Rossendales letter re CTAX Newcastle debt

[Mase]

I received a letter from Rossnedales, delivered by Royal Mail, saying I owe £919 for unpaid council tax to Newcastle City Council from a flat I used to live in. Now I'm sure this was in with rent but until I check rent agreement I cant be sure. Moving on from that and until I check I'd be tempted to say ignore this until I have confirmed ... how do I deal with the letter is there anything I need to do inparticular i.e. is there an advised procedure for delaing with these people as I have heard stories about this company?

 

I know I shouldnt let them in the house and have read my rights on here regarding baliffs, baliffs attending with police and also levy on vehicles on your drive (I currently drive a company car, I am in process of getting a copy of the log book to prove it isnt mine) etc.

 

Any help as to my next steps would be very gratefully appreciated and thank you in advance for any help given.

[dx100uk]

dont deal with rossers deal with the council only

 

dx

[Mase]

Thanks for the very quick response but how do I deal with Rossendales ? Surely they're gonna be knocking and pestering me? The letter also says not to pay the council so I was wondering why that was ? You'll have to excuse me but I'm panicking and wondering how is best way to go about the whole situation. I've recently started working at this job and my pay isn't exactly good and don't need to be forced to stretch my already poor income but want to get this sorted but just can't afford to pay in full or be paying £200 a month !!

[dx100uk]

you dont have to anything to do with rosser, just do not let them in

 

have a read of a few threads here

 

for the council info you require

 

dx

[wonkeydonkey]

Until you can check the details of your lease to establish if the CT is included in the rent do nothing about Rottendales. You do not have to write, phone or speak with Rottendales nor are you obliged to enter into one of their dubious payment plans that will culminate in lots of charges. At the moment you have not been visited and have not incured a visit fee or a levy fee.

 

What you do need to do urgently is establish WITH THE COUNCIL:

1: How many liability orders they have for you

2: How much on each one?

3:When were they obtained?

4. What periods they cover?

5: What dates were they passed over to Rottendales for action.

 

Once you have all the facts you can then come back here and get all the help you need to write to the Council.

 

WD

[Mase]

Can I find all this out by emailing the council and reverting back here for further advice?

I'm guessing no phone calls to them, no letting them in and keeping car off the drive ?

Thanks ever so much for your help

[ploddertom]

Finding info from the Council over the phone is usually OK and the quickest way of doing things.

 

PT

[Mase]

Can I find all this out by emailing the council and reverting back here for further advice?

I'm guessing no phone calls to them, no letting them in and keeping car off the drive ?

Thanks ever so much for your help

[Mase]

Right just emailed and called council:

 

One liability order for £913.60, were obtained on 12 February 2009 covers period 15 sept 2007 - 9 august 2008.

 

Sure I wasn't even at the address 6 months and had an interesting call with council guy who says if I have proof of living elsewhere and have a copy of tenancy (which Im 99% sure I have a tenancy agreement copy still) I nee to scan in to prove I'm not liable for that period.

 

I will check tonight and post if I have but what's people views on my next steps other than checking tenancy is there nothing more I can do at present?

[brassnecked]

Just be on the alert as tossers could turn up at any time, they won't let something like an erroneous liability order get in the way of charging a few fees.

[ploddertom]

Right just emailed and called council:

 

One liability order for £913.60, were obtained on 12 February 2009 covers period 15 sept 2007 - 9 august 2008. For this timescale you would have had to have had 2 LO's as the first would have run from 15 Sept 2007 to 31 March 2008 then the other from 1 April 2008 to 9 August 2008. Something is not right here and I suspect the Council don't know what they are saying.

 

 

PT

[brassnecked]

You need the info pronto as as ploddertom points out there are two tax years there, and you were only there 6 months

[Mase]

Right I have got in and GET IN !!!! found my tenancy agreement which is signed 11/10/07 for 6 months I have been in touch with landlord from next home after this one and that started in c. April 2008 and they are going to dig out the agreement for me ! I know landlord from next address quite well so she said no problem to get the agreement as she keeps everything on pc. How do I now stand ? As council is now shut I can't ring but will ring back first thing tomorrow for the dates you have requested. Can I ask why these dates are so important ? Not questioning anyone just for my curisoty / understanding of the situation thats all.

[Mase]

\

You need the info pronto as as ploddertom points out there are two tax years there, and you were only there 6 months

 

could the fact they claim I was in that house from sept 2007 until august 2008 not be the reason for this ?

[ploddertom]

\

 

could the fact they claim I was in that house from sept 2007 until august 2008 not be the reason for this ?

 

Council Tax Liability runs from 1 April to 31 March the following year. There is no middle ground. If the dates the Council allege they are correct then they must have 2 LO's. If they only have 1 then it is for part of one year or the other but cannot be for both. If the Council are claiming this money was never paid then despite anything you may have in b&w between you and your LL then unfortunately it is still your responsibility to pay. If it turns out your LL took the money and never paid the Council then that is for you to take up with the LL. If you moved part way through the year the Councils are usually so efficient they manage to lose any correspondence you may have sent them and will bill you for the rest of the year. This may not be as clear cut as you think it may be.

