Weird Phone Call

[Top Cats Hat]

 

Is there any thing that can be done about this sort of harassment

 

Sadly not.

 

A few years back, a colleague of mine had two clowns from Marston's turn up on his doorstep at 6.30am one morning demanding £1,600 for an unpaid speeding fine from 2008. He asked them why on earth they thought that and they showed him an iPad with a spread sheet with one line which was his name, the words 'unpaid fine' and £1,600.

 

When he asked them for more details they told him that it was none of their concern, they just want the money. He saw a solicitor who advised him to contact the Historic Debts section of the Magistrates Court. They told him that the fine was actually for failing to appear in court to answer a speeding charge. It turns out that he was driving a works car when he was flashed by a speed camera and when the Notice of Intended Prosecution was sent out to his employer, they sent it back with a wrong address, hence him never receiving the summons, not attending court, being fined in his absence and never receiving the court letter informing him of the fine.

 

The Historic Debts section were very understanding and told him to go to a solicitor, make a statuary declaration saying that he had never lived at the wrong address and as soon as they received a copy of it they would simply cancel the debt. The next day on his way to work, Marston's arrived and blocked his drive to stop him going to work if he didn't pay up in full. He told them that he had found out where the debt had come from and it was going to be sorted out. They refused to move their van and only moved it when a neighbour rang the police.

 

The next morning he went out to work to find that his car had been clamped by Marston's. He rang the number on the letter they had put through his door and they said that he had three days to pay up or they would come back and seize his car and sell it to pay off the debt. As his car was worth over £10K he borrowed the money and paid up. When they came to release his car, he asked them why they hadn't knocked on his door before clamping the car and they told him they had knocked three times. When he told his neighbour what had happened she laughed and said 'Is that right? They parked twenty yards up the road, sneaked through your gate, clamped the car then put the letter through your letter box very quietly and drove off!'

 

These people are absolute scum and sadly there is not a great deal you can do about them as they are acting with the authority of the courts.

[Ontarian1981]

Sadly not.

 

A few years back, a colleague of mine had two clowns from Marston's turn up on his doorstep at 6.30am one morning demanding £1,600 for an unpaid speeding fine from 2008. He asked them why on earth they thought that and they showed him an iPad with a spread sheet with one line which was his name, the words 'unpaid fine' and £1,600.

 

When he asked them for more details they told him that it was none of their concern, they just want the money. He saw a solicitor who advised him to contact the Historic Debts section of the Magistrates Court. They told him that the fine was actually for failing to appear in court to answer a speeding charge. It turns out that he was driving a works car when he was flashed by a speed camera and when the Notice of Intended Prosecution was sent out to his employer, they sent it back with a wrong address, hence him never receiving the summons, not attending court, being fined in his absence and never receiving the court letter informing him of the fine.

 

The Historic Debts section were very understanding and told him to go to a solicitor, make a statuary declaration saying that he had never lived at the wrong address and as soon as they received a copy of it they would simply cancel the debt. The next day on his way to work, Marston's arrived and blocked his drive to stop him going to work if he didn't pay up in full. He told them that he had found out where the debt had come from and it was going to be sorted out. They refused to move their van and only moved it when a neighbour rang the police.

 

The next morning he went out to work to find that his car had been clamped by Marston's. He rang the number on the letter they had put through his door and they said that he had three days to pay up or they would come back and seize his car and sell it to pay off the debt. As his car was worth over £10K he borrowed the money and paid up. When they came to release his car, he asked them why they hadn't knocked on his door before clamping the car and they told him they had knocked three times. When he told his neighbour what had happened she laughed and said 'Is that right? They parked twenty yards up the road, sneaked through your gate, clamped the car then put the letter through your letter box very quietly and drove off!'

 

These people are absolute scum and sadly there is not a great deal you can do about them as they are acting with the authority of the courts.

