bexley council and dca chandlers want CTAX out of me

[phlebas]

Hi

 

,a few yrs back we lived in a private dwelling

this was paid for by the council as i am not very well and have been on long time sick.

 

i was on very agressive immune system drugs and was having a bad time with the wife

we argued i was arrested and

put in a bail hostel by the coursts of which i had to make a housing benefit claim

 

during this time my wife was trying to get police to drop charges

 

the neighbour was being openly racist and abusive

 

the police where called for her she was arrested and

 

my partner was moved to temp accomadation by the council

 

charges after 6 mnths the charges where dropped but i was not allowed to stay with my partner at temp accom.

 

we waited 2 yrs to be together finally got a place from the council

 

moved in then we got a £5000 council tax demand from the council for the private dwelling house

 

being on benefit this was a shock

 

after lots of back and forth the council changed the figure a few times now its at £1500 and

 

today i get a letter from vilcollections asking for immediate payment of £5254.30 for the letting agents who owned the private dwelling

 

the council want this amount

 

the agents want this amount

 

but how is it we are liable without a break in benefits.

 

its been over 3yrs

 

why do we now owe £5000 being on benefits with a partner and two kids

we are lucky to have ten pound spare

where do they think we can get this sum from and

 

i still dont even get how we are liable seeing as we get council tax benefit

and this was before the changes

 

please can anyone give us some advice.

 

as we dont have the money and the only poessesions we have are cheap furniture from argos

and a pc which we bought after a grant from the council

so the law said we needed this stuff to live

and the council should provide it and

 

now they want to take it all back

 

please can someone give us some advice as to what to do

[rebel11]

Hi phlebas

 

Welcome to CAG

 

The guys will advise as soon as they are available.

 

Spaces added.

[dx100uk]

where do you live?

what council?

 

vil are a DCA and rarely get involved with CTAX collection

 

they are not bailiffs!!

 

dx

[phlebas]

i live in sidcup the council is bexley council i have received two letters to date one from

vilcollections

xxxxxxxxxx surbiton surrey

 

they are asking for £5254.30 to kemron property services the private dwelling we where moved from by the council

 

the other company is

 

chandlers limited and weirdly he has just knocked on my door

 

i didnt let him in

 

he said through the door he'll be back monday

 

he posted a letter which is notice of enforcement agents

attendance warrant of control for £848.43

he says hes here to remove items and goods

to recover debt to bexley council

[ploddertom]

It sounds as if you 2 different issues going on here. The first with the debt collectors appears to be for unpaid rent or dilapidations or similar from the private landlord. The second may well be for unpaid Council Tax. The second is more serious than the first and should be tackled first.

 

You need to find out from the Council exactly what is going on. First thing Monday you need to speak to someone at the Council and ask the following questions:

1 - how many Liability Orders they have against you

2 - the dates they were obtained

3 - the addresses they were for

4 - the period of time each covers

5 - how much each one was for

6 - how much is still outstanding

7 - the dates they were passed on for enforcement

8 - the dates & amounts of any payments

 

If you still live in the same Council area then you should also contact your local Councillor(s) to get involved and act for you - best initial contact is by phone.