knock-knock, who’s there?
Without a shadow of a doubt one of the most unnerving of business experiences I’ve ever had to contend with is when the bailiffs came a calling. During 2002/3 we’d been a bit fly with regards to both our corporate tax liability and employer NI contributions and it was only a matter of time before the powers-that-be realised this and sent in their boys. And no amount of official registration documents could disguise the fact that they were ‘heavies’ as the ill-fitting suits, white socks and barely disguised tattoos spoke volumes. Did I say ‘unnerving’? Terrifying would be far closer to the mark.
The rules governing the conduct of bailiffs are apparently so complex that even ‘plod’ struggles to understand them. Did you realise, for instance, that a bailiff chasing council tax arrears is not allowed to force entry into your home or business premise, but one collecting an unpaid parking fine is? Thought not and needless to say, many bailiffs exploit this ignorance to act with impunity and on the fringes of legality. Evidence suggests that many governing laws are being flouted, continuously, perhaps because the vast majority of victims have no political voice. The default perception is that anyone being visited by said bailiff has brought it upon themselves and needs to be dealt with! About time we sorted this I reckon and everyone, irrespective of their perceived crime or misdemeanour deserves to be treated with dignity and afforded the protection of the law.
We were fortunate in that our commercial office building eventually found a buyer and all bets, as far as the bailiffs were concerned, were off.
