Flatmate stolen council tax money!!

5natown

My boyfriend's ex-flatmate was in charge of paying the council tax when they lived together (which was up until last week), and when my boyfriend phoned the council to change the account to his new address, he was told that there was still £500 due in missed payments!! My boyfriend and the 3rd flatmate have both been paying their share of this, in cash (therefore no records), to the flatmate in charge of council tax, and this was the first they knew about it.

Seems as though the flatmate, who has a history of being a thoroughly unreliable and unpleasant person, has pocketed the cash. The guilty flatmate is trying to make excuses and there are a few ins and outs to be explored.... but when it comes down to it, are all 3 equally liable for this £500? Do they have any way to prove that there is only one guilty party/sue ex-flatmate if necessary?

Any thoughts/experience on this matter would be greatly appreciated, we are all a bit worried!!! Thanks.

Gold_Shogun

The liability for Council Tax rests with the Named Tenant(s) on the agreement, so IF all three of you are named, then unfortunately you are jointly & severally liable (meaning that the Council can go after all OR any of you).

The "ideal circumstances" in your position would be IF the thieving rascal was the sole named signatory, in which case you could simply walk away & let him take the rap himself.

ad44downey

There's no evidence so your friend is well and truly fooked. You can chose your friends.....

thesaint

5natown wrote: »

<snip>
Seems as though the flatmate, who has a history of being a thoroughly unreliable and unpleasant person, has pocketed the cash. The guilty flatmate is trying to make excuses and there are a few ins and outs to be explored....<snip>

So they gave him cash to pay bills :eek: