Council tax debt Scotland

spanport

I have just returned home after spending the last 5/6 months in England with my daughter due to health reasons. There were about a dozen letters from the local council regarding unpaid council tax from 1993 to 2001. Naturally as I had not been here these letters have not been answered. Also there were 2 letters from Stirling Park (sheriff officer and debt collectors). the first dated end of Feb is a summary warrant notice and the second is a charge for payment of money dated March. I want to investigate the validity of these claims but I am concerned about who I should contact and what i should say. I would be grateful for any help

Angry_Bear

spanport wrote: »

I have just returned home after spending the last 5/6 months in England with my daughter due to health reasons. There were about a dozen letters from the local council regarding unpaid council tax from 1993 to 2001. Naturally as I had not been here these letters have not been answered. Also there were 2 letters from Stirling Park (sheriff officer and debt collectors). the first dated end of Feb is a summary warrant notice and the second is a charge for payment of money dated March. I want to investigate the validity of these claims but I am concerned about who I should contact and what i should say. I would be grateful for any help

Surely you know if a) you lived in the house from 1993 - 2001 and b) were you paying the council tax - if yes and no, then the claims are almost certainly valid.
I don;t know if there's any statute of limitations on council tax but I don't think so. Your first point of call will be your local council who may well tell you to call Scott & Co (who I think are the solicitors for most councils in Scotland).

pauletruth

its 20 years for them to take you to court. did you pay the tax in those years.
if the sheriffs officers can;t get your goods. they can go after your bank accounts and attach your earnings/ benefits.

spanport

Thanks for your reply. I am afraid that at my age my mind is not as nimble as it once was. I believe that I am probably due some of this money but not all. I also believe that it may be time barred but if I contact someone I may say the wrong thing and start it all over. What I would like is who do I phone or write to and what do I say and probably more importantly what do I NOT say?

timetogrowup89

I have just dealt with an issue of council tax from 5 years ago approx.. I thought I had paid it (no receipts tho..) and they say I never.

I live in Scotland too and they said they have power to arrest earnings if I did not agree and stick to a payment plan. I didnt want to go down the route of having my earnings arrested so have agreed a payment plan.

They were very reasonable with the monthly amount that they wanted back..

Is it for the full amount for each of the years mentioned above? Or just some missed payments from each years?

spanport

The local CAB is closed today so I am going to see them on Monday.

Angry_Bear

spanport wrote: »

Thanks for your reply. I am afraid that at my age my mind is not as nimble as it once was. I believe that I am probably due some of this money but not all. I also believe that it may be time barred but if I contact someone I may say the wrong thing and start it all over. What I would like is who do I phone or write to and what do I say and probably more importantly what do I NOT say?

Just to clarify, Council Tax doesn't become statute barred in the same way as other debts. As Pauletruth says, Council Tax in Scotland can be chased for 20 years - which probably explains why the earliest date is 1993.
I still think your best advice is to call the council and ask for your account history and details of your debts.