Council tax court summoning

Caseyffa

Hi all

I was trying to find a council tax forum sorry if this is the wrong category

I am exempt from paying council tax as I am a 20 year old care leaver. I received a call 1-2 weeks ago from the the council telling me I had arrears and need to pay. I explained I was exempt and the council were aware. The advisor acknowledged this and hung up.

A few days ago I received a letter summoning to court.

I called up the council today and they told me i could send over a a forwarded email from my social services/care leaver team case worker and state my care leaver status. Which i earlier. The advisor also told me I wouldn’t need to attend court.

People contacting you telling you everything you Tony pay up surely always brings on anxiety. I was certainly startled and worried when I recieved the call and especially when I received the letter being summoned to court. Esepecially because, Firtly I’d already spoke to the council 2 weeks prior and this should have been avaoided on their part, secondly, I have have NEVER received a council tax bill, and I have NEVER received a letter prior to the court summoning (I know this is not the correct process and If I am still expected at court I will include this in my written complaint), and thirdly, I am exempt, so absolutely none of this should have happened at all.

I’ve had an awful few years and I really need a breather from everything going on in my life. I was hoping to go away for a few days abroad at the end of the week. I’ve been planning for months looking forward to something that’s no negative. I’m sure people will think well just wait until it’s definitely sorted or just go to court but I have never broken down so much in my life than I have recently about my life. I need to breathe and I hate going to court. I have been as a victim, spending well past entire working days there for months during a trail. If I have to go back to that atmosphere I won’t be able to cope.


My main reason for this post👇👇👇👇👇
I really just want to go on my trip. I’m wondering about if I can be stopped from going abroad at the airport? Baring in mind the summoning is over less than £100 council tax. I just don’t know if it’s only certain court cases that will flag up if you try to go abroad or only the more serious ones.

The advisor told me I wouldn’t have to attend court. But who knows when the council will get my information before Monday and cancel the summoning through the court.


My understanding is, it’s an extremely small case, not serious, I have provided proof to the council of my exemption as well as having contacted to the council several times before the court date, I haven’t done anything wrong and the solution is just council Taking note of my exemption whether I go to court or not. Do you agree?

I’m sorry if you think I’m being silly
Really hope someone can shed some light



Thanks in advance for any replies

Comms69

Caseyffa wrote: »

Hi all

I was trying to find a council tax forum sorry if this is the wrong category

I am exempt from paying council tax as I am a 20 year old care leaver. I received a call 1-2 weeks ago from the the council telling me I had arrears and need to pay. I explained I was exempt and the council were aware. The advisor acknowledged this and hung up.

A few days ago I received a letter summoning to court. - I presume you've received bills in the past too?

I called up the council today and they told me i could send over a a forwarded email from my social services/care leaver team case worker and state my care leaver status. Which i earlier. The advisor also told me I wouldn’t need to attend court. - great

People contacting you telling you everything you Tony pay up surely always brings on anxiety. - not at all I was certainly startled and worried when I recieved the call and especially when I received the letter being summoned to court. - who rang you? Esepecially because, Firtly I’d already spoke to the council 2 weeks prior and this should have been avaoided on their part, secondly, I have have NEVER received a council tax bill, and I have NEVER received a letter prior to the court summoning - you don't receive a letter before the summons; though I believe you do get an option to pay in advance of the court date (I know this is not the correct process and If I am still expected at court I will include this in my written complaint), and thirdly, I am exempt, so absolutely none of this should have happened at all.

I’ve had an awful few years and I really need a breather from everything going on in my life. - no doubt. But most people feel that way at some point or another and this is really irrelevant I was hoping to go away for a few days abroad at the end of the week. I’ve been planning for months looking forward to something that’s no negative. I’m sure people will think well just wait until it’s definitely sorted or just go to court but I have never broken down so much in my life than I have recently about my life. - do whatever you need to, personally I would get it in writing that this was sorted. I need to breathe and I hate going to court. I have been as a victim, spending well past entire working days there for months during a trail. If I have to go back to that atmosphere I won’t be able to cope. - Again it's not relevant, legally speaking. Council tax is dealt with in group sittings, I suspect you would be the only one there contesting anything. But then again better that than bailiffs at the door


My main reason for this post👇👇👇👇👇
I really just want to go on my trip. I’m wondering about if I can be stopped from going abroad at the airport? - I appreciate that you probably genuinely dont know, but no. obviously not Baring in mind the summoning is over less than £100 council tax. I just don’t know if it’s only certain court cases that will flag up if you try to go abroad or only the more serious ones. - This wont appear anywhere.

The advisor told me I wouldn’t have to attend court. But who knows when the council will get my information before Monday and cancel the summoning through the court.


My understanding is, it’s an extremely small case, not serious, I have provided proof to the council of my exemption as well as having contacted to the council several times before the court date, I haven’t done anything wrong and the solution is just council Taking note of my exemption whether I go to court or not. Do you agree?

I’m sorry if you think I’m being silly
Really hope someone can shed some light



Thanks in advance for any replies

Relax. Please, I've been summonsed 3 or 4 times. and it never went further than that.

CIS

I would certainly not discount it - in roughly 95% of cases a summons will go to liability order (I've dealt with thousands of summons over the years).

Are you in England, Scotland or Wales as it makes a difference.

Comms69

CIS wrote: »

I would certainly not discount it - in roughly 95% of cases a summons will go to liability order (I've dealt with thousands of summons over the years).

Are you in England, Scotland or Wales as it makes a difference.

Sorry I pressed post before finishing - Relax. Please, I've been summonsed 3 or 4 times. and it never went further than that... once I'd spoken to the council***

Caseyffa

I live in England

CIS

I am exempt from paying council tax as I am a 20 year old care leaver. I received a call 1-2 weeks ago from the the council telling me I had arrears and need to pay. I explained I was exempt and the council were aware. The advisor acknowledged this and hung up.

Care leavers are not exempt from council tax (a council tax exemption is one of a set of specifically defined cases) however some areas have used the S13A discretionary scheme to cover the council tax charge of care leavers. This is a different issue and should not not be confused.

Any council tax payer with a charge can apply for a S13A discretionary reduction but councils can define certain cases where they apply it as a standard policy. That is up to each council to decide but some now do so for care leavers. The confusion over being 'exempt' is helped by the Children's Society and associated organisations referring to it as 'being exempt' - by doing so they are just confusing the issue for people with the wrong terminology.

People contacting you telling you everything you Tony pay up surely always brings on anxiety. I was certainly startled and worried when I recieved the call and especially when I received the letter being summoned to court. Esepecially because, Firtly I’d already spoke to the council 2 weeks prior and this should have been avaoided on their part, secondly

This doesn't impose any legal obligation to cease action from the council.

, I have have NEVER received a council tax bill, and I have NEVER received a letter prior to the court summoning (I know this is not the correct process and If I am still expected at court I will include this in my written complaint).

You can challenge them on this - I've just done similar for a client today although that's going back over a decade - but they just need to show they were issued, not that they were received. Receipt is deemed to have been successful unless it can be shown otherwise.

, and thirdly, I am exempt, so absolutely none of this should have happened at all

As above but in any case the court have no legal powers to consider issues regarding council tax discounts, exemptions, reductions etc. They are specifically barred from doing so.

Baring in mind the summoning is over less than £100 council tax.

If it's that low - have you already paid some or claimed council tax reduction against the balance ?