21 year old council tax bill

sardine

dseventy wrote: »

Are you for real? Sending out an invoice once a year for 20 years is going to cost more than £800+ ?

Am I the only one that is glad they still chase these debts? It is questionable whether the OP owes it, but you do and make no bones about it!

Forever make your credit applications sour and knocks on the door fearful.

D70

I was also considering the cost of wages and all the other overheads. As for chasing a 21 year old bill from the council, I do think that after all this time they should have written it off.

As for my 'debt' with the council of £853, it is a point of principle that I don't intend to pay it. All down to the fact that a silly little bit of paper didn't reach their desks until it was one day over a time limit.

Legally, yes I do owe it, but morally, no.
It just makes me feel a little bit better that it is in my bank account and not theirs!!

As for it affecting my credit rating, I don't know about that. I have no idea if it does. However, as I have never had the need to borrow any money or enter into any type of credit agreement, I can't see that it really bothers or affects me. As far as I know, my credit rating could be down in the gutter with it.

As for knocks on the door, well yes you have a point there. But that doesn't bother me either. Bailiffs and the like don't cause me to lose any sleep - I know exactly what they can and cannot do, as well as what they would like to think that they could do.
If it came to that, then yes I would pay it. But not without sending them round the houses and up some dead end alyways a few times as well!!

dseventy

sardine wrote: »

I was also considering the cost of wages and all the other overheads. As for chasing a 21 year old bill from the council, I do think that after all this time they should have written it off.

Wages? They don't need people to remember these debts, computers, the human intervention (if any) for posting a bill, to keep the bill "active" (so they can persue it) will be minimal.

sardine wrote: »

As for my 'debt' with the council of £853, it is a point of principle that I don't intend to pay it. All down to the fact that a silly little bit of paper didn't reach their desks until it was one day over a time limit.

Well thems the rules ain't it. If I am late with tax return, I get a fine, late by one minute on a car park meter, a fine.

When you are relying on someone else to pay your bills, you abide by their rules!

But hey if you feel you have the high moral ground, then stick to your guns, who am I to suggest otherwise.

But I hope that £800 debt is worth it.

Door knocks, phone calls, the postman etc, I hope that £800 in your bank account compensates for all that.

D70

rogerblack

Addressing solely the 'can they' argument - as I understand it, they may not be able to claim it through the courts.
However, they can deduct it (limited at a few percent) from any benefits she's claiming.

However, on the other hand, as I understand it, you are only expected to pay what you reasonably understand you owe.
I'd be asking for what notification she received at the time that any excess money may be owing.

eskimo26

sardine wrote: »

They are what?????? After all this time! Surely it must have cost them a lot more to collect this over that period of time than the debt was.

I cannot believe that councils are still chasing a debt which is upwards of 20 years old.

On that basis, I can't see me getting away with the bit I owe them from 1998/9! It still appears on the annual CT bill - '£853.23 is subject to court proceedings and is still outstanding'
They have a liability order which was granted in late 1999, but I refuse to pay it. I suppose they might send a bailiff round at some time in the future, we will have to wait and see.

Just out of curiosity don't the bailiffs' charge for each unsuccessful visit? Keeping them out is easy enough if you know there limitations but I was under the impression the bill climbs for each visit they have to make. :eek:

sardine

eskimo26 wrote: »

Just out of curiosity don't the bailiffs' charge for each unsuccessful visit? Keeping them out is easy enough if you know there limitations but I was under the impression the bill climbs for each visit they have to make. :eek:

Yes it does, but I have no idea what the actual amount owing now is.

We have had letters telling us that the van will be visiting etc etc etc.

But for a while now, in fact quite a long time, nothing has happened and it has gone all quiet.
As I have said, when and if I do have to pay it, then it will be paid in full. I have never refused to pay it, just played awkward so that they don't get it too easy.

And no it was not a question of time limits like that. The form was posted (and I still have the Recorded Delivery slip) 5 days before the time limit expired, yet it took 6 days (including Sat & Sun) for it to be delivered and signed for!
But that is how things go, I accept that. But I did expect a little bit of leniency as it was posted well before the deadline and I proved it. They argued that that didn't matter, it could have been posted a month before the deadline, it was the day it landed on their desk that was important.