Ruh Roh! Legal help?

Myranda

Well, living with my (apparently not very smart) mother has presented an issue ...

She's not been paying some bills for quite some time (she's insolvent, but hasn't paid the near £700 to go bankrupt* let alone actually filed) ... 

And on Thursday I came home and checked the mail, to find a "Notice of Enforcement" which says that a High Court Writ has been obtained based on a CCJ...

She's phoned them and offered what she can afford (actually on paper it's more than she can afford as she's working overtime all the time)... and they said "no that's not enough, an enforcement agent will be coming after the 31st"  

Oh.

But of course... my stuff is here, and I really don't want an angry bailiff man (or High Court Sheriff).

My understanding is I need a sworn Statutory Declaration or receipts should be enough to protect my stuff - but I'm a little stressed about things

*Also, until today, no debt adviser has mentioned that fees can be paid in instalments, so this week I'm sitting down with her and a phone to make sure she actually starts things.

And I thought the only thing to be stressful about was work/sexy womins in my life... now it's debt collectors too - and I didn't even get the fun of whatever the money was spent on in the first place!

fretmeister

Move your stuff out. Everything worth more than £10 that you don't have a receipt for.

Myranda

fretmeister said:

Move your stuff out. Everything worth more than £10 that you don't have a receipt for.

Would a statutory dec sworn by a solicotor with a list of items not be enough?

fretmeister

It has less power than the writ. 

robgilmo

Ive just been through this, hide her car, DO NOT ALLOW A BAILIFF INTO THE HOUSE, KEEP DOORS LOCKED.  Get advice from the national debt line on the internet, offer to make a lump sum upfront payment with a view to setting up a payment plan, ring the national debt line asap, there are ways around this, dont allow the bailiffs to frighten you, a high court sherrif which is what you are dealing with are not your ordinary bailiffs.

robgilmo

Myranda said:

fretmeister said:

Move your stuff out. Everything worth more than £10 that you don't have a receipt for.

Would a statutory dec sworn by a solicotor with a list of items not be enough?

Yes, it should be, but dont let it come to that.

robgilmo

Also, you need to speak to the bailiffs directly.

Flink_Poyd

Ive used this place before and had some useful help from it


http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/forumdisplay.php?168-Bailiffs-Help-with-Dealing-with-Bailiffs-and-Enforcement-Agents-including-HCEO&s=28ff7ba28c877f606cfd6cf1e7294e03

Myranda

robgilmo said:

Ive just been through this, hide her car, DO NOT ALLOW A BAILIFF INTO THE HOUSE, KEEP DOORS LOCKED.  Get advice from the national debt line on the internet, offer to make a lump sum upfront payment with a view to setting up a payment plan, ring the national debt line asap, there are ways around this, dont allow the bailiffs to frighten you, a high court sherrif which is what you are dealing with are not your ordinary bailiffs.

I rather assumed that being a high court writ it would be a high court sheriff not a bailiff turning up... meaning that to my knowledge the limited powers of a bailiff don't apply

Dominic

You are correct

Tavernor

Swap the innards of cheap and expensive things. I think it was the Who or Zep that used to do that with cabs, swap out the expensive celestions for cheapy things and sell them for more than they were worth. Probably The Who given their propensity for going through gear at a rapid rate.

In all seriousness, I don't know the legalities but heard horror stories about how nasty bailiffs can be. What sort of person would want such a job? It's akin to being a professional bully. I'd imagine their plundering would be pretty indiscriminate so don't give them the opportunity to take anything you don't want to risk losing.

Tavernor

I know this is a serious thread and genuinely hope this gets sorted; in the mean time this is related and a truly epic win against a bailff who didn't see it coming.

Iamnobody

Tavernor said:

Swap the innards of cheap and expensive things. I think it was the Who or Zep that used to do that with cabs, swap out the expensive celestions for cheapy things and sell them for more than they were worth. Probably The Who given their propensity for going through gear at a rapid rate.

In all seriousness, I don't know the legalities but heard horror stories about how nasty bailiffs can be. What sort of person would want such a job? It's akin to being a professional bully. I'd imagine their plundering would be pretty indiscriminate so don't give them the opportunity to take anything you don't want to risk losing.

There's a docu about bailiffs on TV they have to deal with some absolute arse holes. And on camera they deal with them very professionally. 

Like all all aspects of life there are probably good and bad.

They are just doing their job. A job they've bothered to get to make sure they can pay their way through life.

Many people fall on hard times and I feel genuinely sorry for those...

