Council tax, previous tenants?

Melissa22_Mum

Hello,

I was wondering if anyone could help?

The local elections have just been and yet again, we recieved four polling cards. Two for my boyfriend and I and the other two for the previous tenants who seems to have ran off leaving mounting debts for themselves!


We have lived here for a year and a half and when we recieved the cards last year we rang the relevant people and told them that only two people live at this address. The problem is that my Dad, not always reliable info, Sorry Dad, said that the amount of coucil tax you pay can depend on how many people are registered as living at your address. If these people are still on the list is it possible were paying for them too?
On that note could their debts be ruining our credit rating? I have rang most of the companies that have sent crediters letters, but who knows how many others there are?

calleyw

Melissa22_Mum wrote:

We have lived here for a year and a half and when we recieved the cards last year we rang the relevant people and told them that only two people live at this address. The problem is that my Dad, not always reliable info, Sorry Dad, said that the amount of coucil tax you pay can depend on how many people are registered as living at your address. If these people are still on the list is it possible were paying for them too?
On that note could their debts be ruining our credit rating? I have rang most of the companies that have sent crediters letters, but who knows how many others there are?

Sorry, but I have no idea where you dad got that information about the council tax from. But with out wanting to appear rude he does not know what he is talking about.

You pay council tax for the house. The only way you get a discount is if there is only one person in the house and 25% discount.

I read or heard might have been on this forum. That there are two elements to council tax. Half is the house and the other half is for the people. So that is why you only get a 25% discount and not a 50% discount for one person. I have no idea if that is true or not. This paragrah could be aload of rubbish for I all I know.

I would return the polling cards and write on them gone away on them. Their debts should not effect your credit rating as it is the person rather than the house gets a credit rating.

If you are worried about your credit rating then got to experain (sp?) and equifax and get your files. These should cost around £2 each. Don't fall for the expensive on-line version.

All the best.


Yours


Calley

Dora_the_Explorer_5

Melissa22_Mum wrote:

On that note could their debts be ruining our credit rating? I have rang most of the companies that have sent crediters letters, but who knows how many others there are?

It would seem that you are opening mail intended for the previous occupants? You may have made things a little clearer to the previous occupants correspondants if you had marked the mail No Longer at This Address and put it back in the post. Anyone who has spoken to you about the affairs of another person or persons on whom they keep a record has breached the Data Protection Act.
As has been suggested, check your credit rating with the credit agencies and correct and incorrect information.

Melissa22_Mum

Thanks but believe me I have sent and re-sent their mail time and time again. I hardly think that they are bothered about me opening their debt letters, of which there are many. Personally after sending them back a few times and having no notice taken of me I would consider it harrassment especially as they were threatening us with debt collectors coming to the house and to turn the water off even though I rang United Utilities and wrote to them loads of times!

Nobody else was going to tell them especially not the people that owed the companies money. After I rang them all they simply said was do I know where they lived now, they didn't start to tell me about the Data protection act. I hear what your saying and I have my own letters and junk mail to read why should I continue to put up with other peoples. I have also filled out a postal preference form previous to this.

My Dad probably heard part of the coucil tax thing however, I thought I better ask first!

Bossyboots

The council tax 25% discount applies when only one adult LIABLE for council tax lives there. If the other adults are all students, then the discount applies as students are exempt from council tax.

olly300

Melissa22_Mum wrote:

Thanks but believe me I have sent and re-sent their mail time and time again. I hardly think that they are bothered about me opening their debt letters, of which there are many. Personally after sending them back a few times and having no notice taken of me I would consider it harrassment especially as they were threatening us with debt collectors coming to the house and to turn the water off even though I rang United Utilities and wrote to them loads of times!

You need to start sending all your letters to United Utilities by recorded (signed for delivery) even if the address is a Post Office box. The reason for this is if they are harassing you, you need to be able to prove easily that you informed them by writing what date you moved in and your names. Don't bother contacting them by telephone or email as they can easily deny not getting the calls or receiving the emails. Once you have done this and gone through their complaints department (again send the letters by recorded delivery) you can then send a copy of the information i.e. the letters and photocopies of the recorded delivery slips to the regulator. I have found that all companies back down when you can prove that their is no way that they couldn't have got your letter. Yes I know signed for post can get lost but it is very hard for a company to argue against to a regulator or in court that all your signed for letters strangely got lost in the post.

United Uilities complaints:
http://www.unitedutilities.com/?OBH=2356&SCH=complaints&ID=0


By the way if you move again take these tips on board, some of them will be useful for you now:

1. Keep sending all the mail back with "Return To Sender Not Known" as the amount of mail will eventually decrease. You only need to do this once a month. It may take a year for some companies to stop sending the mail and some will send you a letter asking you where the old occupants are. You are under no legal obligation to answer such letters particularly if they ask details about how to contact you again.

2. If you realise the previous occupants are getting lots of junk mail just put their names on the Mail Preference Register. http://www.mpsonline.org.uk/mpsr/ (It's not strictly legal but you will not get their junk mail and while you are at it put your own name down.)

3. Contact all utilities (gas, water, electricity, telephone, council tax) as soon as you move in before they contact you. Inform the utility company you don't know the old account number but you just know they are the supplier. That way you can get the account number changed so you are not linked to any previous occupants who may not have paid their bills. Also ensure you get a different telephone number so you don't get weird calls from the previous occupiers friends' they don't like or debt collectors.

Fran

Council Tax is more complicated than implied in these posts, you can read all about it on the Citizens Advice - Adviceguide website.

Savvy_Sue

In the autumn, we always get an electoral registration form on which is listed everyone who the council thinks is at that address and entitled to vote. If there were people on it who no longer live there, you cross them out. That should stop the voting cards: these people are obviously still showing on the electoral role at your address!