Should bailiffs be allowed to gain 'peaceful' entry to your home?

[moomin_troll]

also the finacial onbudsman is a good place to go
i had a loan with a popular company, they mis sold PPI so after months of fighting i got that sorted, they kept messing up my contract (they put i was 40 and a home owner, i was 19 and renting) everytime i would get a contract it would be wrong.

i refused to pay while i was inbetween contracts and they told me i wouldnt be charged.

well they decided to add on £1000 in charges that i wasnt supposed to get. i complained and complained. i even got a call from a debt company saying they were going to take my account over until i explained to them what was going on and they backed off.

then i came to just wanting to pay the full amount off....they even got that wrong, i got a cheque from them as they owe me money n its in my maiden name so bank wont take it not looking forward to calling them up and trying to get this one sorted.

its disgusting that a parking ticket has turned into a £500 bill for u, was the ticket given by the council? if not alot of companies are even legaly allowed to give u a fine

 

[cherryglitter]

its disgusting that a parking ticket has turned into a £500 bill for u, was the ticket given by the council? if not alot of companies are even legaly allowed to give u a fine

Yeah it was
I got it in July last year when I was in labour with Jake! Awful isn't it really

 

[moomin_troll]

u were in labour omg didnt u have a date to go to court to fight it?

 

[cherryglitter]

Nope!! I WISH I had tried to contest it at the time. But obviously having had a new baby things just spiraled out of control and before I knew it, £500 debt! They charged me £180... for a bloke turning up in a car (whcih they classed as a 'vehicle' on the letter) as they had an intention to remove our goods.... even though he did sweet FA.

He sat in the car outside, wrote the paperwork out and then knocked on the door ever so lightly.... and pushed the envelope through the door!

I spoke to my debt advisor at CAB and she told me that they're probably trying to scam me out of money and not to let them in as I am currently undergoing a debt relief order. (She wrote to them to tell them that!) They turned up the day after they would've got the letter.

 

[moomin_troll]

its disgusting that they are doing this.

i hope one day soon u can become debt free. for sad reasons i was able to become debt free myself recently and its a huge weight lifted knowing u dont have to worry about these companies.

 

[cherryglitter]

I know, it wont be long and I will be sorted. It's 12 months and then the debts are written off. I just have to check in with them every now and again so they know my current circumstances havent changed, like i've become a millionaire or something


I wish.
I will honestly feel like such a different person. It rules my life at the moment.

 

[KittyVentura]

Incidentally, if anyone is being chased by DCAs etc. You have a right to request a full subject access report from the relevant company. This would be a copy of EVERYTHING they have on file about you. It is a key principle within the data protaction act (P6 I believe). They HAVE to do it and HAVE to do it within 40 calendar days. Not doing so is a breach of the act. They can charge £10 for doing so though.

Anyway the point is that A - You are NOT allowed to be pursued for a debt while the SAR is in progress. B - You might find something on your file that you can use to build a complaint etc.

Moomin mentioned FOS who are fab. The website is great for info. However FOS can ONLY take on a case for you if you have complained formally to the company first and they have either replied and you wish FOS to have a second look, or they do not give a final resolution to your complaint within 8 weeks. You HAVE to give the company a chance to resolve teh issue first.

If ANYONE needs help or support on this kind if thing, I worked in legal and compliance in a massive financial company. Know the FSA rules (which saw what a company can and can't do - going against is a breach), Data Protection act, FOS guidelines and the whole financial compliants process like the back of my hand and am always happy to help xxx

 

[cherryglitter]

I will keep that in mind Kitty!! I may be pm'ing you in the near future!!! xx

 

[hb1]

I think while they should be allowed to get money from items, i dont believe they should be able to just walk into your home or climb in though a window, we have had people here for someone else, atthe wrong bloody address to boot but i still had to call them like 6times to get them to f off lol

I agree - the method is what is wrong - I think you should pay off your debts.

I worked with people in debt and it is shocking what they have spent the money on - I saw people in over £50k of debt but not willing to give up the luxuries - sky tv, hp on cars, outings etc I think that generally people fall in to 3 categories-
a) those that get themselves in to these situations by living over their means continuously and not addressing the debt and their lifestyles in time,
b) people thrust in to the situation eg divorce, job loss etc etc,
c) people who had no intention of paying the debt

I genuinly feel for those thrust into the situation by circumstance but not those who just lived on the never never and then blame anyone else but themselves when they suddenly get letters etc.

I think you borrow it you pay it back - I drive a crappy car, i live within my means, i work hard and i pay my debts.

I think everyone should be encouraged to do a financial health check every year as recognising that spending is out of control at an earlier point can mean that lifestyle changes can be made sooner and the horrible situation of debt collection avoided.

Also have to add - that when it gets to bailiffs then the debt has not been paid for a long time and (well it used to be ) that a county court order has to have been ignored - so there have been a lot of opportunities to sort it out sooner - again the issue of ignoring a situation until it is too late...

just my opinion tho - but it is based on seeing people from all backgrounds in this situation and for every reason you can imagine

ETA £500 parking ticket is crazy!!!!! I think they get bailiffs sooner as it's all thru the courts

 

[cherryglitter]

I haven't had any CCJ's or anything passed though... never!

 

[hypnorm]

what about the people who blatently owe money but wont pay up, we are in the situation of just taking a friend to court, through the ccj he now owes us 6 grand! he hasnt paid a penny. so we are struggling whilst he has just got married, got a car, a vespa scooter.

I'd happily send the bayliffs in to strip everything of any value, but the house is in his wifes name... convenient! also he is self employed too so can fiddle the books.

 

[cherryglitter]

what about the people who blatently owe money but wont pay up, we are in the situation of just taking a friend to court, through the ccj he now owes us 6 grand! he hasnt paid a penny. so we are struggling whilst he has just got married, got a car, a vespa scooter.

I'd happily send the bayliffs in to strip everything of any value, but the house is in his wifes name... convenient! also he is self employed too so can fiddle the books.

In that situation I think that's just taking the piss to be honest.

It's not like he's struggling with money - clearly! We really struggle!

 

[hb1]

I think it is due to the fact that it is the court that issue the ticket so failure to pay the fine is against an order of the court so bailiffs can be used - not 100% sure tho

 

[Avalanche]

what about the people who blatently owe money but wont pay up, we are in the situation of just taking a friend to court, through the ccj he now owes us 6 grand! he hasnt paid a penny. so we are struggling whilst he has just got married, got a car, a vespa scooter.

I'd happily send the bayliffs in to strip everything of any value, but the house is in his wifes name... convenient! also he is self employed too so can fiddle the books.

Can I ask how you did this? OHs brother owes us almost £8,000 after borrowing it last year. He's not paid a penny and is living the high life while we struggle to cover the debt

 

[hypnorm]

Small claims court, if you have any sort of proof email, verbal, witnesses that would help.
Any cost you can add on and also interest. It cost us just over £600 to do it though an still out of pocket.

 

[Avalanche]

Small claims court, if you have any sort of proof email, verbal, witnesses that would help.
Any cost you can add on and also interest. It cost us just over £600 to do it though an still out of pocket.

Thanks hun, we have emails and texts.