Birmingham Council is threatening to take me to court. Advice?

[Deleted User]

Major_Misunderstanding wrote: »

We all pay the same CT (apart from the benefit brigade). So yr statement is pointless really.

thats helpful....not
what about single occupants that get a 25% discount,they aren`t members of your "benefit brigade":mad:

Oldernotwiser

Sandwich wrote: »

And I didn't realise that "looking for work" paid the bills nowadays. Please can you advise me on where to go to pick up my cheque for looking for work, because that is what I have been doing for the past year or more. I was under the impression that you only got a pay cheque when you have actually found a job. I don't know if you've heard, but there aren't many jobs out there at the moment and there's an awful lot of people looking for them. I have my qualifications, references, experience, etc, etc, but when there are 40 applicants for every job it's easier said than done to find full-time, permanent, paid employment.

I cannot believe that in the last year there has been no bar job, care work, cleaning job etc in the whole of Birmingham that you couldn't have found for a few hours' work.

I wouldn't have suggested using a student overdraft if I'd realised the shed load of debt your're already in, but then you hardly gave people full information about your situation, did you?

Sandwich

Anyone that just wants to have a go at me, you might as well save it. I didn't come here to get in an argument with anyone and I could care less about your opinion of whether I'm in the right or the wrong.

I came here for advice and I'd really appreciate it if someone could give me some advice as to what to do next. I've got myself in this mess, now I've got to get myself out of it. So should I make an offer to the council to make repayments? And what would be a reasonable offer considering that the monthly payments are currently set at £170?

I was thinking of offering them £100/month until it's paid off. Do you think they would accept that? If so, do I need to write to them or should I just phone them? Because it will probably take them weeks to respond by post and I have until Friday until they go to court over this.

sueturnersmith

If the court case is this Friday, then any offer you make direct to the council is likely to be too late for them to process.

Your best bet is to go to court with a breakdown of all your income and outgoings. The court will decide how much you have to pay.

HappyMJ

sueturnersmith wrote: »

If the court case is this Friday, then any offer you make direct to the council is likely to be too late for them to process.

Your best bet is to go to court with a breakdown of all your income and outgoings. The court will decide how much you have to pay.

I agree. I did that and was ordered to pay £10 a month as that was all I can afford. It will take a very very long time to repay the outstanding debt...if ever.

sunnyone

HappyMJ wrote: »

I agree. I did that and was ordered to pay £10 a month as that was all I can afford. It will take a very very long time to repay the outstanding debt...if ever.

You sound very proud that you are a debitor that will more than likely never repay their debts, to many of us that would be shameful.

Sandwich

sunnyone wrote: »

You sound very proud that you are a debitor that will more than likely never repay their debts, to many of us that would be shameful.

Why would that be at all shameful when it is a Court of Law that has determined what this person can and cannot afford?

If the Court has determined that this person can only afford £10 then it's for a good reason. Better to pay the Court £10 per month and be able to pay the rent/put food on the table for his/her kids than to pay £100 per month and watch his/her kids starve.

Sandwich

sueturnersmith wrote: »

If the court case is this Friday, then any offer you make direct to the council is likely to be too late for them to process.

Your best bet is to go to court with a breakdown of all your income and outgoings. The court will decide how much you have to pay.

Actually the court case isn't this Friday. Friday is just the payment deadline the council has given me before they go ahead with court action.

What I want to do, and what I think is the best idea, is to make the council a payment offer before then to avoid the upheaval. I can't afford £170 per month but something like £80 per month might be manageable.

RAS

Hi

Get hold of your local councillor and speak to them. They are most likely to be able to get the Revenue people to see sense. Most councillors run surgeries most weeks. Who is yours and when is their next surgery? This should be on the Council web-site.

Sandwich

RAS wrote: »

Hi

Get hold of your local councillor and speak to them. They are most likely to be able to get the Revenue people to see sense. Most councillors run surgeries most weeks. Who is yours and when is their next surgery? This should be on the Council web-site.

I have three local councillors but it doesn't seem as though they have surgeries. Their website says to just email or phone them with any problems.

What should I ask them to do? Ask the council to schedule smaller repayments or to backdate my claim for CTB?