Baliff's fees on wrongly charged council tax?

Hsavings

Hi, I was wondering if anyone had any insight into this - in 2023, I missed a couple council tax letters (I'd been away, and thought I was ineligible due to being a student, so hadn't been looking out for them).

When I finally opened them, it was a final notice and I tried to set up a direct debit, but was told it had gone to Summary Warrant, and it was handed over to a debt collection agency. I paid all that, but later I got onto the council with a letter confirming I was a student, which they agreed was valid and returned my council tax.

However, there had been an extra surcharge (I think 10%) on account of it having gone to the baliffs, which I didn't get back. At the time I was just relieved to have the council tax back and not have to deal with a debt collection agency anymore, but the changes to the baliffs rules lately had me thinking about it again. 

Does anyone have any insight on whether I'd have any recourse on it due to not being eligible in the first place, or whether it would just be chalked up to my fault on account of the delay in replying to their post? 

I have pretty minimal documentation from the debt collection people, they sent me a letter at the start but the only contact after that was the money collection, I didn't get any kind of a summary of the breakdown of what I paid in terms of CT vs. fees. 

Thanks in advance!   

lincroft1710

I think it would be your fault because you delayed replying to the letters

marcia_

 I think you are lucky the Council gave you back the money they did, it was your responsibility to 1 inform them in good time of your student status, which could have avoided all of this!
 And 2 open and read your mail so the fees would not have been added. 

Hsavings

marcia_ said:

 I think you are lucky the Council gave you back the money they did, it was your responsibility to 1 inform them in good time of your student status, which could have avoided all of this!
 And 2 open and read your mail so the fees would not have been added. 

Yes, I see what you mean - it was an ongoing student status rather than a new move in so it caught me a little by surprise as the previous year when I'd rang them to check over the summer they'd said that when I initally moved in and gave proof, that the uni then send them on the dates when they checked. Just a strange case it seems!

Hsavings

lincroft1710 said:

I think it would be your fault because you delayed replying to the letters

Yeah, I'd thought as much, just wanted to check. It all seems a little odd in retrospect that I'd so little communication from the debt collectors but I guess that's normal.