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Original poster

Bailiff emergency help please

144 replies

Bailiffhelpplease · 27/11/2018 12:54

I’ve just been called at work by a bailiff to say he is standing in my property and has a warrant for an unpaid dart charge of £2.50. He wants £425 off me.

I’m at work, he’s threatening to remove property from the house or come to work and get my car. I have not got £425 what the hell can I do?

DD must have left the door open.

OP posts:
Nesssie · 27/11/2018 15:19

Fishandthechips probably based on the percentage that do not keep up, and then they have to make another visit to try and reclaim the amount.

OnlyFoolsnMothers · 27/11/2018 15:19

What do these people get out of refusing payment plans? all their money upfront, they close the case.

Soubriquet · 27/11/2018 15:25

Oh OP what a shit situation

Next time, if there is ever a next time, please don’t ignore the letters waiting for payday. RING THEM ASAP and let them know. They might be able to work something out that way instead of sending out bailiffs

All the same fucking bailiffs for £2.50 is taking the piss

It’s £2.50 not £250! Now because of their impatience, it’s jumped up to a stupid £400+

Ridiculous

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onlyonmumnet · 27/11/2018 15:33

I'm so gutted for you. I think it's beyond ridiculous that things could go this far for a 2.50 charge. Who makes the original charge? Is it the government?

Nesssie · 27/11/2018 15:45

onlyonmumnet yes, but I honestly don't know how people aren't aware of it. The Dartford Crossing has been tolled ever since it was built (which was 1930 or something!)

Coming anti-clockwise, I count 4 fixed signs, 3 overhead electronic signs, plus one with the price (so understandable in any language), and there are the 'c' symbols painted on the floor. Then if you don't pay, you get the fine - with an option to appeal if it is a first time offence or you have a genuine reason. The appeal process is so simple and almost always accepted.

Then you get goodness knows how many letters from the debt collect company.

Nesssie · 27/11/2018 15:47

Soubriquet All the same fucking bailiffs for £2.50 is taking the piss But why should I have to pay every time, and the op gets away with it? Just £2.50 not paid by the 80 000 journeys made each day, adds up to much more than just £2.50.

And impatience? They sent a letter for £200, which the op ignored for 2 weeks.

OnlyFoolsnMothers · 27/11/2018 15:50

Nesssi compassionate much?

HellenaHandbasket · 27/11/2018 15:53

Waaaah why should I have to pay £2.50. Boo hoo. Nesssie you sound like a right joy.

HellenaHandbasket · 27/11/2018 15:54

£2.50 escalating to £425 this quickly is an utter joke. The OP wasn't trying to get out of paying it.

Nesssie · 27/11/2018 15:55

I'm just pointing out that this isn't something that has just 'happened' .
The op has paid the money and learnt a valuable lesson. I'm in no way rubbing it in her face, I'm pointing out facts.

Nesssie · 27/11/2018 15:57

HellenaHandbasket so we should all just not pay? That is not how the world works.
Yes the amount is extortionate, I agree, but she failed to mention that she did receive a letter and ignored it.

Adviceandguidanceneeded · 27/11/2018 16:00

This happened to me was £615 from 2.50 as I didn't update my log book and happened on day I moved. They wouldn't accept a payment plan from me, were very rude and threatening !

shouldidoitspoilt · 27/11/2018 16:02

Move your car

WhentheRabbitsWentWild · 27/11/2018 16:03

It is outrageous that they are still charging

The bridge , alone , must have been paid for many many times over now by drivers

OP , these companies are utter c

Nesssie · 27/11/2018 16:06

WhentheRabbitsWentWild - oh yes, that's a whole other outrage! Especially when it went up to £2.50. £5 a day for a commute, plus hours of queues. It was pure greed that they didn't just get rid of the fees when they got rid of the tolls booths.

OnlyFoolsnMothers · 27/11/2018 16:10

actually now you mention it, why do we pay across the bridge, we dont pay to cross the blackwall (actually we probably will one day)

Soubriquet · 27/11/2018 16:11

Nessie, if you don’t have the money to spare £2.50, some people will bury their heads and hope they will wait until payday. For when they do have the money.

It did escalate too quick. It’s £2 fucking 50. That is it

Nesssie · 27/11/2018 16:13

OnlyFoolsnMothers Orginally, suppose to be to get back the cost of building it, but that was worked out to be done years and years ago. Now its just pure greed and because they can. And they keep increasing the toll.

They are thinking of making the new bridge at Shorne a toll bridge as well Angry

Nesssie · 27/11/2018 16:13

^tunnels at Shorne, not a bridge.

hannah1992 · 27/11/2018 16:14

Marstons are awful. I had a dealing with them at my house but it was for the person who lived here before. I showed him every piece of information I had that had mine and dhs name on but he still didn't listen until I threatened to call the police BUT he was in the wrong.

Entering the house through an open door or window is not forcing entry, it's peaceful entry so yes he could let himself in if the door was open

Sugarhunnyicedtea · 27/11/2018 16:14

It would have stayed at £2.50 if op had spoken to dart charge as soon as she realised. It's escalated because it was ignored. Unfair? Maybe, but you can hardly miss the mile high signs telling you the charge and how to pay it on the approach to the tunnel or bridge

Carbsnomarbs · 27/11/2018 16:15

My friend had a similar problem with a debt collector, lost her job and missed a payment for something, she didn’t call them as suffers with depression and anxiety and just buried her head, they sent the enforcement agent and he was such a bully, threatened to take her mums car (she had moved back home) because she had been seen driving it once,
Again same thing, she rang the centre who said to arrange a payment plan but he wouldn’t accept it.
She ended up borrowing half the amount he wanted and then he set up a plan for the rest but only after she broke down crying on the middle of the street and we explained that she was suffering mentally!

Villanellesproudmum · 27/11/2018 16:16

Agree with Nessie you get lots of warnings, I did miss once and phoned up about a week later when I was doing my travel expenses, I’d stayed overnight in between and forgotten to pay one way.

Anyway I phoned up, late but before the letter, the man asked why I didn’t pay, I said because I’m an idiot, I have no excuse, he said fair enough, let me pay the £2.50 and cancelled the letter about to go out.

IamPickleRick · 27/11/2018 16:33

Could you have offered a final payment of whatever amount you could afford? I remember when I sorted out all my debts I phoned them all up and offered them about 60% of the full amount and they agreed.

nocoolnamesleft · 27/11/2018 16:35

Another person who had it happen for not my debt. Renting a flat, and the bailiffs turned up looking for someone who must have been a previous tenant. And not even the most recent previous tenant. They didn't want to believe a word of it when I showed proof of my identity, and even ringing the letting agency to get them to tell them I was a subsequent tenant was falling on deaf ears. Only reason they finally left was because I was so desperate I ended up telling them where he worked (I hadn't known he'd lived in the flat, but by pure fluke he was a slight acquaintance via work). I was shaking like a leaf and in tears afterwards, and felt awful for letting on where he was. Next thing I did was desperately chase him down via his work, to warn him. Ugh.

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