Uregnt Help Please!! Council Tax Errors and Baliffs!

lepetit

Oh my god I'm completely freaking out please help me!!
Okay so we've moved into our first house last November (never paid Council tax before, am 22)
I contacted the council and went a paid cash at the cash office in December 2009 as I was nervous when we didn't hear from someone immediately. I handed over £200 and then in January 2010 we got a letter asking £568 to cover to the end of tax year which I phoned paid over the phone - the money never came out of my bank account even though I got confirmation the payment had gone through.
I then started emailing them about my circumstances as I was long term sick from work annd had no money and they said they were looking into and said my account was on hold. Iwwas still nervous so I sent £149 cheques each month which is our monthly amount - none of these cheques have ever been deposited.
Now last week I got a letter from baliffs saying they have tried to get in touch with me (no one has ever contacted me from there before) and that they all of sudden are going to come round and remove goods to the total amount owed (over £1,500!! they say!) I got straight in touch with the council and they said they would put my account on hold again, I spoke to them yesterday and they said my account was on hold. I hae now just come home again and there was a hand delivered letter through my door saying they'd be back in 48 hours with police if neccessary!!!
I'm so scared, I have no idea what's going on and I've tried to make payments and now I'm really !!!!!!ed because I'm unemployed can't work and waiting for my benefits to come through.
It's feel like it couldn't get any worse...please help!

Oldernotwiser

As your cheques weren't cashed nor the telephone payment taken from your account, do you still have the money in there?

Have you applied for council tax benefit?

tiggerkian

firstly keep your windows and doors locked....they can come back with the army as long as they don't gain access there is nothing they can do and will pass it back to you council who will then negotiate a payment plan with you...but do not let them in as if they do,they can break in the next time.....

hallowitch

I hae now just come home again and there was a hand delivered letter through my door saying they'd be back in 48 hours with police if necessary!!!

this is rubbish they have never been in your house before if you own a car do not leave it on your drive or in your street
under no circumstances let a bailiff into your home DO NOT open the door to him

you should have had a few letters from the council before this was sent to the bailiffs
from memory (
1 telling you payment due giving you 7 day to bring account up to date
1 telling you they are going to court to get liability order
1 giving you 14 days to pay in full before the bailiffs arrive

can i ask what bailiff company is it

MissMotivation

I'd put money on fact that it's Bristow and Sutor.....they will say anything, true or false, to get you to pay up.

If the Bailiffs haven't been into your property before then they have no legal right to gain access. Don't answer the door to them, don't let them cajole you into letting them in and, as advised by another poster keep your windows and doors locked!

hallowitch

my money on Equita due to the lack of administration and if it is Equita you can bet your life Capita administrate the council tax

CIS

you should have had a few letters from the council before this was sent to the bailiffs
from memory (
1 telling you payment due giving you 7 day to bring account up to date
1 telling you they are going to court to get liability order
1 giving you 14 days to pay in full before the bailiffs arrive

At least 1 demand Notice, at least 1 reminder, a summons and a 14 day notice of bailiff action (can be part of the reg36 notice 'Request for Information form'.)

if it is Equita you can bet your life Capita administrate the council tax

A lot of councils using Equita still have council tax run in-house

I got straight in touch with the council and they said they would put my account on hold again, I spoke to them yesterday and they said my account was on hold. I hae now just come home again and there was a hand delivered letter through my door saying they'd be back in 48 hours with police if neccessary!!!

Its often the case that the bailiff in the field does not get the information to hold the case or fails to act on it in a timely manner - give the council another ring to make sure.

Did you never think of querying what was happening with the payments ?. Its the taxpayers responsbility to ensure payment is made but it appears that you were aware payment wasn't being taken.

lepetit

Hi,
Thanks so much for your comments.
Its Randles and someone (sorry haven't got the letter in front of me at the moment)
I spoke to the council again and they said to disregard the letter and that my account was on hold....
Still doesn't solve the problem though...I don't have the money to pay the bill off in full...will I be able to negotiate a payment plan?? If I can I'm sure I can get it cleared but my worry is that they eventually say I must pay everything or the baliffs are coming in??

Also I never received the motice of a liability order or the 14days one??? The 1st one I got was Friday 1st Oct and then now the hand delivered one saying 48 hours?

Thank you all so much for your help!

lepetit

Does anyone have any advice on my last post?
Thanks

RAS

Hi

What happens is that officially you have to pay CT at the start of the year but they let you pay installments over 10 months. if you do not pay the installments, then they demand the whole lot up front again.

So you need proof that you have tried to pay the installments and then get hold of your local councillor and demonstrate that you have tried to pay by installments.

What concernr me is that you do not appear to have claimed Council tax benefit if you are unemployed.

lepetit

I am in the process of applying for all that. Our postcode is new and not on databases so they have had to send me the form which I still haven't received despite chasing it. If there is a quicker way please let me know as I will be doing it.