In need of a vent...

dancingfairy

It sounds like you're making good progress to get on top of things, which is great.

Unfortunately, rather naively you expect the council to be lenient. You might have all the best intentions to pay in September but the council have heard it all before, day in, day out, excuses/reasons/justification.

For every genuine person there are lots and lots of those taking the mickey. At the end of the day the council are there to provide services -libraries, bins, Street lighting etc etc and they have to ensure they get the money in. The system is just not designed to respond to individual situations and problems.

It does sound like you've been somewhat caught out on this occasion (and I sympathise) but you need to try and come up with a plan to get back in top of this.

Did the council apply the single person discount? Double check them start making a plan to catch up.

Good luck
Df

White-as-Snow

Hi OP.
You can have as much rant as you need to have to feel better!
I do believe that you're a bit annoyed at yourself too and sometime when money is concerned it can feel like everyone wants a piece of you and there isn't enough to go around.

Take a deep breath (or a few of them) and calm down.

What can you do to help yourself. Our council will let you pay council tax weekly. Would that help in your current situation? As someone asked earlier is there a reason why you can't pay at least something until Aug/September?

I have to say thought if they are like my council if they think you're not going to pay they are quick to take away your ability to pay in installments which would make things worse for you. Council tax is a priority.

When you've calmed down could you look at your finances and find some money to catch up and phone them to see if they will accept your payment proposal?

xxxxx hugs OP xxxx

Starbrite

lovehackney wrote: »

Council tax is more of a priority bill than a car parking ticket. So you might want to prioritise that over the fine.

If I don't pay the £250 parking ticket by 4th August it will turn into a CCJ and be on my credit history thing for 6 years....

So which is the lesser of two evils council tax or a CCJ?

Starbrite

sourcrates wrote: »

That's actually really bad advice.

The OP may lose the right to pay by instalments, and the council may demand the full years payment in one go.

Is the parking ticket a council PCN or a private parking ticket ?

Either way, your council tax is a number one priority as things can get out of hand really quickly if you start missing payments, try phoning them again, hopefully you will get someone with a more positive attitude, they should allow you to spread the missing payment over the remains months of the year.

A year will work out to be £183.... which I can pay in full in September when my student loans arrives...

I finished a course in may and start the next level in September alas the 3 months in between I am liable for council tax. I'm happy to do this then save each month so when next July comes round I can go here have your money in one lump sum...

Starbrite

theoretica wrote: »

I imagine you are venting in part because you are annoyed at yourself - you thought to ask how much it was and if you had thought a little more you could have found the band for your home and estimated the bill yourself to put money aside.

Do you have a plan now? It seems unusual that your next payday isn't until the end of August to pay this, as most people are paid at least every month.

End of july money is all allocated apart for the £200 I have remaining for food and fuel to get to from work... I suppose I could pay the council tax out of this and not eat for a month... Who needs food and petrol right....

Starbrite

White-as-Snow wrote: »

Hi OP.
You can have as much rant as you need to have to feel better!
I do believe that you're a bit annoyed at yourself too and sometime when money is concerned it can feel like everyone wants a piece of you and there isn't enough to go around.

Take a deep breath (or a few of them) and calm down.

What can you do to help yourself. Our council will let you pay council tax weekly. Would that help in your current situation? As someone asked earlier is there a reason why you can't pay at least something until Aug/September?

I have to say thought if they are like my council if they think you're not going to pay they are quick to take away your ability to pay in installments which would make things worse for you. Council tax is a priority.

When you've calmed down could you look at your finances and find some money to catch up and phone them to see if they will accept your payment proposal?

xxxxx hugs OP xxxx

They hate me I'm sure of it... I swear there is a big black X by my name or something they have never been helpful since I moved in.

I won't pay another bill rob peter to pay Paul simples'

Cakeguts

I think you may need to have a different way of thinking about bills and fines. When you get paid what you have to do is to put aside the money that you need for bills and any other emergencies. When that is already saved then what you have left goes on luxuries like holidays. So for example the parking fine and council tax. You knew you had to pay those so the money for those payments should already have been allocated. A holiday is a luxury if you don't have enough money left over to go on holiday you don't go. You don't use money set aside for bills and fines or any other emergency item to pay for a holiday. If you can't afford to stop working to go on holiday then don't stop. Wait until you have saved up enough. You have got to remember that a holiday is a luxury.

Andypandyboy

Starbrite wrote: »

They hate me I'm sure of it... I swear there is a big black X by my name or something they have never been helpful since I moved in.

I won't pay another bill rob peter to pay Paul simples'

Op that is a really childish response.

The black x above your name is the same one which is above all our names with regard to bills and specifically council tax bills. They have to be paid on demand, end of.

You chose to go on holiday for almost 6 weeks without putting aside monies for the bill. You are therefore entirely responsible for what happens next. Your student loan will only come in in mid September, so if you can only pay then the council will have waited almost 10 weeks for their money. Why should they be happy with that?

Starbrite

Cakeguts wrote: »

I think you may need to have a different way of thinking about bills and fines. When you get paid what you have to do is to put aside the money that you need for bills and any other emergencies. When that is already saved then what you have left goes on luxuries like holidays. So for example the parking fine and council tax. You knew you had to pay those so the money for those payments should already have been allocated. A holiday is a luxury if you don't have enough money left over to go on holiday you don't go. You don't use money set aside for bills and fines or any other emergency item to pay for a holiday. If you can't afford to stop working to go on holiday then don't stop. Wait until you have saved up enough. You have got to remember that a holiday is a luxury.

I saved for 2 years to be able to go on holiday, I was on a tight budget while away and stuck to the budget. I knew back in April July was going to be a "poor" month due to the fact I am on a zero hours contract therefore if I do not work I do not get paid.

I managed to save enough to cover the bills I was paying pre holiday while I was away and upon my return. Alas I Unfortunately overlooked one bill, this being council tax.

My rant isn't over my ability to budget or lack of budgeting skills its over how the council tax department are not very giving. I have since looked at my monies and rearranged a few D/D with other companies who are much more nicer, accommodating and friendly and have arranged to free up some money to pay the Council tax.

Council tax is a massive bug bear I can change every other supplier expect water and council tax, (unless I move of course).

sourcrates

Starbrite wrote: »

If I don't pay the £250 parking ticket by 4th August it will turn into a CCJ and be on my credit history thing for 6 years....

So which is the lesser of two evils council tax or a CCJ?

Who has told you this ?

A debt just dosent turn into a CCJ, they have to take you to court first, and you will have the chance to defend it.

Again, is it a council penalty charge notice (PCN) or a private parking ticket ?