Council tax rebels will have money seized from bank accounts - Telegraph Does anyone know if this is now law and local authorities can go through a civil court and ultimately take money directly from a bank account? I can't find any information beyond the fact that it was 'planned' back in July. Kind regards, Jebedy

I have an update, and would be grateful for some more advice. Yesterday, Rundle and Co (the Bailiff Company) turned up at my house while I was out. They left a letter on my door, threatening to revisit and enter my property to seize goods, whether I am present or not. The exact amount they are demanding is £42.50. They are basically trying to charge me the first and second call-out fee for sending out letters. As I mentioned in my first post, I paid the full council tax bill and the liability order costs before Rundle and Co were even involved (I hadn’t received a single letter from them at that stage). I’ve written to the council explaining the situation, and informing them I will not have anything to do with Rundle and Co, and will not pay their unjust administration fees. The council have replied saying they will send me a written response in due course (whatever that means). My question is whether Rundle and Co have the same rights (to call at my property, send threatening letters, and ultimately seize goods), when trying to extort these fees from me, as they would when acting on behalf of the council to retrieve unpaid council tax? Surely they would be required to initiate a civil action (as advised by tomtubby above)? Is there anything I can quote them to reinforce that? I’m sure they know they are in the wrong here, and are just trying to bully me into paying up, and any help as to how I might deal with this would be much appreciated. Jebedy

Thankyou very much for the information and advice. That's extremely helpful, and when money is tight, every penny counts.

Thanks for your reply. I have indeed paid the full amount, including the court costs for the Liability Order. There is no outstanding debt with the council, it's just this Bailiff fee. I received one letter from them 2 working days after I paid the bill. It is dated the day prior to the day I paid the bill. Does that mean I technically have to pay it? It seems ridiculous they can charge so much for sending a letter - is there anything I can do? Thanks again.

Hi there, I need some advice from those in the know. I recently paid council tax arrears directly to the council in full. A few days later I received a letter from a Bailiff company (Rundle and Co Ltd), which included added 'administrative costs' for the debt I had already paid. I informed them the debt had already been paid in full, and I also contacted the council asking them to update the Bailiffs. The Bailiffs now claim I must pay the sum of £42 in 'admin costs' for the letters which they sent to me (despite the fact I'd paid the debt in full prior to receiving any correspondence). This fee is not a call out cost; it is purely for sending out a letter. Can a Bailiff legally charge for nothing more than sending a letter? The amount they are charging seems totally unacceptable (it’s a week’s food bill for me). Can I dispute it, and what would be the best way to go about it? Not only did I receive the first letter from the Bailiffs AFTER I paid the bill to the council, but the Bailiffs also misspelt my address on all their correspondence to me. Can I use this against them? Any advice is much appreciated.