Council Tax Debt - Levy on car. Advice please

lexiemac89

I have a council tax debt for just over £200 which a debt company has been chasing me for for the past few months. I realise I must at some point clear this debt, although I am not in a position to pay in full at the moment as they keep demanding. No-one has ever knocked on my door but they have posted letters through by hand several times, suggesting they have knocked on but they definitely haven't as I watched one lady pull up at 7 o'clock in the morning three days in a row, sit in her car for ten minutes or so, sneaked up the drive quietly then posted the letters through quietly and went back to her car. Bit confusing as I thought their jobs were to try and recover the money owed?

Anyway.. that was a few months ago and then today a man from the same bailiffs has again posted a letter through by hand (again, without knocking on the door as I heard him post it through). One letter says the balance due is now £390.50 + costs and that payment in full must be made within 48 hours. Exactly what the previous letters had said, except the balance is now almost £170 more and the bailiff in charge is now someone different. But in addition to this, he has also posted through a 'Notice of Seizure of Goods & Inventory' stating they have a walking possession of my partner's car and will be back to seize the car if payment + expenses are not paid within 5 days.

Where do we go from here? Reading the regulations on the back of the letter it states they should not remove goods if the debtor needs them for business or employment which my partner does. Without his car he would be out of work as his job requires him to hold a full driving licence and have his own vehicle. We are worried that they will first remove the car and then we will have to prove he needs the car for work etc. so just wondered if anyone could offer any advice on what to do now before they come back in five days, or so they say at least?

Thanks in advance

[Deleted User]

Is your partner also liable for the debt?

lexiemac89

Bedsit_Bob wrote: »

Is your partner also liable for the debt?

Yes, we both are. The debt is for unpaid council tax on a house we both lived in previous to our home now.

bouncydog1

By the sounds of it you have ignored the demands. You really must deal with this as you can go to prison for unpaid council tax. First step is to post up a statement of affairs so we can help you see what you can cut back on to pay the debt.

You need to deal with this quickly as inaction will lead to them seizing any assets and as you have said your partner needs the car to work.

Please act today ad don't leave it any longer - the debt is not going to go away in this case.

[Deleted User]

lexiemac89 wrote: »

Yes, we both are. The debt is for unpaid council tax on a house we both lived in previous to our home now.

So the Warrant of Execution is in both your names?

lexiemac89

It's in both of our names, yes. We have today contacted the council directly (we had done this previously a few times but been told it wasn't their problem) and after a very long couple of conversations, they have now contacted the bailiffs and the bailiff has agreed they will close the account and return the debt to the council. So we have made a payment arrangement with the council now and turns out the debt remaining is actually only £180 so the rest is costs. My only worry is that now the bailiffs will come back still wanting these fees they've added on top.