 

Who the hell are Marstons. ? They would be arrested if they tried stunts like that over here. No collection agency or the like, can come to your home and harass you for money owed, all they can do is phone you endlessly, garnish your wages and screw up your credit rating if you continue to ignore them. They cannot confront you in person or come to your home, and this includes all levels of government.

Edited October 1, 2018 by Ontarian1981

[Ramjit]

Marstons are the pirates who clamped my neighbours motability vehicle.

When she pleaded with them to release it stating she had to take her son to an important hospital appointment they just laughed and told her to pay up then.

She had a right old time getting it sorted but in the end it was.

[Ontarian1981]

Marstons are the pirates who clamped my neighbours motability vehicle.

When she pleaded with them to release it stating she had to take her son to an important hospital appointment they just laughed and told her to pay up then.

She had a right old time getting it sorted but in the end it was.

 

These people are nothing but thugs, the only reason they get away with it is that debt is still stigmatised over yonder, even though the whole damn world runs on debt. Although I am debt free now, I have had my moments when I was new to the country of Canada and layoffs through recessions etc were rampant. Saying that I have never once had an organisation of any kind, that I owed money to, approach me in person or come to my home.

What I am reading on this thread, utterly disgusts me.

[truman]

These people are nothing but thugs, the only reason they get away with it is that debt is still stigmatised over yonder, even though the whole damn world runs on debt. Although I am debt free now, I have had my moments when I was new to the country of Canada and layoffs through recessions etc were rampant. Saying that I have never once had an organisation of any kind, that I owed money to, approach me in person or come to my home.

What I am reading on this thread, utterly disgusts me.

 

Debt isn't stigmatised..not paying debts is...I'm not saying that this applies in any case on here just a general reply to your post

[Ontarian1981]

Debt isn't stigmatised..not paying debts is...I'm not saying that this applies in any case on here just a general reply to your post

 

I know exactly what you mean, trouble is a lot of people are trapped by debt and although some say that is their own fault, I say go ahead and cast the first stone, if you are so good at managing your finances and others aren't so good.

Life can throw a curve at any time and most people who end up with a lot of debt are those who had well-paying jobs and lost them through no fault of their own. Then the very financial institutions who behaved like fairground barkers to get your business set the wolves (Marstons) on you if you miss a payment. As I said before, "disgusting", nobody deserves that. Very few people deliberately set out to be debtors.

[HandyBob]

Further up date.

 

Found out that due to a payment been 14 days late ( after problems at the banks end) I thought it was paid as I paid it on time online.

 

This fine is now paid in full as I paid it online direct to the court. Lets hope that's the last we hear from them.

 

 

After doing more research on Marston I am amazed at the amount of complaints against them.

 

http://www.bailiffhelpforum.co.uk/viewforum.php?f=6

 

How is a firm with this amount of complaints allowed to carry on and why is the courts allowing it,

Edited October 2, 2018 by HandyBob

[Ontarian1981]

Further up date.

 

Found out that due to a payment been 14 days late ( after problems at the banks end) I thought it was paid as I paid it on time online.

 

This fine is now paid in full as I paid it online direct to the court. Lets hope that's the last we hear from them.

 

 

After doing more research on Marston I am amazed at the amount of complaints against them.

 

http://www.bailiffhelpforum.co.uk/viewforum.php?f=6

 

How is a firm with this amount of complaints allowed to carry on and why is the courts allowing it,

Hope you finally got those jerks off your back for good, mate.

[Top Cats Hat]

 

How is a firm with this amount of complaints allowed to carry on and why is the courts allowing it,

 

In many cases they are acting on behalf of the courts, so of course the courts will allow it!

[Ontarian1981]

In many cases they are acting on behalf of the courts, so of course the courts will allow it!

 

So maybe a higher court should get it stopped then, at least the bully boy tactics of blocking driveways and immobilising one's own vehicle on one's own driveway. What's next, bringing back debtor's prisons and workhouses?