Community charge letter after 20 years

chris_0_2011

Firstly apologies if this is in the incorrect forum.

My mum has today received a bill from her local council requesting £500 of unpaid community charges dating back from 1991/1992. Is this allowed? Why are the council requesting this after 20 years? My mum has not received any letters about this before. Seems ridiculous to me!

Any advice on this would be great

Chris

agrinnall

My council's online payments page states that community charge is one of the things that can be paid that way, so presumably they are still attempting to collect it. Whether they can enforce payment I don't know but I'm pretty sure that I've read on here that there is no time limit for chasing CT payment so it wouldn't surprise me if that also applies to CC. Does your mum accept that she should have paid it but didn't at the time? If so then paying it now will be the easiest way to get the council off her back.

molerat

1) If there is a liability order in place there is no limitation, it can be chased for ever and whenever they wish.

2) If there is no liability order in place they should not chase after 6 years. If they do go for a liability order and you do not vigorously defend it in court they will probably get it, go to 1)

chris_0_2011

thank you both for replying

If a liability order is sought within the six year period should you be made aware of this?

I don't know all of the details but I know my parents had some financial trouble around the time identified in the letter today. They fell behind with poll and council tax payments, however, my dad took responsibility for this and an arrangement plan was set up(via a court agreement) to pay back all outstanding amounts which he did within a couple of years.
I would have thought that this agreement would have accounted for all the sums owed and seems like a poor oversight if any outstanding amounts were left!

I think its very unprofessional to decide to chase up a payment like this after 20 years. If it proven to be outstanding then it will need to be paid obviously. It just shows incompetence of this councils behalf

Thanks again

Chris

Savvy_Sue

It won't make any difference to the liability or not question, but has your mother moved at all in that period? ie if the debt was due, would it have been straightforward for the council to remind her of this?

chris_0_2011

both of my parents have lived at the same address for 25 years. It stinks of the council trying to generate funds. The letter itself is intimidating and states baliffs will be sent if the amount is not settled within 14 days. As you can imagine my mum is very worried about it. It worries me that these letters will be sent to vulnerable and elderly people who will just see it and be too scared not to pay it!

Also, how many people would keep proof of payments after 20 years! I can see alot of people being shafted by this!

agrinnall

It will indeed by councils trying to obtain funds by whatever legitimate method they can. The alternative to people paying what they owe, even if it is from 20 years ago, is more cuts to services. As it seems likely that your mum may well owe this money the evidence (based on a sample of 1) suggests that they are sending out letters to the correct people.