Council Tax Arrears - Help and Advice Appreciated!!!

Wayne77_2

Dear All

I am hoping and praying that someone can help me!

To start I want to be honest and advise that I have not been the most committed to paying my Council Tax in my previous rented property or current but now I have made the first steps to getting this sorted but I'm having huge problems with my Council.

My story is that I live in Essex and both my previous and current property are rental properties. After failing to make some Council Tax payments in my previous property and between October 09 and April 10 I have built up quite a bit of arrears. After contacting my local Council to admit my error I made an arrangement with them to pay a certain amount per month. Unfortunately shortly after this I lost my job and missed one payment by a few days.

My Council have now sent Baliffs to my property to carry out an assessment of goods that they can take, but the horrible thing is that when I have tried to make another arrangment with them, they have advised they need all of the arrears and all of this years Council Tax to be paid within the next 3 Months which totals £2700!

I have tried to speak with them and advise that I will find this very difficult to pay £900 per month as my Partner is self employed and I work for on a self employed basis for her, also we receive benefits such as tax credits and child allowance.

My Council have flat refused to consider lowering these payments or spreading the recovery period over a longer period of time. I have just been able to make the first of these 3 payments, however, I now don't have my rent in full to pay and I am really worried that either I will lose my home if I cant afford to pay rent or I lose all of my belongings (Some of which are my childrens belongings) if I can not afford to pay the £900 per month for council Tax arrears!!!

I have tried everything with the Council and they are not willing to listen to me at all!

I know that I am at fault for not paying some of my Council Tax but I really need some help and advice as to how I can deal with this.

Any Advice that members can offer me would be really appreciated.

Thanks in advance!

sofababe

OK first things first.

NEVER let a bailiff into your house. EVER!!!

Have they been in to levy goods (make a list of what they intend to take)? Don't communicate with the bailiffs except to tell them that you won't let them in. If they don't get in after 2 visits they will pass the debt back to the council.

Speak to your local councillor and explain that you are willing to pay but simply cannot afford £900 a month. There is a limit to the length of time they will accept payment over, its usually to the end of the tax year but I believe it can be extended to 18 months or so. I'm currently paying off a liability order and the arrangement runs till end of May 2011.

Go to your council's website and make payments (whatever you can afford) on the system there. They can't refuse these payments and you need to show asap that you are willing to pay back what you owe.

david_hellier

If you are unemployed, you need to sign on and make an application for council tax benefit to prevent further arrears. If you do not do thid there is a possibility you could get further in arrears

hallowitch

My Council have now sent Bailiffs to my property to carry out an assessment of goods that they can take

If they have been in your house can you please list the items they have levied

A levy should always be questioned there are things the bailiff cant levy against also the goods levied MUST cover all bailiff fees removal fees storage fees auction fees and a portion of the debt

as they are collecting more than 1 liability order can you find out from your council the amount of each liability order and the date each one was sent to the bailiffs bailiffs cant charge multiple fees when collecting more than one liability order at the same time