Council Tax arrears and BR

Bakeybadoo

I am right that you can include Council Tax arrears in BR, right?

What if it's only a couple of months, can that 'small' amount be included and does it affect how you pay the remainder of the year?

AND

What if the bill is in joint names and the other person has gone BR but the bill wasn't included in those proceedings as the debt was not there at that point in time? Can one person, on a joint bill, apply for that arrears to be written off under their own proceedings?

Mike_St_Helens

Hiya...

We had ours written off, if you are only in a month or two arrears then they add that. If ou have 'lost the right' to pay monthly then the whole amount can be added to your B. We had this with ours.. and a battle it was !! I have all the legal blurb letters if you plan on fighting yours.

Not too sure about the joint thing mind, both of us went B. Im sure someone will help with this...

Bakeybadoo

We pay monthly at the present time and would like to continue to do so but we've got 2 months behind and having a rough couple of month, financially, I'd like to include those 2 months in my BR so we can make a fresh start without having to play catch-up with the essentials.

He went BR 2 weeks ago now, when we were 1 month behind.

If I include it, they won't chase him for the 2 months instead will they?

AlanD_3

Um... I think others may want to come in on this but from what I have read and from what others have said on here before I think:

a) If the arrears are joint and both aren't going BR then the debt will pass to the person who is not BR.

b) Council Tax for the current year can't be included as it is for services currently being received etc etc. My understanding was that only council tax arrears from previous years could be included.

Sorry if I'm wrong on this but it is just what I thought was the case on the matter.

Alan

Mike_St_Helens

AlanD wrote: »

Um... I think others may want to come in on this but from what I have read and from what others have said on here before I think:

a) If the arrears are joint and both aren't going BR then the debt will pass to the person who is not BR.

b) Council Tax for the current year can't be included as it is for services currently being received etc etc. My understanding was that only council tax arrears from previous years could be included.

Sorry if I'm wrong on this but it is just what I thought was the case on the matter.

Alan

Thats right Alan,

But.. If you are 2+ months behind you loose the right to pay monthly, so the whole amount then becomes due. effectivley in default. so then that amount can be added to the B.

Mikey

Bakeybadoo

We haven't had the dreaded letter telling us to pay up or it goes to court, yet. We've had them regularly in the past though and always managed to scrape together the amount before it went that far or just after. Annoying in the sense though as you pay their fees and court costs on top.

I think I'll just get on with it, don't need to create any more hassle than it's worth, enough of that already with everything else going on!

Thanks for the advice though gents!