Terrible Council Tax debt

skylight

And the person in Bridgend was continually trying to avoid paying - your trying to pay up.

Bankruptcy also costs the council money (lots) so they will NEVER see that cost amount nor the amount you owe, so that really is another scare tactic. BR is not viewed as the scarry threat to most people anymore because we know all this!

Remember that the baliffs are seperate to the council. Just because the baliffs want to see the offer as a 3 month interim period only, the council may not. And TBH, the baliffs will take what they can get too! (With devious methods....)

Heckles

charlotte664 wrote:

And the person in Bridgend was continually trying to avoid paying - your trying to pay up.

Thanks for trying to reassure me but for 8 years I've been continually trying to avoid paying too. Of course I'm trying to deal with it now, but I can't see the court viewing it any differently.

lynzpower

I see your options as:
MAKE MONEY
-Do you have any CDs, dvds, clothes, books, ornaments furniture etc.
Dont be proud mate weve all had to do it to keep the wolf from the door.
-get a second job bar work babysitting, working in maccas whatever, shop work over Xmas whatever

SAVE MONEY
you say you have done all the cutbacks there are- how can you be sure. We might be able to find something, we might not.

BORROW MONEY
- have you got a mate or family who can lend it to you? And you pay them back at the 100 quid a month? Not ideal by any means

STAND STILL
Allow the council to do whatever they are going to do and you wave the white flag?

anniestar

Two quick questions for you. Firstly what is the name of the bailiffs that are handling the case. Secondly is the 2,000 for the total ammount? Have you paid anything at all? Councils vairy tremendously in the way they handle outstandigh C Tax . Anyway, try not to worry too much,keep posting and good luck.

Heckles

anniestar wrote:

Two quick questions for you. Firstly what is the name of the bailiffs that are handling the case.

These guys http://www.google.co.uk/maps?hl=en&lr=&rls=GGLJ,GGLJ:2006-44,GGLJ:en&q=andrew+james&near=Swansea&radius=0.0&latlng=51622218,-3937406,6934563260645953035&sa=X&oi=local&ct=result&cd=1

anniestar wrote:

Secondly is the 2,000 for the total ammount? Have you paid anything at all?

£2000 is the full amount - and no I've not paid anything. Like I said, I dodged it wherever possible.

anniestar wrote:

Councils vairy tremendously in the way they handle outstandigh C Tax . Anyway, try not to worry too much,keep posting and good luck.

Thanks

Mikeyorks

Bottom line .. because that appears to be where it's got to :-

Councils aren't anonymous bodies - they're comprised of individuals attempting to do their job. And those individuals, over a period, get heartily sick of someone who makes their job harder than it need be. It gets, rightly or wrongly, a bit personal after a while.

So forget the advice that they'll accept any reasonable offer, because it's better than nothing. It isn't necessarily so - and they're more likely to want to wipe you off their irritant list by whatever means. If your assets are insufficient to recover a reasonable portion of the debt by compulsory sale, then they'll likely be happy to seek a committal warrant and write the debt off their books that way. After all you've been costing them in time / effort - so there is a payback to them in removing your freedom .. as it removes your debt.

You don't say what the state of your current CT liability is. That's a fairly important factor. As they are more likely to be amenable to an offer that pays the current tax - whilst eating into the arrears. It stops the 'continuing liability' being added onto the back end of the debt - and means they can see a light at the end of the tunnel.

Face to face is where it's at. Get your coat on - and go and see them. If you can offer £100 against the arrears - whilst paying the current liability - you stand a reasonable chance. Approach them in the same way as your OP. 'They've frightened you to death' - and you're there to sort it out once and for all.

But you then do have to go through with it and not default. And the advice about 'SO not DD' .. is inappropriate. You're not in a position to dictate. Just negotiate a settlement that brings you up to date within 2 years .... and you might get away with it. But ... face to face .... there's no other way left .. and it does make a difference. Put your cards on the table and freely admit they've put the fear of prison into you. Part of their job is judging people - and if you project yourself as your OP - I trust you'll be OK. Best of luck.

nottslass_2

write direct to the council enclosing a soa , state that £100 per month is all you can afford to pay at the moment, but should your situation change you will inform them and increase payments. In your letter it is important to state that you acknowledge the debt and are NOT "willfully refusing to pay"(you can only be imprisened for "willfull refusal to pay") keep a copy.You do not have to bother waiting for the debt to be retuned to the council, do this regardless of whatever they tell you over the phone.


ENCLOSE A CHEQUE FOR £100 AS YOUR 1ST MONTHS INSTALLMENT STATING
THAT YOU WILL CONTINUE TO MAKE PAYMENTS ON SUCH AND SUCH A DATE EACH MONTH.DO NOT MISS A SINGLE PAYMENT !

This should work,or at least if the council do insist on taking you back to court you have evidence that you are not refusing to pay and acknowledge the said debt so technically you should not be imprisened !

rember, in the meantime do not let the bailifs in if they call ,do not bother ringing them etc Have contact direct with the council only .

Best of luck x

Bambam

Wherever possible deal with the council in person. Seeing it from their point of view it is going to take 20 months to pay back this debt. For now I would go with the option of paying £100 for the next 3 months, but as nottslass said DO NOT MISS A SINGLE PAYMENT. If they can see you mean business they may just allow you to continue with the £100 payments until the debt is repaid.

anniestar

Well dont know these people. You need to approach the council and fully admit the situation. DO NOT say that you will pay XXXamount if there is any doubt whatsoever that you may not be able to meet your commitments.YOU MUST PAY THE AMOUNT THAT YOU SAY YOU WILL. Also, you MUST pay any current or any future monies due at the same time you are clearing the backlog.Go and talk to someone from the council it is them that you owe the debt to.Also you might think about approaching the CAB councilor,or even your local MP. I wish you well. When my husband was taken ill again thia April I very foolishly got into arrears with my C.tax and ignored everything with the result it got passed to bailiffs. Fortunitly it has now been paid but it was not nice.PLEASE once you are clear NEVER EVER default on C.T.again.Its just not worth the grief. On the plus side your C tax must be VERY low ours is just over £1,000 for the year. PLEASE dont do what I did and ignore things, try to stay calm and if you have any further queries/worries post on here or, feel free to PM me. Again, good luck.

sandralovescats

Heckles read this - I think it might help

http://www.debtquestions.co.uk/prob_counciltax.php#refused