Return of fraudulent bailiff fees
Dear Wrexham County Borough Council,
I believe the document in the link is (or makes up part of) submitted evidence to a police fraud department:
http://www.scribd.com/doc/155399034/NELC...
There is evidence within that document to show potentially 2,985 Wrexham residents have paid fraudulently demanded bailiff fees amounting to £73,132.50 over approximately a 4 year period.
Please supply under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 the recorded number of fees, to which the data relates, which have been refunded to the debtor by Wrexham Council or its bailiff contractor?
Yours faithfully,
Sacksen Molar
[Subject only] RE: Freedom of Information request - Return of fraudulent bailiff fees
Dear Sacksen Molar
Attached, please find a response to your request
Regards
Esther Williams
Archivist/Records Manager
Archifydd/Rheolwr Cofnodion
( 01978 297470
* Wrexham Archives and Local Studies Service, Wrexham County Borough
Museum & Archives,
Regent Street, Wrexham, LL11 1RB
* Archifau a Gwasanaeth Astudiaethau Lleol Wrecsam, Amgueddfa Bwrdeistref
Sirol ac Archifdy
Wrecsam, Stryt y Rhaglaw, Wrecsam, LL11 1RB
: [1]www.wrexham.gov.uk/archives
[2]http://www.wrexham.gov.uk/welsh/heritage...
[3]logo landscape
[4]www.wrexham.gov.uk
[5]www.twitter.com/wrexhamcbc
[6]www.facebook.com/wrexhamcouncil
Take a look - you can pay, report, request, have your say and find
information online at www.wrexham.gov.uk. Save paper - think before you
print! This e-mail message and any attachments are intended solely for the
individual or organisation to whom it is addressed. For full conditions in
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please refer to http://www.wrexham.gov.uk/top_navigation....
Ewch i weld - mi fedrwch chi dalu, anfon, ceisio, dweud eich dweud, a dod
o hyd i wybodaeth ar-lein yn www.wrecsam.gov.uk. Arbedwch bapur ?
meddyliwch cyn argraffu! Mae'r neges e-bost hon ac unrhyw atodiadau wedi
eu bwriadu ar gyfer yr unigolyn neu?r sefydliad y?i cyfeirir atynt yn
unig. Am yr amodau llawn ynglyn a chynnwys a defnyddio?r neges e-bost hon
ac unrhyw atodiadau, cyfeiriwch at
http://www.wrecsam.gov.uk/top_navigation.... ??
References
Visible links
1. http://www.wrexham.gov.uk/archives
2. http://www.wrexham.gov.uk/welsh/heritage...
4. http://www.gwynedd.gov.uk/
http://www.wrexham.gov.uk/
5. http://www.twitter.com/wrexhamcbc
6. http://www.facebook.com/wrexhamcouncil
Dear foi,
"No fees have been refunded."
Can you please clarify this and state whether any of the fraudulently demanded bailiff fees are going to be refunded?
Yours sincerely,
Sacksen Molar
Dear Sacksen Molar
Thank you for you further enquiry regarding your request. The Council aims to resolve queries relating to requests within 20 working days and you should receive a response by 16 April 2014
Regards
Esther Williams
Archivist/Records Manager
Archifydd/Rheolwr Cofnodion
//01978 297470
0 Wrexham Archives and Local Studies Service, Wrexham County Borough Museum & Archives,
Regent Street, Wrexham, LL11 1RB
RRArchifau a Gwasanaeth Astudiaethau Lleol Wrecsam, Amgueddfa Bwrdeistref Sirol ac Archifdy
Wrecsam, Stryt y Rhaglaw, Wrecsam, LL11 1RB
www.wrexham.gov.uk/archives
ee http://www.wrexham.gov.uk/welsh/heritage...
www.wrexham.gov.uk
www.twitter.com/wrexhamcbc
www.facebook.com/wrexhamcouncil
Dear Sacksen Molar
Attached, please find a response to your query
Regards
Esther Williams
Archivist/Records Manager
Archifydd/Rheolwr Cofnodion
( 01978 297470
* Wrexham Archives and Local Studies Service, Wrexham County Borough
Museum & Archives,
Regent Street, Wrexham, LL11 1RB
* Archifau a Gwasanaeth Astudiaethau Lleol Wrecsam, Amgueddfa Bwrdeistref
Sirol ac Archifdy
Wrecsam, Stryt y Rhaglaw, Wrecsam, LL11 1RB
: [1]www.wrexham.gov.uk/archives
[2]http://www.wrexham.gov.uk/welsh/heritage...
[3]logo landscape
[4]www.wrexham.gov.uk
[5]www.twitter.com/wrexhamcbc
[6]www.facebook.com/wrexhamcouncil
Take a look - you can pay, report, request, have your say and find
information online at www.wrexham.gov.uk. Save paper - think before you
print! This e-mail message and any attachments are intended solely for the
individual or organisation to whom it is addressed. For full conditions in
relation to content and use of this e-mail message and any attachments,
please refer to http://www.wrexham.gov.uk/top_navigation....
Ewch i weld - mi fedrwch chi dalu, anfon, ceisio, dweud eich dweud, a dod
o hyd i wybodaeth ar-lein yn www.wrecsam.gov.uk. Arbedwch bapur ?
meddyliwch cyn argraffu! Mae'r neges e-bost hon ac unrhyw atodiadau wedi
eu bwriadu ar gyfer yr unigolyn neu?r sefydliad y?i cyfeirir atynt yn
unig. Am yr amodau llawn ynglyn a chynnwys a defnyddio?r neges e-bost hon
ac unrhyw atodiadau, cyfeiriwch at
http://www.wrecsam.gov.uk/top_navigation.... ??
