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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Bailiffs take over the nursery

68 replies

Mosschopz · 21/12/2012 22:45

So I dropped off DS this morning at nursery, except I didn't. The staff were on the curb outside crying as the bailiffs - with police - had moved in early in the morning to take over the building. Apparently the owners of the nursery had racked up arrears spanning 12 months and the staff knew nothing until the police broke in this morning.

DS had to come to work with me, it was ummm interesting, but I had no choice.

We now are faced with negotiating any of our personal belongings that may be left back from the building. I don't know whether I'll see his file and photos of him on the displays around the nursery again.

AIBU to think kicking us all out with no warning is disgusting behaviour from the police and bailiffs where there are children concerned.

OP posts:
NoisyDay · 21/12/2012 22:47

Oh my god that's crazy,are you up the creek now re:childcare?and are all te staff out of a job.sorry to hear this op.

blondiedollface · 21/12/2012 22:48

That sounds horrific. I sincerely hope you get back any possessions and the owners compensate you for any loss of earnings/deposit/nursery fees you accrue because of it. :(

bradywasmyfavouritewiseman · 21/12/2012 22:48

I see what you mean. But its a business.

The situation will have gone through all the usual steps to avoid this before now and the owners are to blame. Not the baliffs or police. They don't actually want to do this shit.

I can't imagine they will want the display photos and his file. Have to spoken to the police. You may find they will be returned.

The situation is the fault of the owners, its them that have caused it.

Original poster
Mosschopz · 21/12/2012 22:49

I think that's very unlikely. It's the staff I feel for - out of a job and wages at Christmas and facing never seeing any of the children they see every day again. We're really sad too x

OP posts:
stifnstav · 21/12/2012 22:50

The police will have been asked to attend to avoid a breach of the peace, its not unheard of.

To rack up debts to require repossession of the premises, the nursery owners will have been in deep shit for a long time.

Its the nursery owners you should be annoyed at for not paying their bills from the not insignificant fees you pay to them.

apostrophethesnowman · 21/12/2012 22:50

That's a shame that the staff will likely all lose their jobs four days before Christmas. Sad

The police and bailiffs were only doing their job, so it's not reasonable to be upset with them.

I hope you get alternative childcare sorted soon

WorraLorraTurkey · 21/12/2012 22:51

Oh my God that sounds terrible Shock Sad

I think I'd go to the local newspapers

They'll not doubt want to run the story and may be able to put you all in touch with someone who can help.

AuntieStella · 21/12/2012 22:52

The owners must have known for some tie that they were up shit creek. The bailiffs/police are not the ones to blame here.

bradywasmyfavouritewiseman · 21/12/2012 22:55

I think that's very unlikely

Why?

oldpeculiar · 21/12/2012 22:56

why wouldn't you get fis files and photos back.Do you think the nursery's creditors are going to want them?

IloveChristmasandsodoesmydog · 21/12/2012 22:57

Yeah I'd be tempted to go to the papers too. How awful for the staff. I know my dd's nursery staff are very fond of all their charges and how unsettling for all the children too.

BackforGood · 21/12/2012 23:00

As everyone else says - it's not the bailiffs or the police you should be cross with, but the owners. There are all sorts of supports in place to support Nurseries, but they have to want to help themselves by accepting the advice and making the right decisions. Some just don't. I feel very sorry for the staff who have lost their jobs, and of course it's going to be difficult for everyone to find new childcare, but I think you need to direct any anger at the right people.

ShakySingsMerryXmasEveryone · 21/12/2012 23:12

Oh god, that's awful for everyone, the staff, children and parents. We would be up shit creek if our nursery ceased to exist tomorrow.

Best of luck finding alternative arrangements.

WorraLorraTurkey · 21/12/2012 23:14

I may be wrong but I think the OP saying "I think that's very unlikely" was in response to....

I sincerely hope you get back any possessions and the owners compensate you for any loss of earnings/deposit/nursery fees you accrue because of it.

And I agree, if they're so skint they're being repossessed, they're not going to have money to pay out on compensation.

oldpeculiar · 21/12/2012 23:44

'As everyone else says - it's not the bailiffs or the police you should be cross with, but the owners.'
..why are the owners to blame , it's probably parents not paying the fees that have sunk them

stifnstav · 21/12/2012 23:53

Probably shmobably.

The owners should collect their own debts properly and remove children of non-paying parents. End of.

sashh · 22/12/2012 03:12

Do you know any other parents?

A letter tot he chief constable and the court baliffs from the parents asking for photos and folders.

I think the Baliffs have to take the best price so if you all offer £1 for your own child's folder they will probably take it, it's not going to get anything at auction.

TalkativeJim · 22/12/2012 03:29

Get in touch with the police ability the fact that the bailiffs have your child's personal file and details, and say that as well as being upset by that you consider it a child protection risk. 'Get the best price' for your child's personal information? Um, no.

Contact them straight away and ask what data security measures are in place.

HollyBerryBush · 22/12/2012 05:35

The police and bailifs were doing their job, as instructed by a court. the nursery owners would have known this day was coming.

Business tend to go to the wall for one reason - cash flow. Cash flow is caused by people not paying thier bills. So look around the other parents and wonder who has had several months free childcare and which of them has caused you inconvenience, but more importantly put the families and homes of their employees at risk

LtXmasEve · 22/12/2012 06:42

This must have been a shock, but I agree with the other posters that the 'fault' almost certainly lies with the parents, not the court or bailiffs that were simply 'doing their job'

I've recently become involved with accounting at a nursery that had been run, unsupervised, very badly. When I got involved there were unpaid bills running into the thousands Shock

After a lot of work we eventually managed to total up all the bills, informed the parents, gave them a deadline and the offer of a payment plan.

At the end of the deadline the staff were told to refuse admittance to the children of the debtors. The parents were a nightmare, bullying and pushy and in some cases literally walked off leaving their children without a backward glance.

The next day I attended opening times and told the same parents that if they left their children I would call the police and tell them the children had been abandoned. I would have as well. These were parents who hadn't paid for up to 4 months for their full time care Shock and then refused to pay their bills - up to £1000.

We've ended up having to write off some of the bills as the parents have removed their children without paying up. Now this is a military/community venture which means the only overheads are staff wages, but any other company would have gone to the wall.

JumpingJackSprat · 22/12/2012 06:59

why are people talking about going to the papers? to say what? i think the nursery owners are probably having a harder time of this situation than the parents and the last thing they need is their story in the paper - nobody chooses for their business to go under!

Isityouorme · 22/12/2012 07:01

Be pissed at the nursery management, not the bailiffs and police. They are doing their jobs unlike the nursery who have acted appallingly.

purplesunflower · 22/12/2012 07:19

Not sure how practical this is - but have you thought about getting in touch with any of the staff directly? They may be prepared to look after your Ds in your own home? If you shared with another parent it probably wouldn't cost much different to the nursery. May not be a long term solution but could help you (and nursery worker) in the short term?
What a horrible situation

bradywasmyfavouritewiseman · 22/12/2012 07:30

1Business tend to go to the wall for one reason - cash flow. Cash flow is caused by people not paying thier bills

There is not one reason this happens to business and cash flow is bro always caused by people not paying.

Even if it is, its still down to bad management. My nursery wouldn't allow this.

TeeElfOnTeeShelf · 22/12/2012 07:36

And this is why my son's nursery insists on direct debit and only direct debit, unless your childcare vouchers cover it.

No business can stay in business if they aren't paid. I freelance and I know this very well.

But don't blame the police and bailiffs. Blame poor management at the nursery.

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