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AIBU?

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Original poster

Bailiffs took my car I use for work

93 replies

lexus8mmb · 29/10/2018 12:56

I am have a single parent and I work for uber part-time but bailiffs have come and taken my car for an unpayed parking fine . I have been looking on websites and found out that if u have a taxi or u are a taxi driver they can't take ur car because its ur only means and way on of earning any money. And that they are meant to set up some sort of arrangement plan up where u can pay back any money owed on a weekly or monthly plan.

OP posts:
CuriousaboutSamphire · 29/10/2018 14:43

Why pernicious?

Parking fees are fairly ubiquitous and, at the time of getting the fine, nobody can tell if you are part of the gig economy or The Rolling Stones!

OP has had some good advice. Going all Freeman of the Land isn't going to help!

TheQueef · 29/10/2018 14:48

Samph have you seen how the debt is constructed?
There is a telly program on iPlayer currently.
Killed by my debt. It's about a parking fine.

Anyway resource links www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/1KDXSbYS2t5RW8dczHqpFKG/information-and-support-debt

Belina · 29/10/2018 14:58

they cannot take your car if it is used for work

TantrumsAndBalloons · 29/10/2018 15:01

You are not classed as vulnerable as a single parent

Bombardier25966 · 29/10/2018 15:04

They can take your car if its value is greater than £1,350, even if it's used for work.

You may be classed as vulnerable as a lone parent, depending on individual circumstances.

Would be helpful if the OP came back and gave us more details.

CuriousaboutSamphire · 29/10/2018 15:10

Queef No, have you?

I have seen a lot of info about lots of people who ignore fines; worked with people who have got themselves into a lot of debt and struggle to understand the system; spent many hours going through vast amounts of often impenetrable bumf with people whose literacy levels are very low and have often banged my head against brick walls built by the both sides of a debt.

The programme you link to is extremely sad, but parking fines were not the only confounding factor. The parking fine was not the causal issue (nor were the other driving infractions). The real issue is the system that allows the gig economy and the regulation around bailiffs. Fight that! Focus on the system that does the real damage!

And maybe give the OP some really helpful advice!

WitchesWeb · 29/10/2018 15:11

And that they are meant to set up some sort of arrangement plan up where u can pay back any money owed on a weekly or monthly plan.

At any point had you actually tried to do this?

CuriousaboutSamphire · 29/10/2018 15:14

Belina You are wrong, as has been pointed out to others on this thread.

It really isn't at all helpful to anyone with a debt to post with such certainty when you don't really know what you are talking about!

Tantrums You too. As the link in the post above said, you can be deemed vulnerable if you are a single parent.

TheQueef · 29/10/2018 15:15

Imo CAB or debt charities are good advice no?

There is no real justification for the fines to grow so quickly. People worry and don't always do the right thing but also the bailiff companies don't always do the right thing.
Having a car repossessed is surely disproportionate for a parking fine.

CuriousaboutSamphire · 29/10/2018 15:17

But that doesn't make the parking fine pernicious

That is fighting the wrong fight. Getting rid of parking fines wouldn't solve any of the problems people encounter when they get into debt.

Changing the way people can be employed would help.

Changing the bailiff system would.

Bemoaning the parking fine is pointless and a needless distraction!

HotChoc10 · 29/10/2018 15:44

What do some of you people get out of being so horrible?

Sweetpea55 · 29/10/2018 15:54

If youd paid the fine then you wouldnt be in this pickle

TantrumsAndBalloons · 29/10/2018 15:59

samphire I’m actually not wrong but thanks
It says you can be deemed vulnerable if you have children especially if you are a single parent
The actual threshold for this is if you we are a single parent with exceptional circumstances ie illness, pregnancy etc.
It doesn’t mean every parent in the UK can ignore the bailiff because they have a child 🙄 that’s just ridiculous

ReanimatedSGB · 29/10/2018 16:00

You know, many bailiffs are dishonest bullies who ignore the law. There are also 'parking fines' imposed by private companies which are legally dubious. It may well be that the OP owes money to one of these fucking sharks, who went straight to sending in the bailiffs without allowing OP to make a reasonable offer to pay. So a bit less blaming of OP would be a good idea.

LagunaBubbles · 29/10/2018 16:01

How much are the parking fines?

CuriousaboutSamphire · 29/10/2018 16:03

Then if you know it is possible, don't post using absolute terminology! That makes your post nonsensical. All you had to say is that not every single parent would be classed as vulnerable. But you didn't, you posted that single parents are not classed as vulnerable... an absolute statement that did not acknowledge any caveats.

As such it was wrong, misleading, only partially correct... and not helpful to the OP!

And the point is, surely, to be helpful to the OP? That said despite some of the quite nastier, holier than thou posts!

DGRossetti · 29/10/2018 16:10

It may well be that the OP owes money to one of these fucking sharks, who went straight to sending in the bailiffs without allowing OP to make a reasonable offer to pay

Quite apart from the fact that bailiffs cost money to engage, they need a court judgement first. So quite a few steps must have been missed somewhere by someone to get to this stage.

ragged · 29/10/2018 16:15

I watch too much an awful lot of ^Can't Pay We'll Take it Away--.
Not once have I seen the high court enforcement guys hesitate to remove something when it was "tools of trade". They often mention they don't want to do that but may be forced to.

Maybe bailiffs seize under other rules...
I hope you sort something out, OP.

CuriousaboutSamphire · 29/10/2018 16:20

HCEs are bailiffs, ragged

There are different kinds of them and they have similar rules, but different rights of entry and seizure.

One of which is giving a clear 7 days notice of their first enforcement visit - ALL of them have to do this.

www.gov.uk/your-rights-bailiffs

sunglasses123 · 29/10/2018 16:24

So are single parents allowed to ignore all fines and claim they don't have any money? Really?

CuriousaboutSamphire · 29/10/2018 16:32

Where did you get that idea from? No one has suggested anything remotely like it!

How odd!

WitchesWeb · 29/10/2018 16:36

@CuriousaboutSamphire They kind of did further up the thread. Someone said they are classed as vulnerable.

user139328237 · 29/10/2018 16:40

Uber normally have fairly rigorous minimum standards for cars if not for drivers so it is likely the car is worth more than the limit and therefore can be siezed. They may also believe someone who occasionally does a few hours driving for uber on top of their full time job not to be a taxi driver for this purpose.

CuriousaboutSamphire · 29/10/2018 16:44

Being classes as vulnerable doesn't give anyone the right to ignore their debts. It does mean that collection agents have to act differently when attempting collection.

There have been a lot of links posted... lots of accurate information to be read, for free!

Caprisunorange · 29/10/2018 16:51

Bailiffs don’t need a court judgement. They are perfectly entitled to come round and bully you into agreeing to give them your car. Shocking naivety on here- too much don’t pay take it away maybe? A court judgement is needed to SEIZE the car without permission, nothing more.

You’d have to be daft not to realise it’s a perfectly normal reaction to bury your head in the sand but that does not give the bailiff the right to act illegally.