Council tax... situation

wsaus55

Hi everyone.

Long time reader but joined to ask this rather pressing question.

I don't want to go into too many particulars for obvious reasons on here, but in a nutshell:

I am renting.

Notified the council via phone that I am here.

Nothing in writing, I am an idiot.

The road plan is a little confusing here, and myself and neighbours are often swapping over mail because things get delivered to the wrong addresses.

No council tax bills yet (been here 6 months, quite honestly I know I should have addressed this sooner BUT I suppose I wasn't too keen on chasing up the council again and again to part with more money). I spoke to them twice on the phone to notify them that I was renting the property during my first month renting here.

Turns out a lot of mail ended up elsewhere, some addressed to my LL. I'm putting 2 + 2 together and worried that this may have escalated and may cause trouble for my LL and obviously myself. No letters from the council addressed to me.

Obviously I am willing to just pay up the 6 months worth but having read some threads on here it can get pretty nasty -> baliffs and court summons etc.

In summary;

I have told the council I'm here twice, not in writing though.

I haven't received any council tax bills. My LL may or may not have, but the letters went AWOL. A Neighbour was hoarding them for quite some time (not intentionally).

What to do next?? Call them AGAIN and/or write and ask them to bill me for the tax due? I'm just worried I may have caused a problem for my LL, he's a rarity in that he's actually a nice guy! He knows he has mail waiting and knows why it went missing, but hasn't picked it up yet.

Thanks for any help

marliepanda

Is it a new build? I know with some new builds it can take the council a while to get the properties banded and the demands sent etc.

You cannot pay the tax I dont think with a reference number for the property. Any chance you've been squirelling the money away each month and can just pay in a lump sum?

I know when I moved in here it was about 3 months before I got a council tax demand, and the monthly payments were just increased to take into account the 3 months unpaid. As long as you pay/are willing to pay there shouldnt be any problems I would hope.

But I would definitely ring them again

motherofstudents

I would do both. Ring them up and follow up with a letter. The council tax people can be quite helpful as long as you are up front with them, explain the situation and get it sorted out.

wsaus55

Thanks guys.

I did put the money aside as I knew/thought(??) a bill would turn up sooner or later. I'm just worried they'll blame me for not chasing it up as wholeheartedly as I could. I just should have gotten something in writing I suppose.

Marliepanda, it is a fairly new build - a lot of delivery companies end up calling me because they can't find the property. It doesn't turn up on most sat-navs either. It's around 2 years old.

I'm just worried he has nasty letters sat waiting for him and he'll go nuts about it all.

marliepanda

wsaus55 wrote: »

Thanks guys.

I did put the money aside as I knew/thought(??) a bill would turn up sooner or later. I'm just worried they'll blame me for not chasing it up as wholeheartedly as I could. I just should have gotten something in writing I suppose.

Marliepanda, it is a fairly new build - a lot of delivery companies end up calling me because they can't find the property. It doesn't turn up on most sat-navs either. It's around 2 years old.

I'm just worried he has nasty letters sat waiting for him and he'll go nuts about it all.

Well if the post wasnt delivered to you then there is very little you can do about it

I would again ring the council and ask for a tax statement for the property. If you have the money there ready it wont hurt if they do ask for it all, and if you've told them twice then I dont think they can say you havent tried!

Im sure as long as they get their money eventually they wont be too peeved

G_M

Ring them again and ask for a statement. Ask whose name the property is registered in for CT purposes ( yours or the LL)?

Make a note of the name of the person you speak to, the date and time of the call, and what you are told. Ask them to confirm in writing. If you do not get a statement/letter in a week or so, follow up with a letter "Further to my telelphone conversation on [date] with [name], ....."

wsaus55

Thank you for the advice.

The other issue (having read a bit more on here) is why would I get the letters in his name to this address? Surely any letters should be;

to "new occupier" at my address
or to MY name at my address
or to HIS name at HIS address?

blackshirtuk

Is it possible to drop by the council to sort out?

I did and they were very helpful, I was being chased for payment on my deceased dads property. They got my name right but address wrong and phone number wrong by 2 digits.

Apparently it had already been to court, i found out as it was a bailiffs letter correctly addressed which prompted my visit.

At the office, the guy was so helpful, cancelled the court action, bailiffs etc when i told him who the executors were, he asked why did the council have my details, for which i had no reply.

But everything sorted nothing to pay, but i could have paid there and then.

G_M

wsaus55 wrote: »

Thank you for the advice.

The other issue (having read a bit more on here) is why would I get the letters in his name to this address? Surely any letters should be;

to "new occupier" at my address
or to MY name at my address
or to HIS name at HIS address?

They think he is living there so are using his name at the property address. Simple.

As advised, contact them and explain!

marliepanda

The council can be a bit weird. With a partner of mine he was being 'chased' for overpaid housing benefit years ago.

The only contact we ever got from them was a bailiff letter. Nothing else, but they clearly had his new address as he'd been paying council tax there etc :S. They had been trying to call him on an old disconnected number but hadnt sent any letters out.

Anyway they were fine once we called them and cancelled bailiffs + bailiff fees etc, and he just had to pay back the overpayment.

vivatifosi

Write to them, send it recorded delivery and keep a copy of the letter and the receipt. In the letter, state that you have contacted them twice by phone but nothing has happened and that you are keen to sort this out as you are the one living there.

If they continue to ignore you the onus is then on them because you have proof.

Also, if you go to the VOA website: www.voa.gov.uk there's a link where you can check your council tax band so that you know you are putting aside the right amount. A word of warning though, they have the wrong postcode for my house (yes, it was a new build...) so you may need to try a few variables to find it.