Petition against Bailiffs being granted right to forced entry

Nos4r2 · 21 May 2007, 15:48

http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/Bailiff-Violence/

This is SCARY. Imagine you forget about a parking ticket and you're away on holiday when they arrive-or they come looking for someone else-maybe a previous resident- and you're not home...

I've forwarded it to everyone in my address book.

Tim M · 21 May 2007, 20:05

Equally, what about when someone owes you money and you want it back!

Nos4r2 · 21 May 2007, 20:39

Then you get a court order and send the bailiffs in. They keep on charging for visits until you pay up-and they don't back off.

I've had the bailiffs knocking on my door at previous addresses quite a few times.
Once was my fault-I forgot to pay a parking fine.
Once they were looking for a previous tenant who had left 2 years previously and I'd posted mail back as 'not known at this address'.
TWICE they got the wrong address-there were flats across the road that the name 'xxxx court' in the address and their computer couldn't handle the
extra line in the address so instead of
15 xxxx Court
xxxx Street
xxxxx
Swindon
they had
15 xxxx Street
xxxxx
Swindon

If they had the right to force entry then they would have forced entry to the wrong address. I had one of them serve papers on me for someone from the flat across the road and walk off without even verifying he'd got the address right.
Tell me that in your entire life that you know something like that will never happen to you...

Or imagine that your girlfriend or child was home alone when they forced entry.

Tim M · 21 May 2007, 20:41

Presumably they would knock before bashing your door down wouldn't they? Fair point if your not in.

Nos4r2 · 21 May 2007, 20:52

That's the whole point. They will knock first but if you're not in and they break in the onus is on YOU to prove that they got it wrong-and to prove that the stuff they took belongs to you. Have you got reciepts for everything you ever bought?

Imagine for example someone in a shared house had the bailiffs after them and they forced entry while no-one was about.

Simon B · 22 May 2007, 06:06

It's a thugs charter, there was a bailiff on TV asking for the industry to be regulated should this bill get passed.

More "Legacy" from the outgoing irrelevance.

The Jackeens · 22 May 2007, 07:31

There's a lot of emphasis on criminalising small offences.

And yet so many resources are needed to avert/deal with serious crime.

K & P

codprawn · 22 May 2007, 10:54

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nos4r2

http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/Bailiff-Violence/

This is SCARY. Imagine you forget about a parking ticket and you're away on holiday when they arrive-or they come looking for someone else-maybe a previous resident- and you're not home...

I've forwarded it to everyone in my address book.

Couldn't agree more - yet more power corruption. I just had a debt collection agency on the phone demanding £80 off me for not taxing a car. When I said the car was in my garage and hadn't moved in 2 years they said - "can you prove that".

I notified the DVLA with a SORN which they appear to have lost. Something I TOTALLY disagree with though - why should I be breaking the law if my car is on private property while I am away? Bonkers.

Under these new bailiffs laws it means they could come in and nick my TV to cover the debt - of course the TV is worth £1000 but by the time they sell it at auction and recover their costs it just coovers the bill...........

A mate of mine USED to be friendly with a bloke who runs a respected firm of bailiffs - he ripped him off a treat and they were very good friends - he then apologised and did a lot of grovelling because what he did was very illegal - my mate chose not to report him - I would have though - needless to say he has nothing to do with him any more!!!

Sixy_the_red · 22 May 2007, 13:17

Don't get me started on SORN. I'm currently in the process of telling DiVviLA to f*** off after they fined me for not renewing the SORN on one of the bikes. They 'claim' they sent out a reminder, so I've invited them to prove it.

I think I feel a freedom of information request coming on....

codprawn · 22 May 2007, 16:35

The SORN is yet another freedom this government has taken away from us - the freedom from worry.

Imagine you get a 6 month contract working abroad but it's extended to 12 months. You think you have nothing to worry about as your car is safely locked up in your garage at home with the battery removed and the wheels chocked. When you come home you find that you have been fined for not telling the STASI about it!!!

codprawn · 22 May 2007, 16:36

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sixy_the_red

Don't get me started on SORN. I'm currently in the process of telling DiVviLA to f*** off after they fined me for not renewing the SORN on one of the bikes. They 'claim' they sent out a reminder, so I've invited them to prove it.

I think I feel a freedom of information request coming on....

