Beggars Bailiff

Beggars
Bailiff!

I usually go to sleep
with the radio on. Last night was no exception.

Whilst listening to a
popular talk programme, I thought I heard mention of a new bill to be
discussed in the House of Commons which is to give bailiffs the right to
enter domestic properties to enforce credit card bill debts...without a
court order...

I hoped against hope it
was a horrid nightmare but looking at the news online today I see that, "Under
the Tribunals, Courts and Enforcement Bill" exactly that may happen.

What a frightening
thought, when 2/3 of bailiffs are guilty of harassment or intimidation, while
40% misrepresent their powers of entry. (source: Citizens Advice Bureau)...and
what about cases of mistaken identity?

A number of people called
the radio station saying that they had been harassed by bailiffs when they
weren't even the people they were looking for, they just happen to be
unfortunate enough to have moved into the property after the 'wanted' person...

Scarily, under the new
bill, bailiffs will be allowed to enter the property if they find the house
empty.

I think if I returned to
my home to find somebody taking my property, I would immediately think I was
being burgled!

What on Earth happened
to a 'man's' home being his castle?

You might say, "if you
didn't have debts then the bailiffs wouldn't come around" but consider the
above, mistaken identity...

It isn't so long ago that
bailiffs working on behalf of a well known bank, entered a house and removed
property, and it turned out they'd got the wrong house...

The CAB is calling on the
Government to include in the Bill, clear safeguards to ensure that forced entry
is only used as a last resort...but will they listen?!...

Let's hope so!!