Portsmouth City Council carrying out "raids" to recover unpaid Council Tax.

Herbie21

The following story confirms that bailiff's were instructed to carry out "raids" in an effort to recover up to £10m in unpaid council tax on behalf of Portsmouth City Council.

During last Wednesday's raids, officials put stickers on the cars to tell owners they had just one hour to pay or bailiffs would take their vehicle away.

Story from BBC [URL]news:http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/england/hampshire/7002198.stm[/URL] Published: 2007/09/19 13:41:59 GMT

Sea78

Crikey - that's scary! And I bet not at all helpful if you've already got problems paying. Wonder what other tactics they'll use next?

HairyHandofDartmoor

Good grief! Talk about heavy handed!

What if they need their car to get to work? They won't be able to pay their council tax if they can't do their job.

Do they ever ask people WHY they haven't paid? Or just assume everyone is a criminal trying to evade paying?

Herbie21

Councils are stubbonly of the view that ALL non payers are simply "persistant evaders".

In our experience however, this is complete and utter nonsense.

People are now really struggling.

HairyHandofDartmoor

Well it's no wonder people are struggling with petrol, interest rates, etc, all going up in price. Things will get worse for people unless interest rates go down, which I hope they do.

It will be interesting to see if people can afford christmas shopping this year or whether the shops will start to suffer.

HairyHandofDartmoor

Sorry, I'm going slightly off topic now, aren't I?

Herbie21

Yes, you are off topic but the point MUST be made.

1. So many credit cards companies have slashed the available credit available on credit cards. Barclaycard did this to over 500,000 cardholders.

2. We have had 6 Mortgage rate rises THIS YEAR.

3. Gas & Elecricity prices rose by 25% last year.

4. Council Tax has risen last year.

5. 5 increases in petrol in the past year with the thirs one coming yesterday.

Salaries HAVE NOT risen at the same rate to cover these costs.

Many people simpy CANNOT AFFORD to pay. When will councils realise !!!

Shona_3

I heard a woman from the council on radio 4 saying this story was hyped out of all proportion. She said they had specifically targeted people they knew could pay and all the cars were top end, she quoted something like 2 (new) BMWs, a jaguar and several mercs. She was very clear that this specific action was for wealthy people avoiding tax and all of them had gone to a cash machine and paid cash so none of the cars were taken after the hour.

Can i just say I am fortunate enough to have become debt free 3 years ago (working on the mortgage now) but I read this forum every day to keep me motivated and clear of debt. You lot are an inspiration!

rog2

Herbie21 wrote: »

Many people simpy CANNOT AFFORD to pay. When will councils realise !!!

I don't think they will EVER realise this, whilst their overriding attitude towards debtors is that anyone who hasn't paid his/her council tax is simply 'avoiding' payment.
As a former business owner, who had to pay non-domestic rates as well as residential council tax, I strongly feel that the majority of 'Council Employees' are oblivious to the 'real world' - I could not afford to pay myself, yet I, somehow, HAD to find the money for my Council Tax - Totally irrespective of the fact that my business was not making any money :mad:

When I went into my Local Council (West Wiltshire District Council) to question my 'Business Rates' after a summons had been issued to me, I was 'amazed' to see all the 'self-congratulatory' !!!! that is posted around the place, stating what a good employer they are, Investors in People etc.
These people are living in a 'Bubble' - of course Any organisation that can dictate price rises, without taking into account the circumstances of its 'clients' then take advantage of a 'tailor made' fast track magistrate's court procedure in order to guarantee payment, is, indeed, in an extremely enviable position.
Well may they boast about how well they are treating their staff, oblivious of the sacrifices that small businesses and domestic council tax payers are having to make, simply in an attempt to meet their legal obligations.
My local council, as many others, have 'privatised' most of the 'services' and, if I remember correctly, West Wiltshire District/County Council were taken to task regarding this so-called 'privatisation' which 'cost' the average council tax payer the equivalent of two years council tax payments :mad: Whilst one, not so senior, manager was 'scapegoated' nothing was done to redress the problem, resulting in them being named as the 'most corrupt' council in England.
I just find it incredible that there are those who patrol these boards with the sole purpose of 'attempting to justify' the bully-boy tactics that Councils will 'stoop' to in the interest of publicity.

Shineyhappy

It is the government who make the rules about what business rates are charged not the local council. The money raised from those rates goes to the government and the council tax goes to the council.

The point raised earlier about everything going up but not salaries is very true, it would be nice if sometimes we had letters saying your council tax is going down this year instead of going up.

What I would like to see is the government and the councils try to cut red tape to save us money rather than reduce services or put up taxes. I am an avid Private Eye reader and am sick of seeing about MPs expenses (they dont need a receipt if its under 250 pounds) and about their wives earning 100k for going to three committee meetings a year it makes your blood boil.

Why do the traffic patrol people drive round in Land Rovers? Do they need such expensive cars to stick up flashing lights and hold up motorways?

Sorry I have gone off one.

barbarawright

If your local council has privatised services, then that is a decision taken by councillors not council employees. Councillors who were voted for by the local electorate (that may not even include council employees - I can't afford to live anywhere near my workplace). The same councillors who set the council tax and council rents and who are the employers of council workers. As for council employees all not living in the real world - we pay exactly the same taxes as everyone else and plenty of council employees are on minimum wage.

I agree that if bailiffs have turned up without warning and threantened to repossess a car, that is unacceptable. But that doesn't seem to be what has happened in this case.