To be furious at the way the bailiffs talked to my MIL?

[Kathyis12feethighandbites]

They said 'You've been a very naughty girl, haven't you?'

They had, in fact, phoned up completely the wrong person - she has never owed any money to anyone. She has a very common surname but they were looking for someone with a different initial and different address . But still felt able to berate her on the phone and it took her a while to convince them they had got the wrong person and that they should not come round.

But even if someone did owe them money, how f*cking DARE they talk to someone like that? It's just so creepily threatening.

Never try to deal with these people over the telephone if they say they are calling from an agency just put the phone down, you will never ever get a reasonable response from them and if you genuinely do owe money the best thing that can happen is that you end up in court where a decent human being ie the judge will deal with you fairly and usually write off all the charges these prats try and add.

I did say normally dealing with the lower rungs of society and it's true.

It is also true that there will always be exceptions and many people fall into debt - myself included. It is not the debt that makes you a bad person, it is the way in which you conduct yourself.

I once shadowed a bailiff for a week as I was writing a paper for project. Most, and I mean most not all of the people he encountered were sadly very scummy and aggressive. There were of course some lovely people who had suffered misfortunes and they were treated with the empathy they deserved. Sadly these people were few and far between.

So although I don't condone the way the bailiff spoke to the MIL, I understand how if a person does a job like this and has to deal with people screaming in their face that their whole family deserves to die of cancer etc, lying that they have just lost a child, even threatening them with baseball bats and knives that they may become cold and cynical in their dealings with people.

If bailiffs didn't exist can you imagine how much the council tax debt would increase, and who do you think would have to fill that deficit... us council tax payers would see an even bigger increase to a bill that not many of us can afford or agree with.

It's a shitty job but someone has to do it.

upseyone

are you actually kidding?

"sadly very scummy and agressive"

What sort of person are you to dip into a snapshopt of someones life, where they are being persued, usually aggressively, for money they very often don't have and come away branding them scummy

I know what my snapshot is of you at this moment

Um so the debt collectors who lie, terrorise vulnerable people, drive people to suicide, and in many cases these are people who do not even owe any money - these are good folk who have been forced to behave in this way by their "clients"? Bollocks.

Im serious. I think there are a lot of very scummy and aggressive people in this world, don't you?

Do you think the same people who would mug someone, go out looking for fights, glass people and generally bully and intimidate people pay their council tax?

As have also posted, which people don't seem to be reading, is that there are a lot of lovely, upstanding members of this society that have fallen on hard times who are also unable to pay their c/t and have to face a visit from the bailiff. Statistically these
people are uncommon in comparison the scummy and aggressive people.

I think that there are a lot of cowboy bailiffs out there who have made the headlines and made interesting TV viewing. I think that some of you may have a seen a snapshot of these people and branded all bailiffs the same.

Once again, I will state that I think the bailiff was out of order speaking to MIL like that, but I am showing some emapthy having seen what bailiffs have to put up with on a day to day basis and I can understand, but not agree with why he spoke that way.

Phew, I think I have made my point. But some of you are taking a snapshot of my posts and not really reading what is written and are therefore jumping on the fact that I don't think that all bailiffs are the arseholes that some are and that I don't think that every person who falls into debt has suffered hardship and needs help.

"They have to put up with"

No they don't, they are hired thugs and bully's for the state and private business who are paid very little actually and yet still choose to live their lives earning money this way, an insight into the mental health of these individuals and their motivations before handing them a license would be interesting reading.

Would be interested to see the statistics about the "type of people" who fall behind on their council tax

Must admit i thought it was mainly the elderly who had trouble with council tax.

happy to be corrected on that score though

For goodness sake Upsy. I didn't even owe the debt but the bailiff sent to me was an absolute wanker, who wouldn't stop calling me even when the council had put a stop on the claim while they looked into it. Even now, almost 3 months later, the vile little creature still prank calls me.

Can I just point out that there is a difference between a bailliff, who is an officer of the court, and a debt collector? See here for more information.

"some of you are taking a snapshot of my posts". Well, that would be your just desserts for taking a snapshot of one day's work for a bailiff and assuming almost everyone who is unfortunate to have to deal with them is "scum". Despicable way of speaking.

And people aren't taking a snapshot, they are objecting, quite rightly, to the tone and content of your posts.

however, I did just write 'desserts' instead of 'deserts'. So consider yourself custard pied!

"I think there are a lot of very scummy and aggressive people in this world, don't you?"

