Hello all.

In August 2009 i was sent an incorrect council tax bill (didn't take into account the property was unoccupied), i immediately queried the bill via email - when i heard nothing i assumed the council had realised their error.

In November 2009 i was sent a reminder notice telling me i had to pay. I then wrote to Blackpool Council querying the bill again. They apologised for me not receiving their reply email (which wasn't sent to me!) and told me the bill was correct, though they gave no breakdown of how the charges were arrived at, or even enclosing the payment slip part.

In December 2009 i received yet another reminder letter, so i again wrote to the council this time asking for a copy of their complaints procedure.

They refused to send me their complaints procedure but said if it would help they would postpone payment until January. I was not asking for time to pay, merely a breakdown of how the charges were arrived at.

I have now received a final notice giving me seven days to pay (again, no payment slips enclosed) before they commence legal action and add further costs on.

I guess my questions are:

1) How can i get them to send a detailed bill

2) How can i get their complaints procedure

3) Can i charge the council for any legal costs incurred in a court date

Any advice will be gratefully received as i cannot get any sense or help from the council.

Many thanks in advance.

Attached is their complaints procedure and form that is available on their website. Is this the type of info you were looking for? You may want to bypass the procedure and contact the Chief Executive's office as the Council Tax dept want to start legal proceedings against you. Try this number 01253 477001 - I couldn't find a direct number on their website but found this number on a letter when I googled him.

You can also give their ICT services a call they deal with all subject access requests for data held under the data protection act and freedom of information requests. Their number is 01253 478980. Tell them you have been querying a Council Tax bill and have asked for a breakdown of charges but this has not been sent to you and that the officer(s) you have been dealing with have also refused to send you a copy of the complaints procedure. More info on subject access and freedom of information requests are available on their website.

Not sure about the answer to your question about legal costs.

Blackpool Complaints.pdf

Many thanks for your reply - i sent my last letter direct to the Chief Executives Office - it was them who failed to send the complaints procedure!

Ooh - how naughty of them. Try the ICT service for the data.

Our Council has a corporate complaints team but I could not find one for Blackpool. These teams are usually good at getting answers as they are experts in the complaints system and have no allegiances to the various Council depts.

If you are certain that you are entitled to a reduced bill, then you can tell the judge that at the court. The summons is to obtain a liability order against you as they cannot chase you for the bill unless they have one.

Go to the court and when the judge asks if there are any objections, you can show him the paperwork and what you bill should be and he won't give the liability order.

The court fee can't be claimed by the council either if the liability order is not granted.

There will be a council rep at the court and they will speak to you before it goes into court in the hope that they can agree and not be embarrassed.

Go to the court and when the judge asks if there are any objections, you can show him the paperwork and what you bill should be and he won't give the liability order.

Discounts and exemptions decisions are only appealable via a valuation tribunal , they aren't a defence against a liability order issued by the magistrate.

If the bill is disputed, ie, you claim you owe nothing, he won't give the order there and then, he will put it off for referal. If there is any tax to pay then you will be liable and he will issue it.

Many thanks for your all of your replies.

To update, in February I sent off the signed direct debit mandate to the council to take payment from my bank account. I received a letter in return saying it was too late in the year for them to take this years council tax in direct debits but that they would use the details for next years amount (first payment has come out of my bank account).

I went into the council offices to pay some of the balance in cash and to ensure that any proposed further action was halted. The council officer and her supervisor told me to pay half of the o/s balance by 31st March and they would add the remainder onto this years instalments. I paid over half of the balance on the 24th March and confirmed with the council officer that the rest would be added to this years instalments.

Surprise, surprise, yesterday i received a court summons for the o/s balance and court costs!! To make it worse it is at Fleetwood court which is miles away meaning i will have to take the afternoon off work.

I am sending a strong letter to Blackpool council as complaint in the meantime. If i do have to attend court will i be able to claim for my loss of earnings, or at least for my travel / parking costs?