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Council Tax Direct debit cancellation: Fully Paid, Yet Summons!

Hi Folks,

1)I set up a direct debit for my council tax which i have been paying until december. i cancelled my direct debit few days before due date.

2) Got a letter from council asking me to pay the remaining money on 2 instalment.

3) In December, i still pay the CT by due date(So nothing missing).

4) Receive a letter that Council will be seeking for summon. I immediately email and fax them that i have been paying accordingly.

5) No response came for more than 10 days. Eventually they added cost fees and summon fees.

6) I felt is unfair.

What can i do?

Comments

  • CIS
    CIS Posts: 12,260 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    4) Receive a letter that Council will be seeking for summon. I immediately email and fax them that i have been paying accordingly.

    Prior to the court summons being issued there must have been a reminder or a final notice.
    2) Got a letter from council asking me to pay the remaining money on 2 instalment.

    What date were the 2 payments due and what date did you make the payments (and how did you make them ?).
    I no longer work in Council Tax Recovery but instead work as a specialist Council Tax paralegal assisting landlords and Council Tax payers with council tax disputes and valuation tribunals. My views are my own reading of the law and you should always check with the local authority in question.
  • Buzby
    Buzby Posts: 8,275 Forumite
    You need to speak to them personally. It is largely an automated process and if you drop a payment method the system may not recognise any other, whilst quietly allocating the alternative payment to your account.

    Provide the payment dates and get them to confirm receipt. It is also possible you are remitting to the wrong account or providing an incorrect account number, preventing the money from being correctly allocated.
  • Kaybenson
    Kaybenson Posts: 924 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 500 Posts Combo Breaker
    CIS wrote: »
    1) Prior to the court summons being issued there must have been a reminder or a final notice.



    2) What date were the 2 payments due and what date did you make the payments (and how did you make them ?).

    1) Not at all.

    2) 5th of the month. I paid via the council's website and there was automated receipt on my email.
  • Kaybenson
    Kaybenson Posts: 924 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 500 Posts Combo Breaker
    Buzby wrote: »
    You need to speak to them personally. It is largely an automated process and if you drop a payment method the system may not recognise any other, whilst quietly allocating the alternative payment to your account.

    Provide the payment dates and get them to confirm receipt. It is also possible you are remitting to the wrong account or providing an incorrect account number, preventing the money from being correctly allocated.


    I did pay to the correct account
  • katejo
    katejo Posts: 4,069 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    Kaybenson wrote: »
    I did pay to the correct account

    Why did you need to cancel the direct debit anyway? Surely it needs to remain so they can take payments again from April onwards.
  • Naf
    Naf Posts: 3,183 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    Do you have any previous Council Tax arrears you are paying separately? At my council (and seems reasonable to suspect that others are the same) if a payment is made for the wrong amount (even if its only pence different - even for more), or on the wrong date (whether early or late) it gets allocated to the arrears account instead of the current year's.
    The system is set up to expect a specific amount on a specific date, and if it doesn't see exactly that it gets confused.
    Never argue with stupid people, they will drag you down to their level and then beat you with experience.
    - Mark Twain
    Arguing with idiots is like playing chess with a pigeon: no matter how good you are at chess, its just going to knock over the pieces and strut around like its victorious.
  • CIS
    CIS Posts: 12,260 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    At my council (and seems reasonable to suspect that others are the same) if a payment is made for the wrong amount (even if its only pence different - even for more), or on the wrong date (whether early or late) it gets allocated to the arrears account instead of the current year's

    Most local authorities will allocate payments against any arrears if the can't match it to an expected instalment.
    I no longer work in Council Tax Recovery but instead work as a specialist Council Tax paralegal assisting landlords and Council Tax payers with council tax disputes and valuation tribunals. My views are my own reading of the law and you should always check with the local authority in question.
  • CIS
    CIS Posts: 12,260 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    1) Not at all.

    They would have been issued before the summons (the main council tax systems won't allow you to override the process) , whether you received them or not is another issue.
    I no longer work in Council Tax Recovery but instead work as a specialist Council Tax paralegal assisting landlords and Council Tax payers with council tax disputes and valuation tribunals. My views are my own reading of the law and you should always check with the local authority in question.
  • Kaybenson
    Kaybenson Posts: 924 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 500 Posts Combo Breaker
    Thank you everyone.

    I wrote to complaint department. They have now removed the summon and other charges.

    Thanks again and happy easter to ya all
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