Council tax Court Action

CIS

In most cases the council will allow you do so if you swap to direct debit but it is at their discretion. If you miss any more payments then you will be summonsed to court.

nickyhutch

Thanks both, I'll get OH to ring them tomorrow, it's in his name. Fingers crossed!

geordie_joe

tattoed_bum wrote: »

and they will give you 3 dates in the month to pay either the 1st 15th or 25th as long as you pay direct debit

I had an agreement with my council to pay the DD on the 15th. The first month they took it out a few days early, no reason for it as the 15th was a week day. Each month after that they took the money a few days earlier until on the 4th month they took it on the 1st of the month.

I canceled the DD on the 2nd of the month and a week later got a court summons for not paying my council tax.

I wrote to the council and court, telling them I had not "Not paid my council tax" As the council had taken the money for this month on the 1st of the month and my next payment was not due until the 15th of next month.

I also explain that I had no choice but to cancel the DD as the council had continually taken the DD a few days earlier each month and if I had let this go on another month they would have taken the money from my bank account before my wages went in, causing me to go overdrawn and incurring a charge.

I soon got a letter from the court saying my case had been canceled, and one from the council saying it was the computers fault. They have fixed the problem and if I signed the enclosed DD agreement it would not happen again.

Since then they have stuck to it, and that was ten years ago, but I know they still pull the same trick today. A young couple I know moved into a flat together at the beginning of the year and they put down the 25th of the month for the DD. But they told me, not long ago, the they council took the payment on the 1st of the month from the very first month.

They chose the 25th as they get paid every 4th Friday and the 25th was the only available date after they were due to be paid the first month they had their flat.

I also know several other people they have done this to, an come to the conclusion that they do it to everyone. They know it is wrong, and if you complain they put it right, but get their money a couple of weeks early from those who simple accept it.