Council tax summons 2018/19 already!

Peason

Advice please. I have previously been un arrears for ct for about 5 years (never more than 300) and finally caught up on 1st April. I then got a reminder for this years 1st installment on 15 april. Today i now got a magistrates summons dated 4 may for whole year plus 100.00 fee!!! and are demanding arrears and fees to avoid action.
Firstly can they do this just 4 weeks into the new rax year?
Secondly i only got one reminder and thought they had to send at least 2?
Who decides the summons fee? I saw another thread where Preston council fee was £ 32

pinkshoes

Are you in arrears again just one month in?

Council tax is one bill that MUST be paid, and it is very clear when each instalment is due, so therefore you should not need a reminder.

You have been persistently in arrears so their decision to chase this seems wise.

marliepanda

Saying you caught up 1st of April means that the entirety of March at least you were in arrears.

Council tax is technically due in full on April 1st but all councils allow instalments. These are due on the 1st unless you have an agreement otherwise. Its now the 6th May, so you should have made two installements by now. How many have you made? Im guessing none. .

They do not have to send two reminders, thought it sounds like you will have been having constant ones if 17/18 was only finalised on April 1st. . At my council its first reminder, then final reminder and then summons. If the account is brought up to date after the first reminder a second reminder (a resissue of the first reminder basically) is afforded.

Peason

I thought this was an advice forum not an attitude forum..i am on pension credit due to low income and this ripoff tax is 20% of my monthly income and is about the same as i spend A MONTH on food so lose the attitude miss

Peason

That was for pinkshoes btw..cant seem to reply to direct posts

BorisThomson

Peason wrote: »

I thought this was an advice forum not an attitude forum..i am on pension credit due to low income and this ripoff tax is 20% of my monthly income and is about the same as i spend A MONTH on food so lose the attitude miss

pinkshoes post was fair.

Do you not qualify for council tax support? Are you in fact in arrears for 2017/18?

KeithP

Peason wrote: »

I thought this was an advice forum not an attitude forum..i am on pension credit due to low income and this ripoff tax is 20% of my monthly income and is about the same as i spend A MONTH on food so lose the attitude miss

Nothing wrong with Pinkshoes post.

Do you want help or not?

John-K_3

To answer your question, yes, they can do this. That is obvious of course, as they have.

You need to make this a priority. Cut back spending on anything discretionary, and put the money towards paying the taxes that you owe.

It is not voluntary, you can be jailed for refusing to pay.

marliepanda

Are you on guaranteed pension credit or just pension credit.

9/10 if you are in arrears you should have had a CTR assessment. Have you applied for help with your council tax.

If not why not?

If you have why was it not awarded?

neilmcl

Peason wrote: »

That was for pinkshoes btw..cant seem to reply to direct posts

Try using the Quote button underneath each post.

CIS

Peason wrote: »

Advice please. I have previously been un arrears for ct for about 5 years (never more than 300) and finally caught up on 1st April. I then got a reminder for this years 1st installment on 15 april. Today i now got a magistrates summons dated 4 may for whole year plus 100.00 fee!!! and are demanding arrears and fees to avoid action.
Firstly can they do this just 4 weeks into the new rax year?
Secondly i only got one reminder and thought they had to send at least 2?
Who decides the summons fee? I saw another thread where Preston council fee was £ 32

Once a payment is due then the moment it is late a reminder notice can be issued. This reminder gives 7 days to pay the missing amount or a further 7 days to pay the whole balance. If the reminder is not paid within the 14 days then a court summons can be issued.

The quickest you can get from missed instalment to summons is 21 days, if the council work quickly and follow the minimum period set in legislation.

A second reminder would only be issued if you paid the first reminder within the first 7 days, that then allows you to retain the right to instalments and you get the second chance if you default again.