 

PT

[Mase]

So even if I was there for 6 months I still have to pay for 12 months council tax ??? Is that correct???

[brassnecked]

\

 

could the fact they claim I was in that house from sept 2007 until august 2008 not be the reason for this ?

 

Something like that, they have billed you for the whole period, and obtained two liability orders for incorrect amounts. Make copies of your Tenancy agreements and show them to the council, keeping the originals safe imho in case they conveniently misplace the originals, and deny they had them

[Mase]

Also would I be best paying this via the councils website and then attempting to claim it back off my ex landlord? I don't want this dragging on I certainly don't want these cowboys hassling me and my family but at the same time it would have to be installments. Sorry for all questions but I'm really stressed today and very concerned

[ploddertom]

So even if I was there for 6 months I still have to pay for 12 months council tax ??? Is that correct???

 

Not at all, this where you have to be able to prove you were living elsewhere and one of the best ways to do this is to be able to provide a CT bill for a different address in your name.

 

PT

[brassnecked]

Also would I be best paying this via the councils website and then attempting to claim it back off my ex landlord? I don't want this dragging on I certainly don't want these cowboys hassling me and my family but at the same time it would have to be installments. Sorry for all questions but I'm really stressed today and very concerned

 

If you can pay it direct to the council and keep the bailiff out, you don't legally have to deal with these parasites.

[ploddertom]

Also would I be best paying this via the councils website and then attempting to claim it back off my ex landlord? I don't want this dragging on I certainly don't want these cowboys hassling me and my family but at the same time it would have to be installments. Sorry for all questions but I'm really stressed today and very concerned

 

If it comes to it you would have to pay but the chances of the LL coughing voluntarily may be very remote. You may have to issue a Small Claims. However for now find out what the Council have to say, are you still living in the same Council area? If so it will be worth your while getting your local Councillor(s) involved. Until you have some answers you should also be asking the Council to call off their dogs for 14/28 days.

 

PT

[Mase]

Something like that, they have billed you for the whole period, and obtained two liability orders for incorrect amounts. Make copies of your Tenancy agreements and show them to the council, keeping the originals safe imho in case they conveniently misplace the originals, and deny they had them

 

Oh don't worry the original is going nowhere !!! Just for good measure it's been scanned and saved on pc, photographed front page of it with my phone and took a pic with my camera

I'm taking it to work tomorrow to fax to council and send recorded delivery ;-) and send via email so they can't say they don't have a copy.

Shame I couldn't ensure Rossendales visit wasn't going to happen so easy I have a 7yr old and 12 yr old on school holidays at present who both answer the door at times !

[Mase]

Not at all, this where you have to be able to prove you were living elsewhere and one of the best ways to do this is to be able to provide a CT bill for a different address in your name.

 

PT

 

I dont have another CT in my name but I do have proof of living elsewhere. To be fair the guy from council was helpful, polite and said if I could prove either with another rent payment, letter from other landlord, some payment on a bank statement proving another rent payment, a letter from my place of work stating a chnage of address or something to prove I wasn't there they would be able to act.

 

If you can pay it direct to the council and keep the bailiff out, you don't legally have to deal with these parasites.

 

That sounds good to me !!! Am I right in thinking because they have messed up I can get them to re-assess and call off Rossendales ? If so would this just be a common sense email stating I have attached my tenancy and other proof of change of address to prove I wanst at that address then and can Rossendales now be removed from the process as I am going to make payments for what I actually *technically because of LL* now owe ?

[brassnecked]

Oh don't worry the original is going nowhere !!! Just for good measure it's been scanned and saved on pc, photographed front page of it with my phone and took a pic with my camera

I'm taking it to work tomorrow to fax to council and send recorded delivery ;-) and send via email so they can't say they don't have a copy.

Shame I couldn't ensure Rossendales visit wasn't going to happen so easy I have a 7yr old and 12 yr old on school holidays at present who both answer the door at times !

 

Well if one of the children answered the door the bailiff cannot come in as they are under 18, if they pushed past them they would be in trouble, as a minor cannot grant them access and any levy they pretended to have would be invalid imho

[Mase]

If it comes to it you would have to pay but the chances of the LL coughing voluntarily may be very remote. You may have to issue a Small Claims. However for now find out what the Council have to say, are you still living in the same Council area? If so it will be worth your while getting your local Councillor(s) involved. Until you have some answers you should also be asking the Council to call off their dogs for 14/28 days.

 

PT

 

Sorry for another post but no I'm not currently in the same Council area

 

As previous post would the email just be a brief email along the lines of what I said in last post ?

 

Could i also take this opportunity to thank you for all your help . I cant beleive how helpful and also how flippin quick at replying you have all been ! Without your help and advice I would have been well and truly stuck ! I've made myself sick with worry today panicing about this but now feel slightly more relaxed (which is a good thing as my alopecia kicks in within days if I get really stressed ) thanks to all of you for all your help and advice, I really can't thank you all enough !