Post office error - should I pay?

johnycomelately

This is not related to gas or electric but council tax but hopefully someone may have experience of my diemna.

Basically I have been very careless with money in the past couple of years but was due to come into credit on pay day in a couple of weeks for the first time which gave me a warm glow in my stomach and gave me some pleasant nights sleep of late. However I have now received a letter from the POST OFFICE regardig a £500 cheque.

This cheque was for a council tax bill from 10 months ago which I paid via the post offfice, the money never left my account however but my council were happy that payment was made, therefore I didn't chase it and duly forgot about it. I can only assume therefore that the post office made a mistake somewhere which they have only just figured out and have sent me a letter asking if my account was debited, they also said failure to respond would result in the letter being forwarded to their legal team (wasn't sure if this was just scare tactics).

I'm not usually a !!!!! (just thrifty) but does anyone know if I have a set in stone obligation to help them out, there is no issue with my council just the post office.

Any help would be great as this letter has totally ruined my night and set my debt paying back by another month which means another month of Tesco basics biscuits.

Thanks in advance for any help.

Farway

May not be the answer you want, but you owe 500, why should you not pay it?

Two wrongs still do not make a right

PS, maybe you could negotiate with PO how to pay, instalments over a period of time perhaps?

kelloggs36

Erm, maybe if your account wasn't debited, it wasn't actually paid, so you still owe the money?

little_derek

It's true I have no right to keep the money but since it is such a large amount I really hoped I could somehow.

If they ask for it I'll give it to them but at the moment they do not even know who they are addressing the letter to (it was forwarded on by the council from the PO) so I'll keep in correspondance with them and keep semi vague and see if they continue chasing it up.