Thats what all these little Hitlers hate - somebody to stand up to them!!!

John Kennett · 23 May 2007, 11:19

Quote:

Originally Posted by codprawn

Thats what all these little Hitlers hate - somebody to stand up to them!!!

I don't suppose it will bother them in the slightest. Probably give them a bit of a laugh in the office to lighten up another tedious day.

Whether we like it or not, unless the law is changed, it is our responsibility to ensure that our vehicles are either taxed or have an in-date SORN. I suspect that whether or not a remider was sent will turn out to have no relevance whatsoever.

Irritating as it undoubtedly is, I have a feeling that Sixy is on a hiding to nothing with this one.

Thankfully it looks like they have dropped proposals to require all bikes to be road registered (complete with full size number plates, the works) whether or not they are ever used on the road. Would have made MotoGP rather interesting!

John

Sixy_the_red · 23 May 2007, 11:54

John - I think I probably am on a hiding to nothing but I'm going to make their lives damn difficult in the process.

The trouble is in the UK that too many people just accept things. If more people stood up to unfair and unreasonable rules like SORN then maybe the gubbernment might think twice.

codprawn · 23 May 2007, 12:02

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sixy_the_red

John - I think I probably am on a hiding to nothing but I'm going to make their lives damn difficult in the process.

The trouble is in the UK that too many people just accept things. If more people stood up to unfair and unreasonable rules like SORN then maybe the gubbernment might think twice.

Hear hear!!!

Sixy_the_red · 23 May 2007, 12:17

I'm actually at the point now where I think I will pay the fine. In pennies.

John Kennett · 23 May 2007, 14:13

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sixy_the_red

If more people stood up to unfair and unreasonable rules like SORN then maybe the gubbernment might think twice.

SORN may be a bloody nuisance, but I don't agree that the principle is unreasonable.

Lots of people used to leave gaps in their road tax knowing they could string it out for a month or two between renewals and get away with it (effectively getting 13 or 14 months for the price of 12). To prevent this you are now required to notify them explicitly if you're not using the vehicle. Seems fair.

I agree that there's certainly an argument that yearly renewal of SORN shouldn't be required though. I don't see why it shouldn't apply until further notice . . .

John

Sixy_the_red · 23 May 2007, 14:26

Oh don't get me wrong, I do understand the principle of the SORN declaration - not only does it pick up on people stringing out their tax as you've said, but it also does help to keep DVLA's records up to date as far as what vehicles are where and it what condition...

BUT

I do take exception to being fined more than the cost of a year's tax (its £64 for a bike) for forgetting to make a free declaration. I didn't use the vehicle without tax (which they also assume, adding 3 months back tax to the fine) and there would have been nothing wrong with writing a letter saying 'Your declaration is overdue, please either fill in the correct form or pay for tax or we'll fine you', giving you the benifit of the doubt.

Incidentally, and I need to get hold of a V11 to check, but I don't think it actually states that you are obliged to remember - it certainly doesn't state that on the letter of receipt I got when I first made the declaration. Its the whole attitude of guilty until proven innocent and no discression that I have a problem with. Even if you miss a council tax payment they give you a chance to put things right before fining you / taking you to court.

John Kennett · 23 May 2007, 14:36

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sixy_the_red

I do take exception to being fined more than the cost of a year's tax (its £64 for a bike) for forgetting to make a free declaration. I didn't use the vehicle without tax (which they also assume, adding 3 months back tax to the fine) and there would have been nothing wrong with writing a letter saying 'Your declaration is overdue, please either fill in the correct form or pay for tax or we'll fine you', giving you the benifit of the doubt.

Ouch! I can see why you're pissed off!

John

havener · 23 May 2007, 15:41

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Jackeens

There's a lot of emphasis on criminalising small offences.

And yet so many resources are needed to avert/deal with serious crime.

K & P

That's because serious offences need evidence, manpower, investigation time, and don't show up as much of a percentage in this ridiculous league table culture we now seem to have.

Lots of little offences, however, make it look like the police are actually doing something useful.

And, of course, things like speeding fines can be automated so your clearing nearly 100% profit on every one...

havener · 23 May 2007, 15:45

I'd also like to know what happens to the email and address data you supply via the petition... stored in a disenters database no doubt ready to be added into your ID card data so they can pick out all the non new-labour militants probably....