council taking too much tax

andyred_2

i pay my council tax by D.D and the last payment was on the 1.2.2007 but this month they have taken another payment out due to taking the wrong amount out each month by £10, this has taken me over my overdraft as i was'nt expecting this has they was no letter or warning.can abody advise me how to complain as i will be phoning the council tomorrow

Elaine_Wilson

If you owe the money then a direct debit mandate gives them the right to take the money. But I believe that you have to be notified first. I think that you should have ten days notice but I could be wrong here.

I take it you did not receive any notification that the extra money was to be withdrawn? So the important thing here is whether you knew the monthly payments were short.

What did your original bill say? If it said that payments would be, say, £100 per month and only £90 went out each month then you should have kept the extra £10s available in the account. (OK I know that hardly anyone would have done so but this does not make the council wrong.) The DD gives them the right to take the money at any time after the end of the notification period which is why I don't avoid them as far as possible.

If the original bill was incorrect then they should have sent you a revised one before taking the money.