Bailiffs and bully boy tactics
Baliffs have been given the green light to take matters into their own hands when it comes to collecting payments from people who are in debt with their credit cards.
The Tribunals, Courts and Enforcement Bill have given bailiffs ‘a red rag to a bull’ to use bully boy tactics to retrive large sums of money from people who are in debt. The law at present stipulates that bailiffs are allowed to force entry if they are retrieving money on behalf of a magistrate. They can legally enter a home through an unlocked door or by invitation.
A bailiff does not need to have any formal qualifications, he simply needs to pay a security bond of £10,000, provide two references and answer some questions about the law. A bailiff is not supposed to have a criminal record but in many cases, this information is never checked. Bailiffs can come from all walks of life and this ‘green light’ of power can easily fall into the wrong hands.
The Citizen’s Advice Bureau is appealing to the government to ensure that forced entry is only used when all else has failed. They are also asking for every case to be looked into fairly, so as people who have intentionally ran up debts and are refusing to pay, are given the worst scenario. They ask for leniency to be spared on families who are on low incomes and are struggling to repay years of debt.
If you are being hounded by bailiffs, please seek free debt help immediately.
Debt Advice News posted on 30/05/2007 15:45:41
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