Summons due to wrong address

pine77

Hello,

I recently moved from my flat on the 01/Feb/2011. I left on that date because the new tennent I decided to rent to moved into the flat on that date. I moved around a little for a month in flat shares before finding my own nice place to rent in the same borough on 09/March/2011. I was there a week and decided to phone Kensington and Chelsea Council Tax Office/ I told them my new address, they wanted an email to make it official so I obliged and sent one from my work email.and I asked on the phone for the Council tax bills to be sent to my new address as they stated they needed to generate a new bill because of my change in circumstances - I just wanted to pay there and then any outstanding charges.. I also asked for a bill which included any outstanding council payments on my old address as I left before the end of the finacial year, but I knew I must owe them something and they say they would have to recalculate. Sure enough, two bills came..late..early April..for the current month (£60) and following month (£100) council tax at my new address but nothing from my old address. Remember I had asked on the phone for whatever was previously owed at my old address. I rang them after I received the letters which had two seperate charges for my new address, asked for a figure to be added together of everything I owed and paid instantly as it was getting seriously confusing. I asked themto check their systems and tell me if I was completely up to date, they said I was. However it seems they did not add the previous owed from the previous address to the new total.

I just received a hand divilered summons today (sunday, slipped under the door) saying I have not paid my outstanding council tax from the I left 1st Feb, the amount they said needed to be recalculated. The amount listed in the summons is £175 (£75 court fees!!). So it turns out I did owe some back money on my previous address, about £100, but alas I have realised they sent those bills to my old address (rented since 1/feb/2011) even though I told them to send all bills to my new address in early March by email and phone (twice), including anything I owed previously! I never received therefore the bills pertaining to the end of my stay at my previous property. To top off their incompetence, they also sent me to my current address, my new tennent's council tax bills from Feb 1st, with his name on the letter to my new rented address!! I immediately phoned them yet again and told them to ammend this later error they seemed yet again to self generate.

Sadly, because of the bank holiday I must wait until tuesday to ring them. I would like to know if they can cancel the summons and summons payments due to their incompetence, whether this will go on my credit rating and if so if I can sue them or if I have a case to sue them anyway.

Thank you.

CIS

Council Tax doesn't affect your credit rating (unless your made bankrupt).

To top off their incompetence, they also sent me to my current address, my new tennent's council tax bills from Feb 1st, with his name on the letter to my new rented address!! I immediately phoned them yet again and told them to ammend this later error they seemed yet again to self generate.

It looks like they have simply added the addess to the new account they created for the tenant rather than to your account.

On the basis of what you have said the summons & costs should be withdrawn but nothing can be done until you have spoken to them to disuss the issue.