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3k invoice after 15 years!

I'm in Scotland and rec'd an invoice for 3k from council this week for statutory notice carried out in 2000!!

It was communal roof works which we have since had to have done again privately and I paid 6.5k for that about 6 years ago (basically fixing what council contractors had done)

I have not paid the original invoice as workmen in 2000 job broke my bedroom window and never fixed it. It is still cracked.

Is there a statute of limitations regarding how ling after the fact someone can claim an invoice in scotland???

TIA

Comments

  • cono1717
    cono1717 Posts: 762 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 500 Posts Name Dropper
    I believe the length is 6 years, that may only be for England though. Worth checking the Limitations Act out.
  • agrinnall
    agrinnall Posts: 23,344 Forumite
    10,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    It's 5 years in Scotland, but as it's a statutory notice that may not be subject to the same rules.
  • cono1717 wrote: »
    I believe the length is 6 years, that may only be for England though. Worth checking the Limitations Act out.


    Close.
    The Limitations act covers England and Wales but not Scotland.
    There is a very similar act that does cover Scotland and this is the "Prescription and Limitation (Scotland) Act 1973" and the period before debts are statute bared is 5 years.
    http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1973/52/section/6


    Shala, have the council contacted you at any time since the work was carried out? and if so, have you acknowledged the debt in any way or made any payments towards it?
  • zoob
    zoob Posts: 582 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 500 Posts Name Dropper
    shala wrote: »
    I'm in Scotland and rec'd an invoice for 3k from council this week for statutory notice carried out in 2000!!


    I have not paid the original invoice as workmen in 2000 job broke my bedroom window and never fixed it. It is still cracked.


    TIA

    I think you're liable, as you say yourself they invoiced you back in 2000, if they hadn't sent you an invoice back then and were only invoicing you now, you wouldn't be liable.
  • hollydays
    hollydays Posts: 19,812 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    shala wrote: »
    I'm in Scotland and rec'd an invoice for 3k from council this week for statutory notice carried out in 2000!!

    It was communal roof works which we have since had to have done again privately and I paid 6.5k for that about 6 years ago (basically fixing what council contractors had done)

    I have not paid the original invoice as workmen in 2000 job broke my bedroom window and never fixed it. It is still cracked.

    Is there a statute of limitations regarding how ling after the fact someone can claim an invoice in scotland???

    TIA

    After 15 years-would it not have made sense to get it fixed? Yourself?
    You might say you shouldn't have to but who wants to live like that?
  • DevCoder
    DevCoder Posts: 3,362 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    if I remember correctly, paragraph 1/ schedule 1 of the prescription act details those obligations which are subject to the 5 year limitation (detailed section 6).

    Obligations not detailed in that list have a limitation of 20 years as defined in section 7 of the act.

    None of the obligations in paragraph 1 / schedule 1 correspond to the statutory obligation to reimburse a local authority for repair works, so this is covered by section 7 and therefore has a 20 year limitation.
  • stator
    stator Posts: 7,441 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    You need a solicitor, I doubt anyone else on here has experience of your very odd issue
    Changing the world, one sarcastic comment at a time.
  • agrinnall
    agrinnall Posts: 23,344 Forumite
    10,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    stator wrote: »
    You need a solicitor, I doubt anyone else on here has experience of your very odd issue

    It's not that odd, it may just seem that way as the statutory notice system only exists in Scotland (as far as I'm aware) so you're not as aware of it as you might be if it was across the whole UK. I'd suggest Shelter Scotland first before paying for a solicitor, although it may come to that in the end.
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