Council Tax Summons

adamuk73

Hello All,

Bear with me this is a bit complex:

I recently moved house (twice) from my old address to a place for six months which we weren't happy with so we moved again (rented). Anyway, the first place I was living in a friend's house and I was living as a tenant when he moved out in 2002.

When I moved out to the second place I told the council and then when I moved again I told them again. I received one bill for tax in the new place for 2007/8 which got lost in the paperwork of moving. Anyway, they sent me a final reminder on 25th March for both my current place and my second place but they sent them to the address of my friend who I was renting the first house (and he lives in a remote village in Aberdeenshire). He got round to forwarding them and I paid them immediately but it was too late and I got the summons (to my current address, not Aberdeenshire this time).

Basically they sent the reminders to an address that I have never lived at (I really cannot understand how or why) but I feel as though the summons are unfair as they didn't inform me as they sent the reminders to a completely unrelated address to any of the properties I lived at.

My question is: is the council (in Law) obliged to send me a final notice before the summons. If they sent it to the wrong address then do I have grounds for not paying the summons costs (£45 for each address so that's 90 quid - paid it tonight anyway just to be sure)?

Ironically I am £75 in credit at my original address but they didn't tell me that either until the other day. I've not been in there for a year. It's really frustrating when I moved I phoned them each time but I think I will keep everything in writing with them in future. :wall::wall::wall:

Cheers! And keep up the good work!

Adam.

amd

The council do have to send you a final notice before issuing the summons, however they probably did, it just went to the wrong address. That's where it becomes confusing. Personally I'd phone to check the state of play at each address - after making a list of where you stayed, and the dates at each. Each location raises it's own bill. Problems arise if you keep moving. Moving house part way through the year generates a couple of bills for that particular year - (ie. one at each address if you move twice). It's just the way the system works. However, they should always have a forwarding address for the 'old' bills. So, always notify them of a change of address in writing, giving old and new addresses so they can link to the old bills. You may have a leg to stand on if they haven't corrected the address and the account shows the reminder/final demand being sent to the old address instead of the new. I'd phone and have a chat or perhaps you could go in and see them. Have your addresses / dates handy.