Council tax - Bristow Sutor

NWWWFC

Hi, first post here!

Try and keep it brief (probably won’t)
I moved into a rented place, 6 months term with a partner in February 2017, relationship broke down quickly and went separate ways and moved out quickly to my own place in the same council, the move in date was 29th April 2017.

Now We continued to split rent until end of tenancy until July 2017. I notified the landlord company in May that I’d be moving out to which that was all sorted and up to date.
Obviously in my new place, council tax paid from day one, I’m still on their records as it was same parish, I presumed they just moved me across (like they did with my new other half when she moved in, received letter to say she lives here and had to register quickly etc) so DID NOT tell the council as at the time I wasn’t stressed and unaware that I would’ve had to anyway.

Now today I haven’t received letter from B&S saying I owe £661. £350 to council tax and £310 (presume £75 fee and the £235), it was just a letter nobody has entered no then property or attempted to or spoke to me or anything. So that’s where I stand currently. Not being able to speak to anybody as its Christmas, until Wednesday which stresses me out enough.

I DID NOT RECEIVE THE FINAL NOTICE/BILL AS I WAS NOT AT THE ADDRESS ITS REGARDING. So I’m very confused as i wasn’t even given the opportunity to pay the final bill as i haven’t seen can the final warning, so where do I stand on that? Although I didn’t come notify the move of address, I am on their records as it’s same parish, just different address so they could’ve put 2 and 2 together surely?


Question is:
Am i liable to pay the full £350 and Can I pay directly to the council the full fee they requested or will they send that to B&S? Or could I ring them up Wednesday to speak to somebody and offer them full payment there and then?

Or will I Be made to pay the full £660 and just bite the bullet and do it when possible to get it sorted?
Money isn’t the issue, I have the funds to pay both in full, but it’s the principal I wasn’t offered the chance via letter to my current address or contacted to sort this out before it’s got to this stage and added £310 to a bully company is a bit of a kick in the teeth.

Thanks in advance!

sourcrates

Hi,

Yes the bayliff fees will be payable, but if you dispute them for whatever reason, you should do so in writing as soon as possible.

Any money you pay the council will have the bayliff fee deducted from it, so you will need to pay the full amount and dispute it afterwards.

They won’t be working over Christmas but if anyone calls, do not allow them access, keep doors locked.

NWWWFC

Okay thank you.

Are you aware of any grounds i can use for my dispute? Who would the dispute go to in writing?
For example, I didn’t receive my final warning notice first before the debt collection and that can be proven?

So the full £661 ought to be paid to B&S in full ASAP, so Wednesday when their office reopens?

CIS

I DID NOT RECEIVE THE FINAL NOTICE/BILL AS I WAS NOT AT THE ADDRESS ITS REGARDING.

Non receipt is not an issue providing it was sent to the last known address at the time, this could be the original property. Even if you could show you never saw it, it doesn't automatically mean that it wasn't served correctly. For good service all the council have to show is that they complied with the requirements for issuing the notice.

Although I didn’t come notify the move of address, I am on their records as it’s same parish, just different address so they could’ve put 2 and 2 together surely?

They cannot simply assume a person at another address is one and the same person if they aren't told.

NWWWFC

Okay thanks for the reply.

I just needed to know where I stood with it all as I’ve never been in debt or received anything of the sort and the situations when it happened was a bit of a nightmare.

Thanks for the help

CIS

NWWWFC wrote: »

Okay thanks for the reply.

I just needed to know where I stood with it all as I’ve never been in debt or received anything of the sort and the situations when it happened was a bit of a nightmare.

Thanks for the help

All may not be lost.

Presumably it was a tenancy for a 6 month fixed term or greater ?

What was happening with the property from the date you vacated ?

Craig

NWWWFC

Yes fixed six month term. We continued to pay rent despite not being tenants and it going back up for rent and being advertised although I’m not sure they tried their hardest to rent out as we were still paying...

I think the company was very unfair as they must’ve cleared the flat at the end of tenancy and must have had the bills/warning notice come through and they never contacted me about it.

HampshireH

NWWWFC wrote: »

Yes fixed six month term. We continued to pay rent despite not being tenants and it going back up for rent and being advertised although I’m not sure they tried their hardest to rent out as we were still paying...

I think the company was very unfair as they must’ve cleared the flat at the end of tenancy and must have had the bills/warning notice come through and they never contacted me about it.

To be fair they wouldnt have opened your post and it could have been anything. The onus would have been on you to re-direct your mail and to tell the council you moved out (and provide a forwarding address)

Depending on your council you may have been entitled to a discount for the property being empty (unlikely but some Councils do do this still).

I assumed from the original post that your ex had remained in the property. However from this post I get that neither of you remained in situ?

Did you make payment today? Did you assume all responsibility for bills upon leaving an your ex none?

NWWWFC

Neither of us stayed there. All other bills settled anyway before moved out just didn’t do council tax unfortunately.

I paid at 7:30 this morning. Paid in full via bank transfer as online payment wasn’t working. So, I paid £661.37 in full, then emailed them to receive a receipt of this, with a time stamp of sent payment and into the account.

Received one at 16:30 today saying they have NOT received payment and I have to complete this questionnaire too. However it’s gone out on my bank account online banking and it should go through immediately or fairly quickly even with Christmas backlog.
So I’ve screenshotted these payments on my phone along with their details that I sent them too and emailed them back and I would not be completing a questionnaire until I have received a full payment receipt.

Typical template threat if I don’t do it by 2/1/18 further action will be taken, yawn.

Not sure what else I can do really until I wait for them to email me back tomorrow.

HampshireH

I think I would write to them via snail mail confirming payment made etc and that you expect receipt and then no further contact. Ask for them to respond in writing to confirm all done and dusted.

NWWWFC

I have emailed them after they said the payment has not been received showing proof of payment from online banking app screenshot and their payment details also. This was via email and time stamps on everything as I’ve lesrned that with my job fortunately.

I do feel for those in debt no matter how much with companies such as these sending passive aggressive threats via email and telephone calls. I’m just in a fortunate position I can pay for it all anyway. First time ever in ‘debt’ as such, weird feeling but companies such as these adding on surcharges for nothing are ridiculous.