The lovely Rossendales again...rather odd!

[Variola]

Hello all,

 

Following the excellent advice I found while searching on here, I took on Rossendales, who are currently persuing me for payment of council tax from 6 years ago.

I had a Notice of Attendance put through my door on 13th May, stating that I owed £508.86 plus costs and that I could pay £200 as a deposit.

 

My reply was to use the brilliant standard council tax template from here, and put in the relevant amounts to be paid over 24 months, which actually worked out to be about £22 and put in the correct names etc.

 

I recieved a reply today,and its a bit odd. I actually got 4 letters stapeled together as one, below is the first.

 

Dear Sir/Madam

 

We acknowledge reciept of your communication and enclose statement of account as requested.

 

Your offer of repayment is not acceptable. Instalments are set as our client guidelines,without proof of income.

 

Letter of arrangement which will include a barcode for payment at the post office or payzone point will be sent under seperate cover. Instalments are set at the rate of £25 every 7 days on this case.

 

If you wish us to consider your offer of repayment, we require proof of income by way of copy wage slips, copy letters for child tax working family tax credit, child benefit, housing and council tax benefit, income support and any other income to which you, your family, partner is entitled.

 

Council tax is a priority debt and takes precedence over store cards, credit cards, loan companies and all other non-priority debts.

 

The second letter was this-

 

Dear Sir/Madam

 

Re:C Tax arrears

Outstanding Balance £266.14

 

Further to your request for a breakdown of fees charged and payments made, the details are listed overfeaf.

 

If you disagree with any of the schedule please forward proof of payments in order that we may persue your query.

 

Yours faithfully

 

 

Rossendales.

Overleaf is

Apr 30. 200- Debt 223.64

May 13th Visit fee 1 24.50

May 22nd Visit fee 2 18.00 ( incidentally Im going to quibble that one as no one visited, no letter, zip)

 

Ok, the odd thing is, the 3rd and 4th letters are exact copies of 1 and 2, but with different amounts??!!! The 3rd letter states that it can be paid at £20 every 7 days, and the 4th letter states the outstanding amount to be £242.72.

 

 

So, I have several questions for anyone willing to help please!!

 

 

* Why 2 lots of letters with 2 different amounts? The council tax was only for 1 property, and the reference numbers for the council and for Rossendales are the same on each letter, so it can't be for 2 different debts or years surely?!

 

*Why have they stated my original debt was £508.86 plus costs and now saying its either £223 or £242 ? Assuming its not a joint amount put together?? If it is I am baffled why there would be 2 amounts for one address. I realise i can write to the council to query this, I am just wondering if anyone here has any ideas.

 

*Do I have to accept what they say and send them proof of income? I dont mind doing this if I have to, but id rather not let a bunch of bailiffs decide what I should have to pay when I have made them a reasonable offer. Of course, if the debt does turn out to be less I will review the offer.

 

 

 

Thanks in advance!!

[FairPlay77]

Hello all,

 

 

*Do I have to accept what they say and send them proof of income? I dont mind doing this if I have to, but id rather not let a bunch of bailiffs decide what I should have to pay!

 

 

NEVER let a tinpot private company like this dictate to you how much you 'must' pay! There's only one expert on how much you can afford, and that's you. When it comes to the crunch, they're not in charge, you are, if you want to be!

 

As long as you've never let them into your property, they are powerless. Take command of the situation and pay them only what you can. Please, on no account, let them bully you or tell you what to do.

[BlurredFX]

How strange!

 

I'm not an expert, but have done a fair bit of reading round this forum over recent weeks due to my own circumstances, this would seem to me like the beginnings of a complaint... at the County Court - a "Form 4 Complaint". It looks (to me) like they may have tried to defraud you!

 

If they do not get a levy or payment from you, eventually they will return it to the Counci as "nulla bona" - meaning they couldn't get their grubby mits on anything of yours.

 

I guess it could be for two years - ask the Council for a statement. Make a SAR if you have to, maybe?

 

This essentially can lead to the Bailiff losing his license. This is evidence of their unreasonable behaviour.

 

You have made them stand up and pay attention now they realise you know your rights! They now know it will be much harder to bully you! So do not let them.

[Variola]

Thanks for the help!!

 

Im not sure what to do now, I think first think will be to write to the council and see if they can shed any light on why there would be 2 different amounts. I know they wont like to deal with me but I will ask for the subject access request if need be. I will enclose copies of my letters to Rossendales and their replies to me too and ask them to be filed with my account.

When I hear back, I will then write back to Rossendales stating again what I will pay, and that I will not be sending any proof of income in to them, and depending on what the council say, I will tackels tham about the 2 different amounts.

[BlurredFX]

I think speak to the Council; and start seeing if we can do a Form 4 - but I have no experience of one. Just waiting for the illegal activity to start with my bunch...

 

To me, it looks like the original letters are evidence of their misconduct; but then it is probably not unreasonable (at Court) to offer them the opportunity to correct their mistake...

 

Again, we need collective experience on this.

 

Perhaps the evidence would not stand up in Court for a Form 4; perhaps their bahaviour might rattle the cage of a Civil Servant (I am not mentioning their pensions...), and they way their sub-contractors are behaving. Might be the way to get them to bring it back under Town Hall administration.