Advice needed after council tax bill passed to debt collection

sniper786

Hi a;;,

I'll try and briefly fill you in on my situation. Last year i was paying my council tax monthly until October 2012 i had an unexpected payment leave my account and the council tax DD returned unpaid. With my local authority, they just cancel the DD if this happens and you need to pay manually and setup a new DD. I was and still am working over 70 hours a week and to my own fault i never got around to sorting it. They thne sent me reminders and a final notice in January 2013 for the full amount for the year. I paid this in full.

Obviously the new council tax year started in April and they sent me a bill for the amount for the full year which i could not afford to pay and again (i know it is my fault 100%) i was just busy working/too tired that i never went to the council to arrange to pay it monthly and sort things out. So i got another final notice in June, so i eventually went in and spoke to someone who arranged payments monthly.

I made a payment in June but have now received a letter saying i haven't kept the payments up so it is being passed to the debt collection company but i guess i misunderstood the advisor, i thought i would get a bill each month and i would pay that when it arrived..

I completely admit it is a big fault on my part for not dealing with matters at the time but advice as to what i should do not would be appreciated. I really do not want anything to impact on my credit rating and also i am a bit bemused as to why they have passed the details across when July has not yet ended and i could make my 2nd payment.

CIS

Obviously the new council tax year started in April and they sent me a bill for the amount for the full year which i could not afford to pay and again

The new years council tax demand would have given you instalments (minimum of 10).

i thought i would get a bill each month and i would pay that when it arrived..

You knew from last year that this wouldn't happen so it won't be accepted as a mitigating reason by the council.

I really do not want anything to impact on my credit rating

Council tax won't impact on your credit rating.

also i am a bit bemused as to why they have passed the details across when July has not yet ended and i could make my 2nd payment

Action can continue from the day after a payment is due if it's missed.

sniper786

CIS wrote: »

The new years council tax demand would have given you instalments (minimum of 10).

You knew from last year that this wouldn't happen so it won't be accepted as a mitigating reason by the council.

Council tax won't impact on your credit rating.

Action can continue from the day after a payment is due if it's missed.

Ok thanks, i understand it is my fault entirely. Do you think it is feasible if i make payment and contact the council indicating my misunderstanding they will avoid going to the debt collection company?

CIS

Its more likely to be a bailiff than a debt collector.

Do you think it is feasible if i make payment and contact the council indicating my misunderstanding they will avoid going to the debt collection company?

Nothing to stop you asking them.