References
Visible links
1. http://www.wrexham.gov.uk/archives
2. http://www.wrexham.gov.uk/welsh/heritage...
4. http://www.gwynedd.gov.uk/
http://www.wrexham.gov.uk/
5. http://www.twitter.com/wrexhamcbc
6. http://www.facebook.com/wrexhamcouncil
Dear foi,
Your response:
"We have no evidence to suggest that any of these fees have been incorrectly incurred and therefore no refunds will be made."
The data in the report states that 2,985 fees were incurred to a minimum value of £73,132.50 where no goods had been removed.
Please read the following:
Page 10, paragraph 48 of a Local Government Ombudsman's report into complaint about bailiff fees:
http://www.lgo.org.uk/GetAsset.aspx?id=f...
"Head H fee
48. I note the bailiffs charged a ‘redemption fee’ of £24.50 under Head H of Schedule 5 in respect of one of the vehicles on the 2005 liability order. This fee was removed when the Council established the car did not belong to Mrs Smith. I welcome this action. But the Head H fee should not have been applied on the facts of this case: the goods were not ‘made available for collection by the debtor’ as they were never removed. This was maladministration."
You can tell from the Government proposals (page 10) to amend legislation what the fee was for:
http://www.docstoc.com/docs/4679144/COUN...
"viii) the introduction of a fee maximum of 5% of the amount of the liability order for advertising costs where a sale does not take place because the debt has been paid and the goods have been returned to the debtor.
A fee maximum was accepted in principle, but it was pointed out that for small debts this would not cover the costs of advertising. Therefore, we intend to amend secondary legislation with effect from 1 April 1998 setting a fee of £20 or actual costs incurred up to a maximum of 5% of the liability order, whichever is the greater."
Yours sincerely,
Sacksen Molar
Dear Mr Molar
Attached, please find a response to your further query. This concludes
the Council's review
Regards
Esther Williams
Archivist/Records Manager
Archifydd/Rheolwr Cofnodion
( 01978 297470
* Wrexham Archives and Local Studies Service, Wrexham County Borough
Museum & Archives,
Regent Street, Wrexham, LL11 1RB
* Archifau a Gwasanaeth Astudiaethau Lleol Wrecsam, Amgueddfa Bwrdeistref
Sirol ac Archifdy
Wrecsam, Stryt y Rhaglaw, Wrecsam, LL11 1RB
: [1]www.wrexham.gov.uk/archives
[2]http://www.wrexham.gov.uk/welsh/heritage...
[3]logo landscape
[4]www.wrexham.gov.uk
[5]www.twitter.com/wrexhamcbc
[6]www.facebook.com/wrexhamcouncil
Take a look - you can pay, report, request, have your say and find
information online at www.wrexham.gov.uk. Save paper - think before you
print! This e-mail message and any attachments are intended solely for the
individual or organisation to whom it is addressed. For full conditions in
relation to content and use of this e-mail message and any attachments,
please refer to http://www.wrexham.gov.uk/top_navigation....
Ewch i weld - mi fedrwch chi dalu, anfon, ceisio, dweud eich dweud, a dod
o hyd i wybodaeth ar-lein yn www.wrecsam.gov.uk. Arbedwch bapur ?
meddyliwch cyn argraffu! Mae'r neges e-bost hon ac unrhyw atodiadau wedi
eu bwriadu ar gyfer yr unigolyn neu?r sefydliad y?i cyfeirir atynt yn
unig. Am yr amodau llawn ynglyn a chynnwys a defnyddio?r neges e-bost hon
ac unrhyw atodiadau, cyfeiriwch at
http://www.wrecsam.gov.uk/top_navigation.... ??
References
Visible links
1. http://www.wrexham.gov.uk/archives
2. http://www.wrexham.gov.uk/welsh/heritage...
4. http://www.gwynedd.gov.uk/
http://www.wrexham.gov.uk/
5. http://www.twitter.com/wrexhamcbc
6. http://www.facebook.com/wrexhamcouncil
Dear foi,
"We have considered the information you have supplied and would reiterate that Wrexham Council has no evidence of any fraudulently claimed bailiff fees."
Has Wrexham Council concluded this by virtue of the fact that it has free rein to interpret the law as it sees fit?
Yours sincerely,
Sacksen Molar
Dear Mr Molar
Thank you for your further enquiry. As advised in our letter of 11 April, the Council has concluded its review of your request for information held. If you are not content with the outcome of the review, you have the right to contact the Information Commissioner.
Regards
Esther Williams
Archivist/Records Manager
Archifydd/Rheolwr Cofnodion
//01978 297470
0 Wrexham Archives and Local Studies Service, Wrexham County Borough Museum & Archives,
Regent Street, Wrexham, LL11 1RB
RRArchifau a Gwasanaeth Astudiaethau Lleol Wrecsam, Amgueddfa Bwrdeistref Sirol ac Archifdy
Wrecsam, Stryt y Rhaglaw, Wrecsam, LL11 1RB
www.wrexham.gov.uk/archives
ee http://www.wrexham.gov.uk/welsh/heritage...
www.wrexham.gov.uk
www.twitter.com/wrexhamcbc
www.facebook.com/wrexhamcouncil
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