I moved from Liverpool nine years ago. My council tax payments were fully paid, or so I thought. On returning home from work yesterday I was knocked for six when I opened a liability order from Liverpool City Council saying I owed them £548 (covering the period April 1998 to March 1999). Part of my time during that year had been as a student and I moved to out of Liverpool in January 1999. How can they bill me after all this time with no breakdown of the bill. I have lost all evidence that would have supported my dispensation (student/single occupancy) from this payment. Can they get away with this?.

Margaret

The bill can be issued however when was the Liability Order originally issued ?, it can only be issued within 6 years of the issuing of the initial bill.

At that time you can be held liable for the Council even if you where a student as prior to 01 April 2004 , all students where jointly liable with any non students if the non-students did not pay.

According to their letter, a liability order hearing date was 15th June 2000, which I suppose covers them. At that time I was no longer at that address and as I have paid everything they have requested (according to my then status) I was blissfully unaware of this 'bill'. Now they are threatening me with bailliffs action if I do not repay within 14 days. There is no way I can pay that amount. HELP!!

Sort out an arrangement to pay with the council before it goes to the bailiffs as it will save you incurring the bailiff fees, however make sure you stick to the payment plan as one payment short and it generally gets handed over to us bailiffs. Good luck

Sort out an arrangement to pay with the council before it goes to the bailiffs as it will save you incurring the bailiff fees, however make sure you stick to the payment plan as one payment short and it generally gets handed over to us bailiffs. Good luck

Before he sorts out a payment plan, he should make sure that the money is actually owed. He shouldn't take it for granted that, just because the council and court says he owes it, that he actually does. He should ask the council for a full breakdown and insist that they hold on any action until he has had a chance to see their figures.

.... the payment plan as one payment short and it generally gets handed over to us bailiffs. Good luck

"... US bailiffs"?!?!?!?! :eek:. You a bailiff???

I moved from Liverpool nine years ago. My council tax payments were fully paid, or so I thought. On returning home from work yesterday I was knocked for six when I opened a liability order from Liverpool City Council saying I owed them £548 (covering the period April 1998 to March 1999). Part of my time during that year had been as a student and I moved to out of Liverpool in January 1999. How can they bill me after all this time with no breakdown of the bill. I have lost all evidence that would have supported my dispensation (student/single occupancy) from this payment. Can they get away with this?.

Margaret

I know how you feel! On 3rd June I got a letter from Liverpool City Council saying I owed £115.11 in Council Tax from 1998! The letter was addressed to myself & the other 4 people I shared a house with at the time (when I was a student). I rang the Council who confirmed that I had been exempt from paying Council Tax at the time as I had a valid exemption certificate for the period the bill related to but as I was the only one 1 they could trace, I'd be liable for the whole lot if they couldn't find the culprit. (That's the last time I'm honest & provide a forwarding address when I move!) I told the guy I spoke to that I intended to dispute the charges and he gave some advice on how to do this. However, I came home today to find a court summons on mny doormat for the original amount plus £28 cost of the summons! As the court hearing is 16th July, am I right in thinking from reading other posts on this thread that the council is outwith the time limits for asking me to pay up? Also, as it's my maiden name shown on the summons can I dispute the charges on the grounds that I'm not the person named on the summons?

I know how you feel! On 3rd June I got a letter from Liverpool City Council saying I owed £115.11 in Council Tax from 1998! The letter was addressed to myself & the other 4 people I shared a house with at the time (when I was a student). I rang the Council who confirmed that I had been exempt from paying Council Tax at the time as I had a valid exemption certificate for the period the bill related to but as I was the only one 1 they could trace, I'd be liable for the whole lot if they couldn't find the culprit.

If they told that you are only liable because they cannot find the other then they are incorrect . Prior to 01 April 2004 any student,even if Disregarded, was joint and severable for any council tax owing on the property, even if the other occupants where not not students.

The rules regarding issuing a Liability Order and timing are in the The Council Tax (Administration and Enforcement) Regulations 1992, Section 34, point 2.

"... US bailiffs"?!?!?!?! :eek:. You a bailiff???

No sheizer sherlock

can anyone tell me if there is a time limit to when i have to repay council tax in Scotland?

I have a letter from sherrif officers seeking payment that dates back to 2001.

Before he sorts out a payment plan, he should make sure that the money is actually owed. He shouldn't take it for granted that, just because the council and court says he owes it, that he actually does. He should ask the council for a full breakdown and insist that they hold on any action until he has had a chance to see their figures.

Agreed.

We were originally hit for a bill for £2,500 plus bailiffs fees.

After much arguing, this was eventually reduced to £150.

we took that to a Valuation Tribunal and the bill was quashed -it turned out we didn't actually owe them a single penny.

Don't take it for granted that the original amount demanded is the amount you have to pay.

They're like the tax office, when they issue a demand, they issue it for the highest amount possible and expect to be bartered down.

Agreed.

We were originally hit for a bill for £2,500 plus bailiffs fees.

After much arguing, this was eventually reduced to £150.

we took that to a Valuation Tribunal and the bill was quashed -it turned out we didn't actually owe them a single penny.

Don't take it for granted that the original amount demanded is the amount you have to pay.

They're like the tax office, when they issue a demand, they issue it for the highest amount possible and expect to be bartered down.

By the way - forgot to mention -mtheir own records of anything past years is abysmal - they probably don't even know the full breakdown of the amount owed anyway.

Try it - aske them to break down the bill in full- they won't have a clue.

Sure, they will fudge and try to divert you away from the fact thatvthey haven't got a clue what they are doing, but be persistent.

No sheizer sherlock

Actually, my own experience of bailiffs was quite pleasant.

When I explained to them the full circumstances of the monumental council c*ck - up that had occurred they apologised and told me they would leave me alone.

As a bailiff- have you ever had experience of this?

The original demand the council asked for was £2,500.

This was eventually bartered down to £150. (It was a landlord/tenant dispute- in the end, we didn't have to pay a penny)

But the interesting thing is this.~As the demand was eventually reduced from £2,500 plus bailiffs fees, then £1,500, the £800, then £150, then nothing... the council obviously let the bailiffs think that rather than being reduced, the sum was actually being paid off!

When I eventually spoke to the bailiff, he was horrified to find out that the full sum wasn't being reduced by payment- it was simply the council realizing their error and reducing their demand

I really couldn't figure out why the bailiff firm were bothering to send someone out from Manchester to Liverpool at least six times(considering current petrol costs) to chase what could only be a small percentage of an alleged £150 council tax debt (which eventually turned out to be no debt at all)

Is that what happens?

Do the council mislead the bailiffs to make them think they are chasing the final payment of a substantial debt when in fact, it is their own error of calculations which makes the bailiffs think that they are only seeking the final payment?

I'd appreciate your thoughts on this, Mr Bailiff.