What do bailiffs actually do re: fines?

[Lucy807]

So I owe £180 to the council for going in a bus lane. I know it's petty but I'm having a row with the council because whilst I was appealing the decision I lost the chance to pay the £35. It then went to £70 which is a big chunk of money to me. I only earn £1300 a month, it's all accounted for. It was a genuine mistake, I was in a city I don't know and I had just been to a very difficult visit for work.
I know that's not the point but I was not objecting to paying the fine, I was objecting to not being given the chance to spread it. The whole system is geared around people just having that money to pay the fine immediately whilst if you live pay check to pay check, no savings, it could be that you end up paying more due to just not having the money at the time when you get the letter.
I've been putting all this in emails but no one cares. It's got to the stage where it's £189 now and I still don't have it. They're talking about bailiffs coming and I feel like just saying bring it on, good luck finding £200 worth of stuff in my house. I have two old tellys and that's it.
What do they actually do?

Bloody hell just pay it! Ask anyone to lend you the money, use a credit card or overdraft. Empty money boxes. Just pay it! You're making this SO much worse. This could end in removal of your car and/or a CCJ .

In the past I've done tutoring when skint. I've done gardening for pensioners. I've done babysitting. I've asked online for any odd jobs going. I've done night shift work in factories. One off events that need staff etc... if you look there is money to be made.

Slightly cheeky but a friend "sold" something on eBay, got the £50 for it, paid her council tax which was due (she was short) then just let the buyer know that unfortunately the item was broken and refund them (when she had then been paid and had some more money).

I know what it's like to be skint but I managed, I budgeted, I begged friends for a loan occasionally when I knew it was urgent and didn't want a bill to escalate.

Honestly you will be better off just sticking to the plan you have been offered. Otherwise you’ll run the risk of your car being clamped outside your property or picked up on the public highway through name plate recognition. You will also be charged £235 enforcement fees and £110 removal fee if they lift your vehicle.

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Exactly, it was the same in Covid, because it was fines as a punishment the rich could just carry on doing as they want. The pay the fine in so many days and it will be less is not possible for many poorer people.

The OP appealed though and lost the chance for the reduced payment. This isn't to do with not having money, it's to do with not having money to pay the elevated fine caused by arguing. To be fair it is not clear why the OP appealed originally, but the only grounds would really have been that the vehicle was not in fact in the bus lane. It either was, or it wasn't. If it was, no need to appeal, just pay.

The council will have heard it all before, and the bailiff. The sad part is that the truly needy will get treated the same as all the others who try it on. The many who spoil it for the few I suppose.

@HappiestSleeping but that's wrong isn't it? You shouldn't be penalised financially for appealing something, as it is your legal right.

When bailiffs come, that fine will be £550. Stop f* about, pay the fine and do not wait for the bailiffs.

Sort of. Was the vehicle in the bus lane? If it was, what were the grounds for appeal?

Also, as another poster said, you can pay, but still appeal. That way you protect the reduced payment.

They could take your car. Also you be charged for their visit so this bill will keep raising. Best was to pay when it was £35. Was your car in the bus lane. What's the reason you felt you could appeal. Maybe talk to citizen advice

After appeal, when lost, you still get 14 days to pay at the reduced rate. I’ve been there and done just that. It tells you before you appeal that even if unsuccessful you can still pay the lower rate if paid immediately.

OP if things are that bad, stop wasting time and energy on the ‘injustice’ and focus that on finding the money or sorting a resolution. Also accept you were in a bus lane and got fined appropriately for it.

But you had no grounds to appeal.

@HappiestSleeping is correct.

An appeal (as per the council's T&Cs) can only be made if you did NOT commit the offence e.g. someone had borrowed or stolen your car, or perhaps it had mis-recorded the number plate e.g. AB123BC instead of AB123BG.

You DID drive in the bus lane so appealing was a complete waste of time and therefore money as it was never going to be successful.

Going into the council offices and asking for a payment plan within 14 days of receiving the fine would have been a good option.

Potentially if the bailiffs come they can turn up 7am if you dont have the money then they could clamp the car,the fees will go up and then you will have to pay to get the clamp off.

you need to find a way to get the money now it’s gone to enforcement,it’s embarrassing having bailiffs turn up as it’s quite obvious who they are to neighbours.

