Am I entitled to see the court record?

[illonavamp]

Hullo,

 

Quick question. If my local council "took me to court" (I was not present) - am I entitled to see some kind of transcript of the event? or do I just take their word for it?

 

I've asked them twice to provide me with a copy of the record or transcript and they keep ignoring me.

 

(Back story: After a minor error on my part I missed a payment, got a summons threat - I paid up all my ctax a week before the court date, they are saying they still took me to court as I didn't pay the "admin charge of £19.00")

 

Thanks

[Conniff]

You could send them a 'subject access request', (councils hate SARs). It will cost you £10 which is the maximum they can charge for it and they have a legal time limit in which to send you everything they hold on the 'subject' which is you.

[Aviva]

I've attended Court many times on behalf of my local Council in rent arrears or ASB cases and there has never been a transcript of the case. The judge would ask some questions and make notes I take it on the answers made and also note down the judgement they had made. Our legal rep and I would take some notes but this would mainly be things like what order has been made or why the case was adjourned, etc rather than a transcript of what was said.

 

The only paperwork we receive from the Court is a copy of the order that was made (this would also be kept on the Court's files and a copy sent to the tenant by the Court). I have never seen or recieved a copy of the Judge's notes on a case.

 

I doubt that it would be any different for a Council Tax arrears case.

 

If you just want to know whether an order was made and if so what it said then you can also contact the Court for this information.

 

If you do want to see a Court record then you should be contacting the Court not the Council.

[Conniff]

You make a good point Aviva and I feel I should have pointed that out. If it is for a liability order then no notes or transcriptions etc are taken, it's either yes you owe or no you don't.

[illonavamp]

Actually I'm not too bothered but for the fact that I paid all my arrears a week before the case. The only thing I didn't pay was £19.00 admin charge they slapped on to write to me, so I was curious to see a transcript which said:

 

"well, actually she's all paid up, she doesn't actually owe us anything, but we want a bit more off her just because well um, just because really, despite that it probably cost all of us more to come here today and talk about it.."

 

 

Thanks for your replies, I'll let them have their scuzzy nineteen quid.