Council say I owe them for Council Tax- debt company now involved

capi1975

Hi,

I am hoping I have posted in the correct forum..

I moved out my house (back in '06). In 08' I got a letter off the Council to say I owed them £182 in CT. I spoke to them to clarify this as I moved out and they did not confirm the dates with me. At the time I was in a private rental house and working- but due to illness (I rented the hosue with my ex but he assaulted me so I ended rel and he moved out). I had no company sick pay left so they paid me SSP. I could not afford the rent or CT so I claimed benefit- I was paid HB and CT (but not full). When I said this ot the person that this was the case they said I had not had ANY benefit! They also said that they had written to me 3 times- not had any letters- and 2 years after moving out you do not expect that!

So, I wrote to dispute and then the sumons came- I told them I could not attned as I was in hospital but it still went ahead. I then request the decesion to be set aside but I did not hear anything back. I then wrote again but no reply.

Recently I had a letter off Pheonix Commercial- I wrote straight away but no reply- no reply to second letter either. They are writing to me at my mum's house. I've had 10 letters so far and no reply to my 2. Today a person appeared at my mum's and handed her an open letter about the matter.

I have access to a legal helpline whiCH I have just called- I spoke to a legal advisor (who kept pausing and growling at me- I assume he had a speech problem so it was incredibly difficult to understand what he was saying). At one point he said that bailifs have a legal power to push past people and enter their homes! Or even take away my car (my car is newish and on HP and worth a slight more than £180!). I am at a loss to understand this all.

Can anyone please help?

Thanks,

Fluffy

DX2

You could phone the debt collector and arrange a payment plan, say a fiver or a tenner per week.

capi1975

I am actually diputing the debt as I believe that they have included a time when I had moved out and was in receipt of benefit- so far they have ignore my pleas to do so, hence my stress!
I have requested that they look at this- if I owe them some then that is fine but based on what I am saying I want the bill for the correct amount- nobody wishes to pay for a bill that does not belong to them!

Thanks,
Fluffy

dmg24

The time to dispute the debt would have been prior to the hearing. When was this?

You should have followed this up by phone and in person.

capi1975

I did do! Several times- even telling them I was in hospital on the date so could it be changed. Once I knew the court case was going ahead I requested it to be set aside. I wrote again but did not hear again, so I left it.

Aputsiaq

Fluffyboots wrote: »

I did do! Several times- even telling them I was in hospital on the date so could it be changed. Once I knew the court case was going ahead I requested it to be set aside. I wrote again but did not hear again, so I left it.

so when you hear nothing, what you do is gather up your bills and receipts and start ringing the council and ask someone to work through it with you....so that you are armed with all the knowledge.
you can also phone the benefit people to ask them when and where they have paid c.tax. you said the benefit people didnt pay in full, so where are the receipts for the bit you had to pay?
if you ignore things, they dont go away and waiting for information and whatnot is no excuse for not being proactive.
It sounds as though when you moved that there is a small gap as the amount is small, £189? Phone the baliff and see if he will give you time to pay?