New Powers For Baliffs.
 

Bailiffs are to be given new powers that will enable them to break into your home. Changes in the Tribunals Courts and Enforcement Bill, mean that bailiffs will be able to break into your home to recover property against alleged debts, currently they are only allowed into property if invited in, The new legislation will mean that parking ticket offenders can be jailed for up to a year for trying to prevent them. David Harker of the Citizens Advice said,"Bailiffs have an appaling record of abusing their powers against the vulnerable."

Re: New Powers For Baliffs.
 

Interesting.

I will have to read an Insurance Policy to see if Theft cover is Excluded If force or Violent entry is made by a Baliff.

Or the damaged the Cause to the Property Also.

Re: New Powers For Baliffs.
 

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Can I use reasonable force since they're breaking in to my home?

Re: New Powers For Baliffs.
 

In future they will be able to break into your home for a host of unpaid debts, parking tickets, credit card payment, and council tax to name a few. The new law comes amid growing reports of bailiffs using heavy handed tactics. Bailiffs who aquire the details boast they can get the money using whatever means possible.

Re: New Powers For Baliffs.
 

What if they have got the wrong house which is what happened at Uni, some woman did ran off and we kept getting letters from this baliff company, over the Xmas holidays the police had been round as we found a summons posted through the door, hand delivered. That was a fun day trying to sort that thing out.

Re: New Powers For Baliffs.
 

what happens if you have just moved home and in a house that was debt ridden before you and they break in thinking that, that person stills lives there??:eek: i moved once and had baliffs knocking on me door for the last person, i had to prove i wasnt them!
or is it only when you are in they can do it?

Re: New Powers For Baliffs.
 

oops two posts the same...lol

Re: New Powers For Baliffs.
 

I would think they would have to be 100% sure it was the right person.

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So effectively they have now granted legal status to burglary. What a wonderful government we have in this country :mad:

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i have never had a baliff, thank god, but seen a programme about it, and it wasnt very nice taking all you belonging that has took you years to save and snooping through everything, just to sell for peanuts to pay the debt, its just disgusting!!!

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I have no problems with what debt collectors do, you get into debt, you have to pay up, it's only fair, heavy handed approaches are not on. There are 'nice' baliffs out there though, just a few who think they are some sort of law unto theirselves.

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I would agree with you there, but some people lose there job or cant work anymore, so cant pay and dont know what to do so they just ignore it, and then the debt gets worse with costs added on!!
but there are some who wont pay, then i dont feel sorry for them, the ones who move to escape the debt, and theres a few i know who have done that i can tell ya!

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Personally i think this matter has been looked at in the wrong way completely, this stupid country actively encourages debt, but absolves all responsiblity when they wonder why people cant pay or afford to pay up. Bailiffs are not all nice people & will do anything they can to retreive their money - with interest, this is going to have some disasterous consequences on the usual poorer & vunerable people!! I worked as a volunteer for the CAB for 12mnths & the most problematic reports were of debt & bailiffs, so agree with what they say there. The people that can afford to pay will get off scotfree with some red tape & the way courts handle fines are rediculous, they are not consistant nor enforce it & if they do its too heavy, cant win situ.

Re: New Powers For Baliffs.
 

yes ive had the same problem with the baillifs looking for someone else ,they too have asked me for id,they should do their job properly and find out who actually lives at the address before calling round,and they came round again and just posted a card through the door saying that they had called(they didnt knock)lucky they had to walk passed my livingroom window and i seen them i went out and asked what they were here for and they said we knocked and were looking for some woman(not me)for a debt owed,i again had to show them id,they should have to find out who lives there first before breaking in because it wouldnt be classed as a mistake it would be classed as breaking and entering all because they cant be botherd to find out if the person they are looking for actually lives at the address

Re: New Powers For Baliffs.
 

Another issue for people to be aware of in all this as well is that should a bailiff call at your property to gain entry and you refuse- a number of extremely unscrupulous collectors give you some sob story about their boss not believing that they have actually been to your property and tried to collect. They then ask if you could sign their book as evidence that they have been just so they "don't get into trouble". Many people relieved that the bailiff is going away sign as requested. Then the sting- signing constitutes entry and the individual then has no legal right to refuse entry on subsequent visits. As a former CAB worker I came across this a lot and it never ceased to disgust me.

Almost as much as the various independent finance companies who tour mnore deprived areas in the run up to Xmas with a van full of Play stations, computers, tellys, dvds etc. They then call at homes that they know have children and offer the said goods for 'reasonable' weekly payments using tactics of "Imagine his/her face on Xmas morning when they wake up to this". How these people then go home and sleep well is beyond me.

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Good question Willow, I wonder if you can get bailiff to break into another bailiffs offices after your money? It may be like getting a solicitor to sue another solicitor used to be like, a no go area?

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Professional Indemnity Insurance maybe.