Bailiff chasing unpaid council tax

poorman81

So, to cut a long story short, I lost our family home a couple of years ago, my wife and I are now separated because of everything. It turns out that the council tax is unpaid for 3-4 months there.


I use a friends address for my bank but I dont actually live there. I am currently mostly couch surfing with friends. The address I am using is pretty much useless too as he doesnt really get any post due to him living above a pub and the door to his flat is inside the pub.


I spoke to the council earlier this year before it had gotten this far and asked about the single person discount as I had been living in the house alone after my wife left me. She lived elsewhere in the borough so they were able to check and confirm the date she had moved out. The guy I spoke to said he would get the single person discount applied and have the bill amended and we could then agree a payment plan. I advised him that I was homeless and said that the only way to contact me would be via email so any bills/letters etc would need to go to that email. Obviously I haven't heard a thing since and to be honest I never thought to chase it up. Until now.


The bailiff made multiple threats earlier, such as forcing entry into my friends flat and taking all of his stuff. He said he would trace my family members and speak to them to find me or to get payment etc.


What can I do? Ideally I would want it back to the council as the bailiff appear to have added on over £500 in charges. I am going to struggle to pay the original amount of about £300 nevermind almost £900!!

poorman81

Update:


I have spoken to the council, they have put the account on hold for 2 weeks and a manager will call me next Thursday or Friday. They will listen to my last phonecall with them as apparently I should never have been told that they will communicate with me by email as they don't do that.


I have forwarded the email chain with the advisor who told me that too.

[Deleted User]

Ignore the "bailiffs" who are they, Rossendales? Just a bunch of jumped up bullies. They can't break in if they have never entered the property before and they can't make your family pay your debt either.

They will pass the file back to the council after a few weeks of getting no joy from you.

CIS

What can I do? Ideally I would want it back to the council as the bailiff appear to have added on over £500 in charges. I am going to struggle to pay the original amount of about £300 nevermind almost £900!!

The bailiff is limited for a liability order to £310 in fees, unless a sale of goods was undertaken (the fees are set in law). The balance will however include the council's costs which are typically £120-160 but do vary.

poorman81

Thanks. Hopefully theyll go back to the original amount owing and I'll be able to sort it directly with them. It turns out that the single persons discount I discussed with them in March hasnt been applied. It will need to be retrospecrively applied from March2017 to Jan 2018. I owe them September2017 to Jan2018. I am hoping thqt the 25% will wipe out most of the 3 months I owe leaving me to pay around £100-150.

datlex

OP were you living in the property at the time the money is due? Did you tell the council you had moved out?