deceased council tax bill arrears!!

jamesd

snoop2008, what you got before was a letter from the benefits team saying that housing benefit and council tax benefit would stop. It seems that they didn't tell the council tax people so that's why the council tax people are chasing the council tax. Letting the council tax people know what happened should solve the problem.

All the council tax side is doing is chasing because they haven't heard enough about what happened. That's unfriendly and unhelpful because it's aimed at people who should pay but aren't paying. They should promptly stop chasing and become helpful and friendly as soon as they know the situation.

snoop2008

Thanks lazydaisy, I will do just that. I am getting the receipts from my mum for the funeral costs etc.. she closed his post office account which had £3,533 which she used for his funeral. As I made the call to the benefits team, it is me they are hounding. In a way, although I am grieving, there is no way I could put my mum through this nightmare. He was her first Son! You have been absolutely fantastic, you all have. I am so glad I remembered this place!!!

snoop2008

Thanks Jamesd, yes that is what my mum said too!! I assumed like an idot that the benefits team would inform the council tax department also. I going to ring them tomorrow and let them know. I really didn't think I needed to do this as I believed the benefit team would do this. I will wait to hear what they have to say, and if they need the evidence I will provide it with the letter lazydaisy has helped me with.

thanks for your support also.

dzug1

snoop2008 wrote: »

Thanks Jamesd, yes that is what my mum said too!! I assumed like an idot that the benefits team would inform the council tax department also. I going to ring them tomorrow and let them know. I really didn't think I needed to do this as I believed the benefit team would do this. I will wait to hear what they have to say, and if they need the evidence I will provide it with the letter lazydaisy has helped me with.

thanks for your support also.

Even if they DID inform the CT department there's no way the latter would know what assets he had - maybe a suspicion that it was little or nothing, but they are not clairvoyants. They need to be told, very specifically. They would be failing in their duty if they just assumed.

What is regrettable here is that they have leapt straight to the threaten bailiffs stage. I very much suspect that an intermediate letter just asking for payment has gone astray.

jamesd

dzug1, well, not a lot of council tax to accrue after death, so they don't have a lot of money to legitimately chase. That late in the year there might even be a refund due if payments were up to date.

snoop2008

Hiya everyone!!!!

I just phoned the council tax department. At first the lady I spoke to said I had to pay and extra £100 for not paying my brothers bill for £32.51.

I have never been so assertive in my life!!! because of the great advice you have all given me on here. I told her, I am NOT RESPONSIBLE , for my brothers arrears. she put me through to another chappy who aske me was he living in the property from the 7th Dec to 20th. I said he had passed away!!!

He said the dates on their records were wrong and I said am not responsible for his bill. He agreed and APOLOGISED!!!!!!!

He had updated my brothers records!!!!! and will send me a letter to confirm our conversation today.!!!!

They had all his details but thought he was still alive during those dates because someone had entered the wrong infomation on their computer!!!

I am HAPPY, AND I CAN NOT THANK YOU ALL ENOUGH!! FOR THE GREAT HELP AND ADVICE YOU HAVE GIVEN ME THROUGH THIS STRESSFUL TIME.

MANY MANY THANKS EVERYONE!!! IF I COULD GIVE YOU ALL A HUG!! I WOULD.

What a relief!! no payments and chappy said he will inform the bailiff team!!!!

snoop can breath again!!!!

xxxxxxxxxxxxx

zzzLazyDaisy

YAY!!!!

WEll done you!!!

:j

snoop2008

cheers lazydaisy!!!!! it's great news isn't it!!!

Thanks so much!!!!

Careful_with_that_Axe

Fabulous news. Well done!

snoop2008

Thanks Annie!!! Today I had a really easy day. My mum is also very happy. She wanted me to pass on her gratidude and to thank you all for helping me to sort this issue out!!! From the great advice I have been given here, I hope others will learn from this as much as I have!! Cheers everyone!!!!!