To ignore bailiff

[Thebrowntrout]

Anyone got any experience of this, I have bailiffs coming round for unpaid council tax and I don't owe it.

I'm waiting for it to be referred back to council, does anyone know how long this normally takes?

[SavoyCabbage]

Can you not just provide some proof that you don't owe it to them?

[londonrach]

Show your passport if not your debt. If your debt dont ignore this.

[AliceInUnderpants]

Is the debt in your name? Who is referring it back to the council?

[OwlofMinerva]

Whatever you do, do not let them in the house! Do not leave any doors or windows unlocked as they can make a peaceful entry, but they can't force entry. Tell them you are in dispute over the bill. Remember, no matter what they say they CAN'T FORCE ENTRY. If they try to then call the police.

[hejsvejs]

Just tell them it's not your debt.

[PegsPigs]

How has it got to the baliff stage if you don't owe it? Is there a contact at the council you can make aware of the imminent baliff visit?

[RaspberryOverload]

If your phone has the capability, record your conversation where you tell them the debt is in dispute/not yours.

[Thebrowntrout]

Thanks for your replies.

I haven't had a conversation with them. The council messed up years ago and so while I am willing to pay original debt I am not willing to pay the bailiff fees. This has been going on for over a year now.

Got a letter the other day telling me to pay up or they will refer it back to the council which is good and what I want. Just wondering how much longer it might take.

[DownstairsMixUp]

If it's not yours just tell them that. They can't come in if you don't say who you are, their powers are limited anyway, they can't force entry or anything nowadays. They might want to see Id i suppose.

[Thebrowntrout]

I know Downstairs but you can 'just tell' a bailiff anything and it's unpleasant living a life where I can't park my car outside my own home.

[Buckinbronco]

Email the council and tell them you will pay them the original amount directly and that's the end of it. Detail why. If it's their mistake they won't be able to enforce anything via bailiffs anyway because you'll be able to tell the court the same.
In terms of how long it'll take without contact, who knows? Depends on the bailiff and council.

Don't know why anyone would do anything to prove to a bailiff a debt isn't theirs though as advised above. I wouldn't show a bailiff ID in a million years

[Jujuheyhey]

Get help from a local debt adviser. I don't know where you live but I do this work and we deal with issues like this all the time. Try local CAB or ring National Debtline/Money Advice Service.

[AliceInUnderpants]

You are willing to pay the original amount, and told them so a year ago? So how is it at this stage now? Have you been making agreed payments?

[Thebrowntrout]

Yeah I've spoken to CAB who have said to just keep them out.

Alice, I owed originally £80 which is now nearly s thousand pounds.

I will pay £80 to the council. The bailiffs are getting nothing.

[Jujuheyhey]

Oh, and Buckinbronco, if it's gone to bailiffs it's already been to court so OP won't be able to defend it now.

[Buckinbronco]

Not necessarily- if the bailiffs had a court order they're could've forced entry so I wonder if it's just been turned over to a collection agency which for £80 it might. I have dealt with bailiffs for unpaid council tax which hasn't gone to court.

[londonrach]

Not sure it works like that op as costs have been added to the original £80 especially if its been to court. How old is the debt and why not settled before. You need to talk to cab and the council! Can you do that tomorrow.

[witsender]

Sadly you do owe it. What have the council said?

[Thebrowntrout]

I have spoken to the CAB :)

The council don't listen: just say it's with the bailiffs now.

According to the CAB it's just waiting it out. Just hope it ends sooner rather than later. It's all got a bit ridiculous.

[Thebrowntrout]

I owe the £80, nothing else.

[Tequilamockinbird]

Don't wait for the bailiffs to refer it back to the council, ring the council with your debit card handy to pay what you owe, or go to their offices and pay them there.

[AliceInUnderpants]

Jeezo, how did it get from £80 to £1k? How old is the debt and why didn't you pay it when it was due, or when it was first requested?

[Thebrowntrout]

It doesn't work like that Tequila if it did I'd have paid it sixteen months ago.

[AndYourBirdCanSing]

I didn't think they could force entry for council tax, it just eventually gets deferred back to the council again?

It must be awful for you OP, what a nightmare

[Thatrabbittrickedme]

If you have evidence showing your correspondence with the council show them this, and dont let them in. If you dont, then I dont see how you have any other option than to not answer the door and ensure you are fully locked in until you have resolved this with the council.

Its not clear from your posts when you started trying to address this with the council, however in your position I would be very proactively seeking to get the £80 you owe to the council asap (like, at their offices in person on Monday) so that you can then show the baliffs evidence that the debt is paid.

This is not the kind of matter that you can let drag on for months and years, particularly as you do actually owe money (understanding that the council messed up, the fact of it is that you do have a debt and it is in your name/on your property).

I hope it gets sorted, it must be a very stressful time for you