2 Council tax problems - help please:(

Serendipity_phoenix

I don't know if this is in the right place, but couldn't see a "council tax" thread so feel free to move if necessary;)

I contacted my old council as they didn't have where we had moved to and we have an outstanding amount to pay off, (£398):rolleyes:

they sent a means form which i filled out and sent back,
only to get a letter saying they couldn't accept the £10 a month i offered to pay, but wanted £88:eek:

That would cripple us, so my hubby phone and asked why, they said we spend to much! :rotfl:
we asked what on, because believe me, we don't have it to spend it so how can we spend to much?
we where told we should pay them £88 because we spend £11 a month on a TV licence, £19.99 on broadband, £10 paying off a company from a store card debt that threatened to take us to court and £30 on pet insurance! (dog & cat):huh:

we argued that we don't smoke, drink, gamble, have take outs, pub outing, meals out, buy newspapers, have a window cleaner, do dry cleaning, family outings...all of which was listed on there means form!!

can they really say we should have these normal things??

Also they have now said my hubby owes £341 from around 7 years ago, we had already fought this one, but they are after it again...:mad:

He lived in a rented flat, before deciding to go and live in Spain, he made the arrangements and off he went.....
but the council are claiming he owes the council tax for the flat, at the time he was in Spain!, we have told them he was not in this country and lived in Spain for nearly a year before deciding to come back to the UK,

i had put this all in writing and even given them the landlords details last year when the first chased us for it, and evenually over the phone we where told not to worry about it
but now they are again insisting he pays it, as there is no proof he was in Spain (apart from his mum saying so or them phoning his employer over there, which they wont do)
someone else was in the flat, but they are trying to get us to pay the council tax
help!

PasturesNew

digitalsgirl wrote: »

we have an outstanding amount to pay off, (£398)
... they couldn't accept the £10 a month i offered to pay, but wanted £88

Because at £10/month it would take you 3.25 years to pay off the arrears

digitalsgirl wrote: »

... they said we spend to much! ... we asked what on, because believe me, we don't have it to spend it so how can we spend to much?
we where told we should pay them £88 because we spend £11 a month on a TV licence, £19.99 on broadband, £10 paying off a company from a store card debt that threatened to take us to court and £30 on pet insurance! (dog & cat)

Unfortunately, although harsh to hear it, all those things are less important than paying council tax.

digitalsgirl wrote: »

can they really say we should have these normal things??

Well, they do have the power to take you to court, throw you into jail and take all your things for non payment. So take them a bit seriously

digitalsgirl wrote: »

Also they have now said my hubby owes £341 from around 7 years ago, we had already fought this one, but they are after it again...

They're bleeders like that. Their systems never forget and at any future point they will find you... do you have evidence of it being sorted before?

digitalsgirl wrote: »

we have told them he was not in this country and lived in Spain for nearly a year before deciding to come back to the UK ... ... there is no proof he was in Spain (apart from his mum saying so or them phoning his employer over there, which they wont do)

There will be evidence. Get a written statement from mother and employer. Produce bank statements. No flight/tickets evidence? You can't live abroad so long and not have some evidence/receipts etc lurking somewhere.

Anyway. As for spending too much, if you head over the the Debt Free Wannabe Board and post your SOA, which is a full statement of income/expenditure, then people on there will point out where you are spending too much and how you can cut back without noticing a difference.

It's here: http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/forumdisplay.html?f=76

Good luck!