question on court summons - council tax

Fire_Fox

Entries on an itemised phone bill?

judderman62

nah calls were made at old office, moved to new building since, though I asked in letter to them are calls not recorded at their end as I have dates and times and 1st names of who I spoke to

poppysarah

judderman62 wrote: »

thanks for replies thus far. I have no intention of going to court - take time off work, the embarrassment associated - due to their clerical errors ?? I think not.

Whoops. That thanks button is in the wrong place.

You take the time off work and go and sort it out.

If you are embarrassed at the idea of the council making an error against you, think how embarrassed you will be when the court finds against you for not turning up and then the bailiffs turn up for the money.

Fire_Fox

judderman62 wrote: »

nah calls were made at old office, moved to new building since, though I asked in letter to them are calls not recorded at their end as I have dates and times and 1st names of who I spoke to

Presumably you are now paying council tax at your new place, having completed the appropriate forms including your previous address?

judderman62

my situation is a little different to that. I have been living in a flat for last 9 and a half years and yes been paying my council tax on this property. The house was my fathers (passed away last march) and he had put the house in my name some years ago - he had been paying the council tax on his/my house until he passed away and we cleared any remaining amount from his estate.

thanks all

CIS

so question is does anyone know if there's any consequences to this ? does it affect my credit score/history ? (think experian/equifax etc here). Does it go on any other sort of records ? any other implications/consequences ?

A Court Summons for Council Tax has no effect on your Credit Rating.

I have twice received council tax bills saying I owe some money, twice rung back cleared it up and last time told they may owe me a few quid. This is council tax bill by the way from 01 Apr 2009- 31 mar 2010 - so the house wasn't even mine on 01 April 2009.

It sounds as though whoever you spoke to has simply not amended their records to show you no longer owned the property.

If you are embarrassed at the idea of the council making an error against you, think how embarrassed you will be when the court finds against you for not turning up and then the bailiffs turn up for the money.

If the court believe that you are the liable person (i.e if they only see the application for a Liability Order and no other counter evidence) then the magistrate has no option other than to grant the Liability Order.

I see cases like this on a regular basis ( I work in council tax recovery) and its easily sorted but it frustrates me as much as the customer when they've told the office numerous times and the records have still not been updated - waste of everyone's time and money and all it does is delays recovery against those who genuinely don't pay.

Belinda_W

Here here CIS spot on and also with respect the applications made by the council "yours will be one of many" a job lot so to speak. They do not expect you to turn up at court. When I did they asked me what I was doing there at court and to leave. I didnt take legal representative to court with me (big mistake) so as the council representative said I was not allowed in i had no option but to take her word for it, plead my case with her as to the fact that I did not owe the money expecting her to do the right thing.

UH NO!!! along came a liability order and baliffs. Back to battle with them letter writing CAB and other help orginisations giving good advice. They all said I should have insisted on going before the magistrate.

Things just went silent and I thought it was all finally resolved 9years to be exact and then Bankruptcy

GO TO COURT stuff the embaracement you need to sort it FINALLY WITH POWERS HIGHER THAN THE COUNCIL IE THE MAGISTRATE.

Write a chronology dates when you phoned who you spoke to (always get a name) results etc everything you can think of. A magistrate needs the big picture and to believe what you say (more likely if you put dates, times, who what when and where)

GOOD LUCK REMEMBER PERSISTANCE AND GO TO COURT NO IFS NO BUTS

Doozergirl

I'm suprised it's this complicated.

Had it happen to me last year, phoned the council and they refunded the court fees and sorted the bill out properly with one phonecall

Fire_Fox

judderman62 wrote: »

my situation is a little different to that. I have been living in a flat for last 9 and a half years and yes been paying my council tax on this property. The house was my fathers (passed away last march) and he had put the house in my name some years ago - he had been paying the council tax on his/my house until he passed away and we cleared any remaining amount from his estate.

thanks all

It's irrelevant whose name is on the deeds - many people own houses they don't occupy. The resident's name should be on the council tax and utility bills: are you saying you did not do this correctly?