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After moving around a few times I had various outstanding CT owed over a period of 5-6 years and now pay this as an AOE through my current employer.
In Oct 2007 I moved out of my property (it was reposessed), the relevant Council were aware that I was now living at another address and I continued to pay for CT at my new property.
Anyway, at the end of March I received TWO new CT bills, one for my current property and one for my old property.
I wrote to them to explain that I didnt live at my old property, hadnt done since October 2007 and have heard nothing from them.
Last night when I got home I had another CT bill for this tax year at the old property and the status showed "account closed, balance relates to court proceedings"!!!
Now they are clearly ignoring my letters and I just wondered what I could do about this as I am NOT paying for CT at a property that I havent lived at nor own since October 2007!
Hi,
Firstly, no one council department knows what another is doing.(Data Protection)
They may well have got your letter but they don't know what to do with it as some of the staff, while experienced with normal issues, don't know how to deal with yours and put your letter to the bottom of the pile and forget it.
Your council will have a web site. Have a trawl and find out who the head of that department is and write directly to him/her.
Either send the letter recorded or hand deliver it and get a receipt.
You want proof that you're liable for the CT and then you'll be able to refute it as you have proof you left the address (repo notice)
If this route fails, you will need to make a formal complaint.
I did have a conversation with the Senior Recovery Officer some months ago (about 12 months) and she said I had to prove that I no longer lived at that address! Surely the fact that I had now moved and was paying CT at another address was sufficient, but no apparently they wanted me to get in contact with the mortgage company and provide the evidence myself!
The thing is, they will continue to get me to pay this CT through my employer as my employer has to, by law, pay it and its only my word against the Council's that I do not owe the money!
As much as it annoys me that people have to do the running around for the council, I do think it would be in your interest that you get as much evidence as possible to prove your case.
I know from bitter experience that council's are like a dogs with a bones when it comes to money. While they believe you owe it, they will hold on until you can prove them wrong.
Do you have a tenancy agreement for your new place (if you're renting)?
Yes I do have the tenancy agreement showing when I moved into my current property, I have no court papers and my mortgage company do not have my current address and I don't really want to start digging that one up!
I think what I will have to do is find out the managers name and write to that person and threaten a complaint if it doesnt get sorted out as I really don't want to be paying this when I don't owe it and my current AOE comes to the end in August.
Council Tax chasing debt I DO NOT OWE - Help!
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