Court summons for council tax

c-m

I have just received a court summons for the final installment of council tax on a property I rent.

The amount is £98 +£42 costs.

This is for the period 1st - 31st March 2010

The thing is my contract on the property is only until 18th March 2010, so I do not owe the full amount i'm being summand for.

The court date is 29th March and it just so happens I am free. Do I wait until then to tell the court or should I contact my council and try to sort the matter out before hand?

Any advice?

Thanks

Sandrock

Contact them now.

Seems a bit early to summons you for a payment that is until the end of this month?

Why have you got a court summons, have you not paid? If not, why.. etc. Is there more to the story than you've told??

DVardysShadow

Just write to the council and ask for a bill to the 18th and ask for the court hearing to be adjourned. Keep a copy.

It is only the 10th of the month - this sort of thing is a disgrace. Care to name the council?

Fire_Fox

c-m wrote: »

I have just received a court summons for the final installment of council tax on a property I rent.

The amount is £98 +£42 costs.

This is for the period 1st - 31st March 2010

The thing is my contract on the property is only until 18th March 2010, so I do not owe the full amount i'm being summand for.

The court date is 29th March and it just so happens I am free. Do I wait until then to tell the court or should I contact my council and try to sort the matter out before hand?

Any advice?

Thanks

You do owe the full amount, the council won't deal with the fact that you have moved until you actually have. However seems a bit premature to give you a court summons, are you signed up to pay by installments over ten months or twelve? Have you been in arrears before and on a final warning?

Thrugelmir

c-m wrote: »

I have just received a court summons for the final installment of council tax on a property I rent.

The amount is £98 +£42 costs.

This is for the period 1st - 31st March 2010

The thing is my contract on the property is only until 18th March 2010, so I do not owe the full amount i'm being summand for.

The court date is 29th March and it just so happens I am free. Do I wait until then to tell the court or should I contact my council and try to sort the matter out before hand?

Any advice?

Thanks

Rates are payable in advance. So technically you should have paid the full sum by now. Any overpayment would have been refunded after you vacated.

Suggest you sort the matter out beforehand. A magistrate is unlikely to be sympathatic if you waste their time by waiting until you arrive in court.

lincroft1710

From reading other threads/posts on CT summons it would appear that taxpayer has no right to be heard at these courts, they are held so that in the event of non payment councils can legally send in bailiffs.

Sammy85_2

Ring the council and clear the debt. They'll give you a refund when you move out.

c-m

I was paying installments of around £100 per month. This was the very last installment. It should have been paid before now, but i was off work sick and lost over £400 in earnings and can barely afford to live until my next payday.

I cannot pay any amount until the 29th which is when my wages go into my account.

I have missed installments before but always paid within a week.

Fire_Fox

c-m wrote: »

I was paying installments of around £100 per month. This was the very last installment. It should have been paid before now, but i was off work sick and lost over £400 in earnings and can barely afford to live until my next payday.

I cannot pay any amount until the 29th which is when my wages go into my account.

I have missed installments before but always paid within a week.

Paying a week late is still missing an installment: some councils revoke your right to pay by installments if you do this just once. :eek: Have you not had warning letters about your previous missed payments? Did you not contact the council while you were off sick to ask for more time to pay?

c-m

Buried my head i'm affraid. Will call them tomorrow.

Fire_Fox

Don't call them or at least please don't only call them, you have a court date so you need evidence that you are taking the matter seriously! Do you have copies of your doctor's notes or can you get hold of them? I would suggest you follow up your phone call with a recorded delivery letter explaining the situation, making an offer to pay by installments. State how much you can pay and when but don't overstretch yourself, this is a priority debt BUT at the same time you must be able to stick to the installments as you will not get another chance. Enclose copies of your doctor's notes and ask the council to cancel the court action in view of your ill health.

Can you pay anything tomorrow, even £10? This demonstrates willingness to pay if the case does go to court. Even if you get someone unsympathetic and unhelpful on the phone please still write the letter and please make a token payment. In court this will set you aside from the can't pay, won't pay bunch.