Student Council Tax

technopersia

Hi,

Me and my flatmate are both full time students. When I moved to my new flat I changed my address on the university system and they said they will send a letter to the council in regards to exception. I also sent an email to the council informing them we are both students. However After a while I started receiving letters from a credit enforcement agency. I left them a message in in regards to this and they stopped for a while however I received another letter recently asking for payment again. I have called them and they said I should pay the £1400 and when the council tells them I am exempt they may refund me!

I have contacted the council again and filled the exemption form.
Any advice?

lincroft1710

Unusual. Councils tend to use proper bailiffs rather than a credit enforcement agency.

technopersia

These guys.

http://www.scottandco.uk.com/website/wip/scottweb.nsf/index?readform

I don't really care much about their business practices, rather about being exempt from council tax.

Gas_Powered_Toothbrush

technopersia wrote: »

I have called them and they said I should pay the £1400 and when the council tells them I am exempt they may refund me!

Refer them to the case of Arkell vs Pressdram.

lincroft1710

technopersia wrote: »

I don't really care much about their business practices, rather about being exempt from council tax.

Well you should care!

There are strict legal procedures councils must follow when attempting to recover unpaid Council Tax. Have you been served with a CT bill, reminder for non payment, Notice of Court Hearing and subsequent judgement.

Although if you are in Scotland, the court procedures are slightly different.

Voyager2002

Many councils can verify your student status using your uni registration number. See if you can contact someone fairly senior in the council tax department and get them to use their brains...

technopersia

lincroft1710 wrote: »

Well you should care!

There are strict legal procedures councils must follow when attempting to recover unpaid Council Tax. Have you been served with a CT bill, reminder for non payment, Notice of Court Hearing and subsequent judgement.

Although if you are in Scotland, the court procedures are slightly different.

I Have been hit by a Pre-Enforcement notice.

I have refilled the online tax exception form with my student ID and my flatmates and also emailed the council. I could not get through on the phone even after 30 min.

I called Scott Co and they said first you pay and then we will see which seems rather stupid to put it nicely. Do I need to worry about them?

technopersia

OK That's funny

Gas_Powered_Toothbrush wrote: »

Refer them to the case of Arkell vs Pressdram.

lincroft1710

technopersia wrote: »

I Have been hit by a Pre-Enforcement notice.

Never heard of this before.

I have refilled the online tax exception form with my student ID and my flatmates and also emailed the council. I could not get through on the phone even after 30 min.

Is there any chance you could go to the council and have a meeting with a senior revenues officer.

I called Scott Co and they said first you pay and then we will see which seems rather stupid to put it nicely. Do I need to worry about them?

What you need to worry about is if you don't pay them, do they have any powers of recovery.

I've been on MSE boards for almost 6 years and have read of numerous CT payment/exemption/recovery threads, but have never encountered a credit enforcement agency being used to recover unpaid CT. Not that I'm saying it doesn't happen, but it's very unusual.

I am now thinking that possibly your uni didn't inform or confirm with council your new address.

CIS

credit enforcement agency being used to recover unpaid CT

A local authority I worked at used them but they were basically telephone debt collectors who rang people up. This company was an arm of one the bailiff companies they used.

Scott and Co are also sheriffs officers so would likely be used to enforce the liability orders.

I Have been hit by a Pre-Enforcement notice.

This is just a name for a letter they've issued to give you another chance to pay before they enforce.