You can stop bailiffs (also called 'enforcement agents') coming to your home to collect a debt you owe by paying the debt in full.
If you can't pay your debt in full there are other options you can take - these will depend on your budget and circumstances.
You can ask the bailiffs if you can:

1. pay most of your debt off in one go if you can afford most of it
2. set up a payment arrangement if you can afford small regular payments

Even if your offer is refused you should still try to pay. This can help make it easier to negotiate with the bailiffs because they can see that you want to pay.

RING THE NUMBER ON THE LETTER OF ENFORCEMENT OP!

Have you got a family member or friend who could lend you the money and agree to a payment plan with them? If you’re juggling placement, uni and kids, i appreciate finding the time to work to earn the cash probably isn’t feasible. Alternatively do your college or university have a hardship fund you can apply for? I imagine the threat of bailiffs must be quite frightening especially if they come when the kids are home. Best of luck!

I think they can take stuff to sell at auction to cover your debt, but I think you incur more debt if they take that action. So you pay to have your stuff taken.......

Honestly OP get this paid off ASAP - borrow from family/friends, sell what you can, get an interest free credit card to pay off over a year.

But stop this escalating further - because it will.

You wish you'd paid the £35. If you do nothing but object and argue you may end up wishing you'd paid the £189

I agree with some of the others. You seem to have made things worse for yourself. It’s shit it happened, of course it is, and it will probably seem unfair but that’s the sort of thing you have to be prepared for if you drive a car.

It seems you had no reason to appeal the actual fine and I know £35 is a lot of money when you’re skint but it’s obviously a lot worse now.

Slightly different but I got a parking charge for forgetting to put my blue badge on display in a BB space. I appealed with my badge details and owned my mistake and was lucky that they cancelled it, however, I was fully prepared to have to pay because it was my mistake and I was, in fact, parked in a BB space without a BB. They also told me that appealing wouldn’t penalise me and I would still have the chance to pay the lower amount if my appeal was rejected. This would have been the time for you to try and find the £35.

People saying 'just pay it' are missing the point, how?!

They cannot take the car if you need it for your job and it’s worth less than £1,350

https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/debt-and-money/action-your-creditor-can-take/bailiffs/what-bailiffs-can-take/stopping-bailiffs-taking-your-vehicle/

Or you can park it in a locked garage or on a friend or family member's driveway.

The original fine was £35. If this was genuinely out of reach for you, then the situation is dire. I have been in a situation where I had maxed all cards, and was up to my overdraft, however I would have still been able to borrow £35 from someone to stop it getting worse. If this is where you are, I would gently suggest that driving in a bus lane is unwise.

Now, you are in a worse pickle as the fines are escalating. If you are unable to find the money to pay the fine, you will have to let them take you to court and let the court agree a payment plan. The first plan would obviously be to agree a payment plan with either the bailiff or the issuer of the fine, but you say you've tried this. Either of these, especially the first, will impact your credit rating and may result in items being siezed to pay fines. I am unclear whether you've actually been to court and had a judgement against you.

There is no outcome where you won't have to pay, and the longer it goes on, the worse it will be.

I don't think we've all missed the point at all.

You think it's unfair that the debt escalated under appeal, its punitive to poorer people and you think you should be able to spread the payments over several smaller instalments.

If we all agreed with you it doesn't change a thing. It's up to the Bailiffs and its in YOUR best interests to work with them to clear this debt before it grows even more!

You don't want to look back and wish it was still "only" £189 do you?

Given what's happened to used car prices, is there such a thing as a roadworthy vehicle which isn't worth £1,350?

People are not missing the point.

It's just unfortunate you went about it the wrong way.

Instead of dealing with the £35 debt (beg, steal, borrow, set up an arrangement to pay with the council office), you let it escalate and now owe more money.

To put it bluntly - you only have yourself to blame for this situation. If you'd gone to the council offices as soon you got the fine and tried to set up a payment plan then the debt would have remained at £35.

It is entirely your own actions that have allowed this to escalate. You seem to be wanting to blame someone else.

If possible, beg/borrow the money from family or friends.

Look in to whether your employer, or college/uni, or trades union (if you're in one) has a hardship fund which you can apply to.

If you're on benefits, google "DWP budgeting loan".

If despite being skint you don't have a history of bad credit, get a credit card and pay it off.

If all else fails, and if you own the car (as opposed to it being owned by a finance company) then it may end up being less bad for you to sell it and pay this debt off, than have bailiffs come and tow it away. But you not do this off the back of someone on the internet suggesting it, you should seek proper advice.

I’d look at citizens advice about what bailiffs can charge and do and situations which can help you.

the amount you owe could rocket starting from them sending you a letter.