)

I would have thought that was correct but apparently the baliff said that they can now do that.

So, is he panicking over nothing ???


they can do all of the above.
if you leave the door unlocked & go out, they can walk in & remove stuff to be sold.
the debt will be one due to association i.e they could be on the credit list as associated at the same address, this can give them some rights to remove technically jointly owned property.

suzukiRider he should pay up!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! cqksheff is right, we are having the same problem about a suite that we purchased and took it to court and won,but this made no difference to the shop where we bought the suite from, they still didn't pay up:loopy: so we went back to court last friday and we now have sent the bailiffs in and added it to there bill. And we will continue to do this untill we get paid. Which is costing the shop at the (wicker Furniture Factory if any one has the courage to buy from them after reading this) a lot more money. so tell your friend to cough up the cash :thumbsup: because it will only get worse for him money wise and he will get blacklisted

A general rule of thumb I have learnt over the years is that the County Court Bailiffs are courteous and professional, but WILL get their way. It's all a matter of how much pain you wish to put yourselves through.

Having had a time in my life I was just about on first name terms with the bailiffs, I can say that 40days to pay on GBP300 is pretty reasonable.

I'd just pay the bill, or, if there is a legitimate reason for the judgement to be set aside, look in to doing that properly.

Playing fast and loose with the County Court is probably not a good idea.

I think your friend may find some useful information here
http://www.birmingham.gov.uk/GenerateContent?CONTENT_ITEM_ID=151&CONTENT_ITEM_TYPE=0&MENU_ID=5055

I do agree with CGK that your friend ought to pay up.

:thumbsup: thanks joeP you have made me feel much better now that i know you don't mess with county court baliffs and we will get some responce to sending them in,either today or tomorrow :D

:thumbsup: thanks joeP you have made me feel much better now that i know you don't mess with county court baliffs and we will get some responce to sending them in,either today or tomorrow :D

Well, I was on the receiving end of their ministrations, actually owing money, and I found them to be a courteous and considerate bunch provided that you didn't try and mess them around.

They'll give the time they can give within their remit, but are very professional.

Still don't want to hear from them again though! :)

:lol: Sorry joep didn't know you was on recieving end, but glad to know it worked:lol:

:lol: Sorry joep didn't know you was on recieving end, but glad to know it worked:lol:

It's OK - they were doing their job, and they did it professionally - unlike some of the debt collection agencies I dealt with who had an astonishing ability to mysteriously lose payments. :)

i once had them banging on my door for 70p what i owed for some cookbooks i missed a payment on but i soon took care of it with some of my freshly baked scones and whipped cream and jam

since this thread is going on i would like to raise a question of my own here.

I recently moved into a rented student house and happen to notice a few court and bailiff's notice. I suppose the previous occupier did not pay his electricity bill worth £500 and has disappeared. Since then we have changed the electricity supplier and got a new connection in our name.

How does it work from here...will the bailiffs keep visiting us and continue looking for this guy (we dont have his forwarding address). And what happens if this guy is no where to be found...who pays the money?

I know of someone who ignored 4 £30 parking fines.
After many visits from bailiffs etc the amount she owed was...................one thousand two hundred pounds:gag: :gag: :gag:


Pay up, you know it makes sense you can go to jail for unpaid court fines

since this thread is going on i would like to raise a question of my own here.

I recently moved into a rented student house and happen to notice a few court and bailiff's notice. I suppose the previous occupier did not pay his electricity bill worth £500 and has disappeared. Since then we have changed the electricity supplier and got a new connection in our name.

How does it work from here...will the bailiffs keep visiting us and continue looking for this guy (we dont have his forwarding address). And what happens if this guy is no where to be found...who pays the money?

Just write to the bailiffs/ court and tell them that you are the new tenants and that the person they are looking for no longer lives at that address and that you have no forwarding address for him.
It's up to the bailiffs to find him, that's what they get paid for.

point noted. thanks davyboy

A debt company started hassling him and hand delivered a letter - for which they charged £100 :o



Chech the charges before they pay up

http://www.nationaldebtline.co.uk/england_wales/factsheet.php?page=02_bailiffs_and_council_tax#8