We’d like to remind Forumites to please avoid political debate on the Forum.

This is to keep it a safe and useful space for MoneySaving discussions. Threads that are – or become – political in nature may be removed in line with the Forum’s rules. Thank you for your understanding.

📨 Have you signed up to the Forum's new Email Digest yet? Get a selection of trending threads sent straight to your inbox daily, weekly or monthly!
The Forum now has a brand new text editor, adding a bunch of handy features to use when creating posts. Read more in our how-to guide

Council Tax question

13»

Comments

  • CIS
    CIS Posts: 12,260 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    unforeseen wrote: »
    Councils are free to go down the hierarchy of liability until they can find somebody within it that they can get the payment from. That is the whole idea of it. Bankruptcy at the top of the chain does not stop it

    No they are not - they have to stop at the highest person on the hierarchy of liability (as per section 6 of the council tax (administration & enforcement) regs 1992).

    Nothing in regulations affect the hierarchy with respect to bankruptcy - bankruptcy only effects what gets paid and not the liability (liability only decides who's name is on the demand notice).

    Craig
    I no longer work in Council Tax Recovery but instead work as a specialist Council Tax paralegal assisting landlords and Council Tax payers with council tax disputes and valuation tribunals. My views are my own reading of the law and you should always check with the local authority in question.
  • CIS
    CIS Posts: 12,260 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    But the OP is not the sole tenant, regardless of the tenancy agreement. This can be proven by the local authority using the electoral register.
    For council tax purposes he is - the tenancy agreement is key. Unless there is either a resident joint tenant or a resident partner then he is the sole liable party for council tax purposes.

    Craig
    I no longer work in Council Tax Recovery but instead work as a specialist Council Tax paralegal assisting landlords and Council Tax payers with council tax disputes and valuation tribunals. My views are my own reading of the law and you should always check with the local authority in question.
  • NotEvanAPot
    NotEvanAPot Posts: 216 Forumite
    CIS wrote: »
    No they are not - they have to stop at the highest person on the hierarchy of liability (as per section 6 of the council tax (administration & enforcement) regs 1992).

    Nothing in regulations affect the hierarchy with respect to bankruptcy - bankruptcy only effects what gets paid and not the liability (liability only decides who's name is on the demand notice).

    Craig
    Please quote directly from act, as believe you are misunderstanding something contained, but happy for this to be corrected.
  • Mollie_Guinness15
    Mollie_Guinness15 Posts: 172 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 100 Posts Combo Breaker
    edited 2 August 2016 at 1:29PM
    Interesting thread. In my case it was a joint mortgage, though the other mortgagee no longer lived in the property and I received a certificate of exemption from CT for the period of the bankruptcy, no one was pursued for it. I moved out of the property shortly after going BR, and it has only recently been repossessed. They chased me and the other joint mortgagee for the CT due after discharge and before repossession, but that was all.

    I guess it varies from council to council.
  • NotEvanAPot
    NotEvanAPot Posts: 216 Forumite
    CIS wrote: »
    For council tax purposes he is - the tenancy agreement is key. Unless there is either a resident joint tenant or a resident partner then he is the sole liable party for council tax purposes.

    Craig
    Incorrect, you cannot hide from a legal obligation by omission of a fact. Just because an individual isn't named on a tenancy agreement, does not preclude their liability for CT.
  • CIS
    CIS Posts: 12,260 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    Incorrect, you cannot hide from a legal obligation by omission of a fact. Just because an individual isn't named on a tenancy agreement, does not preclude their liability for CT.

    I would suggest you actually read the council tax (administration and enforcements) regs 1992 and you would understand what they use as the specific definitions for council tax purposes.

    Not being named on a tenancy does not always remove you from joint liability but only in the specific case of being the resident partner of the resident tenant.

    Craig
    I no longer work in Council Tax Recovery but instead work as a specialist Council Tax paralegal assisting landlords and Council Tax payers with council tax disputes and valuation tribunals. My views are my own reading of the law and you should always check with the local authority in question.
  • CIS
    CIS Posts: 12,260 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    Interesting thread. In my case it was a joint mortgage, though the other mortgagee no longer lived in the property and I received a certificate of exemption from CT for the period of the bankruptcy, no one was pursued for it. I moved out of the property shortly after going BR, and it has only recently been repossessed. They chased me and the other joint mortgagee for the CT due after discharge and before repossession, but that was all.

    I guess it varies from council to council.

    Each council is bound by the same regulations.

    Because you were the resident owner for part of the period and therefore liable for the council tax.

    Once it had become an unoccupied property then liability falls on both of the non-resident owners. The council tax due at the point would have been chased because it was not a debt at the time of the bankruptcy as it was technically a new charge which became due when the revised demand notice was issued.

    Craig
    I no longer work in Council Tax Recovery but instead work as a specialist Council Tax paralegal assisting landlords and Council Tax payers with council tax disputes and valuation tribunals. My views are my own reading of the law and you should always check with the local authority in question.
  • NotEvanAPot
    NotEvanAPot Posts: 216 Forumite
    edited 2 August 2016 at 1:46PM
    CIS wrote: »
    I would suggest you actually read the council tax (administration and enforcements) regs 1992 and you would understand what they use as the specific definitions for council tax purposes.

    Not being named on a tenancy does not always remove you from joint liability but only in the specific case of being the resident partner of the resident tenant.

    Craig
    Am familiar with act and have just read parts 2, 5 and 6. As above, please specify by citing section relevant to your point.
This discussion has been closed.
Meet your Ambassadors

🚀 Getting Started

Hi new member!

Our Getting Started Guide will help you get the most out of the Forum

Categories

  • All Categories
  • 354K Banking & Borrowing
  • 254.3K Reduce Debt & Boost Income
  • 455.3K Spending & Discounts
  • 247.1K Work, Benefits & Business
  • 603.7K Mortgages, Homes & Bills
  • 178.3K Life & Family
  • 261.2K Travel & Transport
  • 1.5M Hobbies & Leisure
  • 16.1K Discuss & Feedback
  • 37.7K Read-Only Boards

Is this how you want to be seen?

We see you are using a default avatar. It takes only a few seconds to pick a picture.