Bristow & Suitor enforcement notice help

[Sturzen]

Hello

Today I received a notice of enforcement from Bristow and Suitor regarding council tax debt. I am looking for any help and advice for tackling this as I know I only have 7 days from receipt of this letter.

Late last year I lost my job due to Covid and fell behind on council tax payments. This was then passed onto Bristow and Suitor. I got a new job and set up a payment plan with B&S in April. The amount originally owed was ~£670 with the court costs brining it just around £750. Sorry for the estimates but I do not currently have the documents to hand.

The payment plan was set up lasting 3 months as this is what the agent said was the maximum time they could arrange one for. I am now not sure if this is actually true but it's what I agreed to at the time out of fear. I have paid a total of £400 so far (I have receipts) but I made a mistake with my final clearing payment. I was expecting to make the final payment of £350 at the end of this month but I had put the date incorrectly in my calendar. This was an honest mistake and I'm genuinely not trying to avoid paying this. I did not know I had missed the payment as I was not expecting it until 28th June. The date on the agreement was 12th June. I received no correspondence until I got the letter of enforcement today.


The letter of enforcement states that I owe £611 and after logging into Bristow and Suitor website it also shows I owe £611. The website shows my previous payments (£400) but does not show the original debt or how much was outstanding before I missed the payment. I am going off memory as the website now only shows £611. I am 99% sure the amount was £346 so I'm a bit confused about how it is now £611. I understand there are bailiff fees involved but I'm unsure how it is calculated. £75 first fee plus £325 enforcement fee does not add up to the amount shown. Also I'm unsure if both fees are necessary since I have not yet been visited?


I received the letter today whilst at work. The letter said o need to call them before 6pm today but I did not get home until 8:30 so I didn't call yet. I was hoping to receive some advice on how I should proceed before I contact them.


Is the fee increase correct even though I have only received the letter of enforcement and no further stages?

I am currently exactly a week behind on my payment and as far as I was aware I owe about £350 not £611. I genuinely can not pay this until 28th June. This date is before any possible bailiff visit (7 day notice not including Sunday) and I would preferably just pay the £350 this and have the whole thing over and done with. However I'm worried this is no longer possible.


How should I deal with this?
Should I make the payment I planned on making anyway? Would this clear it?
Should I call the bailiff and organise a payment plan?
Have I been served an incorrect notice because the amount calculated doesn't seem correct?


I desperately hoped to avoid a visit for family reasons. I do not own a car and understand my rights regarding not letting them enter but I would rather solve this without the stress of refusing a bailiff entry.

Thanks in advance for any help. Sorry for the lengthy message also

[zeke]

Find out how much council tax is owed to the council, and pay that amount online and get a receipt.

Then send a message to the bailiff company and tell them that the amount outstanding has been paid, and the enforcement power has ceased to be exercisable.

You might get an angry bailiff but provided there is no car outside and he can't get in through an unlocked door, your good to go.

Paying a bailiff company on its website is usually fatal because money taken never comes off your council tax. It goes straight in their pockets as fees, and you will never be out of their debt.

Do not call the bailiff or the bailiff company, that is ringing the dinner bell for them to start coming round, and you will never get rid of them.


This article explains the legal position about paying the council direct after bailiffs:

https://stopthebailiffs.uk/pay-council- ... liffs.html


Here is a list of other steps you can take to stop bailiff action.

https://stopthebailiffs.uk/stop-council ... ement.html


Run this checklist and see if there are any enforcement improprieties, and look for any red flags.

https://stopthebailiffs.uk/council-tax- ... check.html

[Sturzen]

Thanks for the reply. I was looking into paying the council directly but I was worried they'd just take it from this years instead and then I'd be in a worse situation.


How would the £400 already paid to the enforcement agency affect what I owe the council? Do the council have to give me details about it if I ask?


Also I wanted to get a detailed breakdown of the fees added by the bailiff as I think I could be incorrect on the notice. Would it be unwise to contact them to get this info?


I really appreciate you taking the time thanks