Rossendales council tax please help

[Becca29]

We had a council tax debt of around £700.

 

 

We offered rossendales £100 per month which they refused as we filled in an income/expenditure form

and we have extra money apparently which we don't!

 

 

We have now cancelled sky subscription and my mobile phone has been cut off.

 

 

They are requesting 250 per month.

 

 

We paid the first £250 then the next payment we could only afford 200.

 

 

I have been in contact with them throughout trying to explain we just cannot afford that much.

 

 

Now because we paid only 200 the agreement is cancelled and

 

 

if we don't pay the full amount left they are sending an enforcement agent out to our home

 

 

. I don't know where to go from here.

[dx100uk]

you need to clarity these things:

 

 

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

[dx100uk]

what letters have you had from rossers and their titles please?

[Becca29]

I can't find the original letter, the one I have is the payment arrangement which states it is for a liability order. All communication I have had with them is through email. I emailed them again yesterday trying to explain we have paid £200 and don't have the rest yet. We have paid a total of £450 in the last month not the £500 they wanted. The reply today was.... The full balance is now due and we have no further comments on the matter. The balance remaining is £356. I could understand if we wernt paying anything but we are doing everything we can to pay it.

[Bailiff Advice]

Can you please post back with details of the charges applied to the account.

 

I am trying to ascertain whether an enforcement fee of £235 has been applied.

 

PS: I am becoming increasingly concerned at the number of similar enquiries that I receive daily on this same subject. When the regulations were introduced last year it was made very clear that enforcement companies should be willing to accept a sensible payment proposal as long as this was outlined during the Compliance stage. What is considered 'sensible' is open to interpretation but generally, a proposal that would see the debt cleared within 3 -6 months is considered normal.

[Becca29]

Can you please post back with details of the charges applied to the account.

 

I am trying to ascertain whether an enforcement fee of £235 has been applied.

 

PS: I am becoming increasingly concerned at the number of similar enquiries that I receive daily on this same subject. When the regulations were introduced last year it was made very clear that enforcement companies should be willing to accept a sensible payment proposal as long as this was outlined during the Compliance stage. What is considered 'sensible' is open to interpretation but generally, a proposal that would see the debt cleared within 3 -6 months is considered normal.

Hi thanks for the reply. No the £235 hasn't been applied yet but they are threatening to apply this and send an enforcement officer if we do not now pay the full amount outstanding. I can copy and paste the emails?

[Becca29]

Does anybody have any advice I'm really worried someone will end up coming to my door. Thanks in advance

[Coughdrop]

Becca,

 

Sorry, I've only been glancing at this board over the last couple of days and hadn't read any new posts.

 

If I were you I would be emailing the council to complain bitterly. Explain your circumstances and the fact you made a reasonable repayment offer which was the absolute maximum you could afford. This really should have been accepted given it would have cleared the debt within 7 months - they like 3-6 months, but peoples' circumstances don't always fit neatly into what they like, so they can't always have that.

 

I'd explain that this is now causing hardship and further debt issues which would have been avoided had the offer been accepted. I'd explain also that you have no intention of dealing any further with their Enforcement Agents, you will not be letting them into your property and then make sure that anything of value outside (usually a vehicle) is moved away, ideally onto private land belonging to someone else, or into a garage where they cannot lawfully clamp it. State you are happy to pay the debt, but can only reasonably do so at a rate which is affordable.

 

Remind the Council of their vicarious liability which means they are responsible for the actions of their EA's, and ask that as you have stated clearly you will not deal with the EA, that they take the debt back. They may argue they can't, but they can - it is as simple as that.

 

I'd email the CEO directly. If you start lower, the danger is it may be dealt with by someone who's been instructed to write back saying you must deal with the EA. There is no obligation to do this at all. Certainly keep doors locked and do not let them in. Ignore any threats - they are just that, threats!

[brassnecked]

Copy the email to the Elected Leader and your local council member also. maybe your MP, so they can see how bailiffs are acting under the new regulations.

[DragonFly1967]

Writing to the person that was your MP may be a waste of a stamp at the moment.

 

People that were MP's until parliament was dissolved are now just members of the public (or at most, candidates for election) and your MP may or may not be the same person after May 7th.

[brassnecked]

Writing to the person that was your MP may be a waste of a stamp at the moment.

 

People that were MP's until parliament was dissolved are now just members of the public (or at most, candidates for election) and your MP may or may not be the same person after May 7th.

Good point so send it to whoever is elected in May.

[BUTTERCUP7]

hi

 

we had terrible trouble with council tax, but we totally refused to deal with the bailiffs or debt collectors. point blank.

 

we then arranged to have a meeting at the council and we sorted it all out directly

and we are now paying £20 pm off a much larger sum than yours.

 

if you refuse to deal with the goons and just insist on your right to deal direct with the council - what can they do.

they cannot refuse to speak/deal with you to arrange a suitable plan of payment.

 

I have a friend who works for the council tax department in London and he told me that they will try

and force you to pay more than you can afford - but they cannot force you to.

 

as long as you don't refuse to pay - it should all be ok.

 

 

it just takes a bit of stubbornness to fight off the idiots in the bailiff companies and debt collectors.

 

best of luck to you