Are debt collecters allowed to get locksmiths to gain access to your house,?

Question

If so will they do it over a £100 water bill.

Answer 1

Yes they can if all the paperwork has been filed and gone through court. In some States like Texas they can take and keep your belongings as landlord liens...

Answer 2

Do you mean to cut you off - or to take some of your belongings to cover your debt?

A domestic water supply cannot be cut off in this country (unlike gas and electric, which can). If you don't pay your bill, you'll be taken to court and if you still don't pay then yes, bailiffs could be instructed to recover the debt.

However they cannot just gain access to your home when they feel like it. They have to have entered your home by invitation (you agreeing, in other words) and have made a note of what saleable goods you have. You will then sign a walking possession order which basically allows them the right to remove your things if you don't pay up.

BUT they cannot break into your home - and they cannot ask a locksmith to do so. However, they are entitled to gain entry via an open door or window, as long as no damage is done (but ONLY if they have a walking possession order).

So - to answer your question again - no, they cannot ask a locksmith to break into your home. Just make sure you leave your home completely secure, with no chance of them being able to get through an open window or door while you're not there.

Answer 3

No. They can only do that if the claimant had a 'warrant of possession' as opposed to a 'warrant of execution'. The possession warrant gives the bailiffs authority to enter a house with the express purpose of re-possessing it, following the granting by the court of a possession order.

A warrant of execution gives the bailiffs only a limited power. They cannot enter you home unless you invite them in. But technically, they will often employ tactics such as putting a foot in the door. They will often threaten to tow your car away if it is parked on the drive.

You must settle this without the bailiffs getting involved because they charge £70 + per visit which will be added to the total.

Advice:

Apply to the County Court, which made the judgement against you, for request to suspend execution of the warrant. You can do this by phone, fax or visiting the court house and the procedure is free. Why do you wish to suspend the warrant? well I assume there was a reason why you were not able to correspond with the creditors earlier - perhaps you have been ill, or away from home, staying with a relative or something...

If it's granted, you should try to reach a agreement for payment.

Even if this does not work, write immeadiately to the debt collectors and tell them you wish to enter an arrangement to pay by installments. 9/10 they should agree to this.

But to answer your question: No locksmiths cannot come into your home in this case.

good luck

Answer 4

I take it by the monetary symbol you used this maybe in reference to another country. In the US, the court system has to be used and a judgement rendered. But, in modern times I have not heard of a case where debt collectors could gain legal entry with locksmiths aid to enter a dwelling to collect. Auto repossessors here can legally with a hold and harness gain access to vehicles for non payment of the car's financing though. Here, with utilities they just shut you off for nonpayment.

Answer 5

If you live in Severn Trent, Yorkshire Water or Anglia Water regions - they have Trusts.

Look in the back of your water payment book, the number will be there, they can help you out! (and they work - I have sign posted loads of people to them)

The water companies are not allowed to disconnect your water supply, if you are taken to court make sure you fill in your means form, and repayment of the debt will be based on your ability to pay, and set by a Magistrate. If you are on benefit, the water company can set up a direct payment with JCP, to get the debt paid straight from your benefit (approx: £2-75 per week), they can only do this with your permission.

Ultimately, you are going to have to pay this debt, so do something practical and get on with it.

Answer 6

no it is not. they will tell you all kinds of stuff to scare you into paying them. they can come and reposess provided you are not under bankruptcy. they do however have to go to a judge and get an order to repossess and they have to bring the sherriff's department or police with them to witness and keep trouble at bay. if a person is under chapter 13 bankruptcy, wich is the one where you keep all ur stuff and the courts reduce it's value down to blue book and knock off all the interest ( lol. that realy pisses them off!!1 lol.) total it all up and you pay a small payment each month for a set amount of months to pay it off. if you are under bankruptcy then they can not call( if they do simply say " call my lawer" ) and hang up the phone, come to the premesis for any reason ( collect on a debt or reposs. ) or send bills or threatening letters in the mail. if they do any of this then you can sue the hell out of them. they are also not allowed to call ur home before a certian hour in the morning or after a certian hour at night, they can not tell another person who they are or why they are calling, they can not talk to you in a threatening manner either. all these are also ground for a law suit against them/ their employer. hope this helps. don't let anything they say intimidate you!!! all these things they do and say are designed to intimidate the person who owes them to pay up. also you might like to know that many of these collectors make a commision off of the ones they do get to pay them, so they are desperate for the commision when they call to collect, which turns them into nasty snarling *** holes. lol. one final note if it is merchandise such as appliances or furniture the company that it was gotten from has insurance that pays off for losses like that, so if they get the insurance, provided they have it and file a claim, and then you pay them, then they are making one and a half to double more profit.

Answer 7

no, all that they can do is take you to court, and put a lien on you bank accounts and freeze them so that you can not get money out of them. They are not allowed to threaten you, or come onto your property. That is stealing, and then they would go to jail. If they are threatening to do this, then call the law on them and report it. If this was the case, then you would have all sort of people getting locksmiths to get into a house and stealing all the time...

Answer 8

there is 2 opportunities: one million) you have won a summons to attend court docket and the two omitted it or refused to cooperate. The court docket has issued a misery warrant and the bailiffs are going to come again and eliminate your products. you ought to flow to the court docket and ask for a stay of the warrant, yet they're going to in basic terms supply this if there has been some irregularity - like the summons exchange into no longer issued properly. 2) this could be a trick by using an corporation of debt creditors pretending to be court docket appointed bailiffs to frighten you into paying a debt they have offered. in case you think of that's the case, first verify alongside with your nearest County court docket to confirm that no misery warrant exchange into issued. Then touch the procuring and merchandising standards branch of your community authority. they're going to prosecute the debt creditors - impersonating a bailiff is a criminal offence.

Answer 9

Unless you permit a person to enter, the only way a person can enter your property (both UK and US is with a warrant.

"Hi, we are from the water company, can we come in and reposses your furniture, please"

Besides, taking your property would be theft, they need to get the court to order you to pay the money.

You may think it is just £100 for water, but think about it:
Could you live without clean water
They could drag you to court, which you must take unpaid time off work for
They could tarnish your credit report, which could mean no credit cards, mortgages etc
all because your too disorganised to pay £100 for a service you need

Is it worth it????

Answer 10

Bailiffs can not enter your home without being invited in. However, I would not advise to keep them out. If you invite them (my partner had to over a £4,000 debt) they will not just come and take loads of your stuff away. They will allow you to make some kind of payment plan. If you default on the payment plan though they can come in to your home and take away stuff. Once you have let them into your house the first time, they can then break their way in.

Answer 11

Not in the USA. it would be breaking and entering, a felony punishable by imprisonment.If a lock smith were to agree to this he would be liable for any damage, or loss of property,
A water bill is civil thing the worst they can do is to turn off the water.