• are they bailiffs? How does a decent man of integrity end up being a bailiff? Vegetarians manage to not work in a chicken factory.

oldlady is right I think though - bailiffs usually stick to the rules more than debt collectors IIRC and from what I have seen on the telly.

Amazing to extrapolate though that all bailiffs/debt collectors are lovely and all debtors are scumbags from talking to one person. Shows a certain lack of imagination.

Thing is, bailiffs may well have to deal with some aggressive people, but that doesn't excuse going in to the first contact with a new person in an aggressive, insulting, confrontational manner.

Any decent person would make sure they have got the actual debtor first, and then start off being polite but firm. And stick to the letter of the law rather than using illegal tactics.

I spent a day shadowing some environmental health officers once. Doesn't mean I assume all restaurants have appalling hygiene.

Although it did put me off eating out for a while, tbh...

badietbuddy, the guy is wanker, no doubt about it.

Its a lengthy process to get the bailiff stage. The council will send you reminders, and if you speak to them they will often make payment arrangements, they dont want it to go to court as it adds more costs which they know they are unlikely to retrieve if you genuinely cant pay.

Eventually it will go to court, if you attend the hearing and bring proof of your income the courts are very sympathetic if you have genuine reasons as to why you cant pay and have been know to accept £1 per month repayment plans. If you dont attend the court will issue the bailiff with a warrant to relaim all the money and to allow the removal of goods if this isnt made.

Bailiffs usually dont like to make a removal of goods as they rarely cover the expenses but they wil if they have no choice. Once again, if yours is a genuine hardship case they will often make arrangements.

I saw the bailiff choose to walk out of properties empty handed and return the warrant to the council when it was genuine hardship cases such as some poor elderly person and in one horrific case a young woman who was dying of lung cancer and had forgotten to address her council tax as she was busy organising who would look after her children when she died. Both the bailiff and I were distraught to be standing in this womans house under these circumstances, we couldnt apologise enough for the intrusion...so sad that she will have passed by now

Its debt collectors (thank you OldLadyKnowsNothing) who will often be more aggressive as they don't have the authority that bailiffs have so they tend to be more threatening and misleading.

They want to regulate the "fees" that private debt collection agencies charge as well I think, people being hounded for £thousands for a £15 debt etc

I can't believe you still can't see that describing people as scum is absolutely disgusting and totally uncalled for

completely disgusting

perhaps if you lived a week, year or lifetime in any of those peoples lives you would have room to comment, politely
but you observed a balliff for a week...did it occur to you that perhaps his behaviour was modified as you were there?

you are as lacking in empathy as you are in self awareness

"By paisleyleaf Sun 22-Nov-09 13:32:45
"I think there are a lot of very scummy and aggressive people in this world, don't you?"

• are they bailiffs?

How does a decent man of integrity end up being a bailiff?"

Perhaps because decent men of integrity feel that people ought to pay what they owe (where they can)?

i shadowed for a week. I don't see why everyone is getting their knickers in a twist about my posts.

Im not saying that all debtors are scummy and all bailiffs are angels, Im simply trying to balance the argument and say there are good and bad on both sides.

There is a difference between understanding something and agreeing with it. For the last time I understand why the bailiff might have spoken that way but I certainly don't agree with it.

Ronaldhinio - I have already stated that I am in debt, which isn't really relevent.

I would like to know where you live so that I can come and live in a place that doesn't have violent, aggressive people walking the streets. I can't believe that you dont think that there are no scummy people in this world, don't you read the newspapers?

OldLady, maybe. I just can't imagine making it my business to recover debts.

Aren't bailiffs unregulated ? Even if they are, they are always talked about, on the tonight programme etc etc as being , lets me honest, a bit shoody, with few morals.

And of course there are mistakes, whn ill people or people who shouldn't be treated that way becasue of a silly debt, or an error, get calls , that really frighten them.

But there are legitimite reasons for debt collectors aswell. My brother owed some money. oh we was so stupid. buried his head in the sand. nearly got to debt collector satge.

and what about a person on benefits, who overcalimed, calmainty DLA, claiming they couldn't walk, when they were fine. then made outt hat they were hard done to becasue they couldn't pay it back and the debt collectors were 'intimidating'

Alot of debtors people really should be chased. how else is the debt to be recovered.

As nation, we spend spend spend. I want it, i want it now. bury my head in the sand, it will go away. This kind of attitude is just not o.k. not by my standards.

my bil still lives by the ethics of, never buying on credit. he waits till he has the money.

wish more people would.

Thank you, paisleyleaf.