Mrs B had been unable to pay for her TV licence and the matter had been to court. She was visited by a bailiff and had allowed him access to her property. He insisted that she ask a family member for a loan of £100, which she did, and then told her that he would return the following week for a further £125. If this was not paid he threatened to take most of her goods and also claimed to be able to force entry. We advised her about the action a bailiff can take, what goods they can seize and what constitutes a “controlled goods agreement”. In this case it did not appear to have been done properly so we suggested she could apply to the court to for a statement of means hearing. This would enable her to arrange affordable payments. We also informed her that she could make a formal complaint about that particular individual bailiff because of his behaviour.
Mrs B decided to apply to the court following the advice given and was able to arrange affordable payments. She managed to avoid further financial hardship and was better informed about what bailiffs can and can’t do, what they can and can’t take, and what action she could take to challenge bullying behaviour.