However, many people tale the piss and are absolute wankers to deal with - and when the bailiffs start seizing goods it's funny how they suddenly lay their hands on the cash and pay up there and then!

m_c

Post over on the money saving expert forum, as there are a good few people (including official helpline/debt charity advisors) who'll be able to give you good advise.

Tavernor

Iamnobody said:

Tavernor said:

Swap the innards of cheap and expensive things. I think it was the Who or Zep that used to do that with cabs, swap out the expensive celestions for cheapy things and sell them for more than they were worth. Probably The Who given their propensity for going through gear at a rapid rate.

In all seriousness, I don't know the legalities but heard horror stories about how nasty bailiffs can be. What sort of person would want such a job? It's akin to being a professional bully. I'd imagine their plundering would be pretty indiscriminate so don't give them the opportunity to take anything you don't want to risk losing.

There's a docu about bailiffs on TV they have to deal with some absolute arse holes. And on camera they deal with them very professionally. 

Like all all aspects of life there are probably good and bad.

They are just doing their job. A job they've bothered to get to make sure they can pay their way through life.

Many people fall on hard times and I feel genuinely sorry for those...

However, many people tale the piss and are absolute wankers to deal with - and when the bailiffs start seizing goods it's funny how they suddenly lay their hands on the cash and pay up there and then!

Very true, I don't doubt a lot are good people. I just don't quite understand why anyone who didn't enjoy lording it over people (people struggling at that) would end up in that kind of work. The pay can't be that great.

Tavernor

18-40k it seems. Loads of other ways to make just as much money.

WezV

Tavernor said:

18-40k it seems. Loads of other ways to make just as much money.

Not for all.  It takes a certain type, probably gone through all the bouncer jobs, been a boxer, grown up and realised he does not live in a medieval society where he would be king.

my best mates dad growing up was s bailiff.  Big fuck off scary bloke, but incredibly reasonable when you actually spoke to him. 

Tavernor

I used to live in a bad neighbourhood (by Cotswold standards...) and the local was amazing. Run by a man called Spider, noone seemed to know his real name. Bought a sat nav from him once which came with a phone charger and home address in London. Anyway, I used to drink with an old timer called Geoff (everyone called him uncle geoff), and never knew what he did untill he'd had a few and told me he was a debt collector but not in an official capacity if you catch my drift. Asked one of the barmaids about it (thinking tall tale) and turns out he did exactly that and had served the best part of a twenty year sentence for blowing someone's head off with a shotgun on a job. A week previously he had offered to lend me money when I was moaning about not having any (student days), rather pleased I didn't. Literally the nicest guy to chill with, I'd guess his reputation preceded him so didn't feel the need to be the hard man. Like your mates dad the most genuinely hard people I've known never look for trouble.

 Scary stuff though, shows you never know who you might be dealing with if you're a brawler (I'm completely on the other end of that spectrum). 

Dominic

The doorman image is on the way out .......too many unpleasant documentaries on TV .A lot of firms employ Women now on the basis that you get more with Honey than you do with vinegar.
 There are some genuinely very decent Bailiff people and some complete idiots with an attitude that suits the job and who get a strange and officious personality kick out of the empowerment.
I had one come to the door about 4 months ago looking for a neighbour who did a runner 2 years ago with Police,Social Services and various criminal types hard on his heels. This guy was dressed like a cross between a Special Services Commando and an Argentinian Militiaman .
 I laughed to myself and asked him if it was necessary or indeed legal to dress as a Paramilitary and was that the standard uniform of his company ? ........There is a fine line between looking official and dressing to Distress .I think the whole appearance was designed to intimidate unecessarily and that is wrong .Had you been in , say, The Balkans on holiday and this came to your hotel door together with an accomplice you would have thought that you would never be seen or heard of again.
  Conversely about 8 years ago we had a traveller camp on the adjoining farm ......bailiffs came to us in error -I pointed out the camp and suggested they find Mr Doherty there ........2 big fellas doing their best to look menacing .........their reply................... " Nah, Fuck that !"

robgilmo

Myranda said:

robgilmo said:

Ive just been through this, hide her car, DO NOT ALLOW A BAILIFF INTO THE HOUSE, KEEP DOORS LOCKED.  Get advice from the national debt line on the internet, offer to make a lump sum upfront payment with a view to setting up a payment plan, ring the national debt line asap, there are ways around this, dont allow the bailiffs to frighten you, a high court sherrif which is what you are dealing with are not your ordinary bailiffs.

I rather assumed that being a high court writ it would be a high court sheriff not a bailiff turning up... meaning that to my knowledge the limited powers of a bailiff don't apply

They will still come to your home and sieze goods, the advice I got was that a sheriff has more powers than a bailiff, they can fly for instance.