Bailiff Action
RECOVERY AND ENFORCEMENT
Bailiff action
The Council can instruct bailiffs to collect
the Council Tax and Non Domestic Rates following the issue of a
Liability Order. Chandlers Ltd and Stanford & Green Ltd
are authorised to act on behalf of Ashford Borough Council.
If you have been contacted by either their
details are:
Stanford and Green Ltd
Barker Chambers
Barker Road
Maidstone
Kent
ME16 8SF
Telephone
01622 683308
Email
info@stanfordandgreen.co.uk
Website
www.stanfordandgreen.co.uk
Chandlers Ltd
Chandlers House
2 Southlands Road
Bromley, Kent
BR2 9QP
Telephone 020 8290 5055
Email:
info@chandlers.ltd.uk
Website
www.chandlers.ltd.uk/
Remember to always quote your Council Tax or
Non Domestic Rates account number when contacting a bailiff.
First visit
The bailiff cannot force entry into a domestic
property on a first visit, but may enter through an unlocked door
or open window. On this visit the purpose of the bailiff calling at
your property is to:
- list and seize possession of your goods, or
- obtain a walking possession agreement allowing possession to
take place at some later date, or
- agree a payment arrangement which would clear the outstanding
debt within a three month period.
Once a case has been passed to the bailiff you
must make full payment of the debt including bailiffs costs, or
make a suitable payment arrangement with the bailiff, and provide
details of your income and outgoings, if asked to do so otherwise
your goods may be removed. If you make the payments as agreed, you
will not have to pay any more charges than those initially
incurred.
If you are out when the bailiffs call, they
will leave details for you to contact them. You should contact the
bailiff immediately; otherwise more fees could be added to the
amount you already owe.
If you cannot agree a payment arrangement and
do not have enough goods to meet the debt, the Council will then
decide what further action to take.
Walking possession
This is an agreement that you must sign to
allow you to keep the goods listed as long as you keep to the
agreed payment arrangement.
Second and subsequent
visits
If the bailiff has obtained a walking
possession agreement and you fail to keep to your payment
arrangement, the bailiff will call again. This will cost you more
in bailiff charges. This time, the bailiff has the right to make a
forced entry to your home and can take away the items listed in the
walking possession agreement.
Fees
Charges will be added to the council tax debt
owed when a bailiff calls at your property. This can result in your
debt increasing to substantially. The charges that can be added to
your debt in connection with action taken by the bailiff are set
out in regulations shown by
clicking here:
Further information
The certificated bailiff attending will:
- carry official identification at all times
- carry written authorisation to act on behalf of the
Council
- issue an official receipt for cash payments, and for other
payments on request.
- take full responsibility for collecting the debt and it is the
Council's decision not to interfere with the bailiffs'
operations.
This webpage was updated on
5/12/2011