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.

That's okay, I understand your reasons for editing, sub-judice and all of that...we have been so excited about winning this I have quite forgotten myself. I'd be happy to go into detail, but basically, we lived in a rented flat in 1997 for ten months- had to move out. We notified the council tax people when we moved and gave them our new address. (which is a matter of their own record) For some reason , because the council tax was unpaid by the following tenant and/or landlord, they took out Liability Orders against us for the years 1997, 1998, 1999 and 2000. The idiots kept sending council tax demands to the flat we had moved out of, and had no access to- instead of contacting is at our new address. We didn't return to the flat or arrange to have our mail redirected because we were in dispute with the landlord, and had no iodea about the problem. The first we heard of the Liability Orders was 18 months ago when the bailiffs came knocking at the door! Anyway, it's all over now. All I really wanted to say is that if you are fighting the council over a matter like this, and you really are in the right- don't ever give up. The council people are a slow moving- slow witted bunch, and you need to keep banging their heads on the table until they eventually realize the full situation. It's difficult- but it can be done. It doesn't matter how many phone calls or letters it takes- just do it. Good luck to all of you.

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.

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.

We have just received a decision from a Valuation Tribunal in respect of alleged unpaid council tax. (The council basically wanted us to pay unpaid council tax for up to 4 years after we moved out of a rented flat, simply because the landlord/owner never paid afetr we moved out) Finally, after a long fight the decision is in! The council were in the wrong- we don't have to pay them a damn penny! They had taken out Liability Orders against us by giving incorrect/false information to the court! As our appeal has been upheld, all we have to decide now is whether to sue edited or not for all of the stress, inconvenience, cost and worry about bailiffs has cost us over the last 18 months. All I can say is this. If you really owe the council tax people money and they have a Liability Order, pay up! If they are in the wrong, fight them tooth and nail all of the way!!! It takes a hell of a long time, but if you are in the right, you will eventually win!