Council tax debt

[Skillz234]

Wondering if anyone can help us.

 

We've got ourselves into a real mess with our council tax, currently owe £7,200 from 2008 to 2014.

We are paying the current year's bill but have had liability order/charging orders for the outstanding amount.

 

Back in January we received a letter from the council’s lawyers saying that they would apply to have our home repossessed

unless we paid £300 pm for six month and then significantly increase the amount after that.

 

 

We wrote back saying we couldn’t afford that much but could do £100.00 and review in 6month,

but they came back saying their clients wouldn’t accept that.

 

 

We struggled to make the payments for 2 months then again wrote asking if we could reduce it and copied the letter to the council.

Didn't hear anything from the council but again from the lawyers saying not accepted.

 

We haven’t make any further payments but having been go back and forth to the lawyers asking to come to a more affordable agreement.

 

 

Two days ago we received a letter from them saying that we had defaulted on the arrangements

and that their clients want the outstanding amount paid in full within the next 3 months

otherwise they will apply to have our home sold to clear the debt.

 

We have finally managed to speak to someone at the council and have made an appointment to go and see them at the beginning of July,

can you please advise us the best way to approach them at the meeting.

 

 

We want to come to an arrangement but don't want to over commit ourselves with an amount we can't pay and can't understand why they keep refusing.

 

We have explained to them that we also owe monies on our mortgage (9K) and they have accepted £150 on top on of monthly mortgage figure.

 

What more can we do.

 

 

Any help would be greatly appreciated as we're really worried about our home.

 

 

We have two boys at college

Edited June 24, 2015 by Andyorch
Paragraphs added

[SabreSheep]

Hi there

 

Welcome to CAG

 

I am going to move your post to the correct forum so people can help you. This is an admin move, you need not do anything

 

Regards

 

SS

[Skillz234]

Hi there

 

Welcome to CAG

 

I am going to move your post to the correct forum so people can help you. This is an admin move, you need not do anything

 

Regards

 

SS

 

Hi,Thank you I would like to send some attatchments to you how do I do thatThanks

[dx100uk]

follow the upload,

 

 

pop all the redacted docs in a word doc

then pdf that multipage file an upload to here

 

 

dx

[dx100uk]

ok back to the old CTAX debts.

 

 

you say they have a liability order for each year they are claiming?

have you checked with them they do?

 

 

and whats this about charging orders?

 

 

have they already got a charging order against your property?

 

 

dx

[Skillz234]

I think they already have.

 

 

Got a letter from Wilkin Chapman saying application for charging order with sealed copy of the interim charging order,

a hearing on 7 April to get judge to grant final charging order.

 

 

Got another letter on 24th April saying final charging order granted by a court in Kings Lynn ( we live in Bexleyheath so couldn't go to court).

They also listed the final charging orders as follows:

17/8/10,

21/6/11,

13/10/13 and

7/4/15 with a total amount of £11,230.15 including interest to date.

 

 

WC first wrote to us in January asking for £300.00 a month

we made payments in Feb and March then wrote to them saying that we couldn't afford paying that amount

and could we reduce to £100 and review situation in 6 months.

They came back saying their client wouldn't accept anything less than £300.00.

 

 

We have been back and forth with them trying to get a new arrangement but so far all we get is their client won't accept it.

 

 

The last letter now says that we have 3 months to pay in full otherwise they will seek to sell our house to pay the debt.

 

 

On Monday I spoke with the council, the lady couldn't me as it was with their Head Office

she suggested I make an appointment to come in and see someone which I've done but its not till July.

 

 

She also gave me a breakdown of the debt which is:

09/10 £896.12,

10/11 £1,383.59,

11/12 £1,383.59,

12/13 £1,380.83

13/14 £811.96,

14/15 £1,383.97 which totals £7,240.06 over £3k less that what WC is saying is owed.

 

 

Sent an email to WC saying I had a meeting at the council and they've come back saying that the council says their is no meeting arranged.

 

 

I defo have a meeting and time for beginning July which I'm going to

but in the meantime just need to know what to say/do.

 

 

We can't afford to repay in full nor a solicitor so trying to do this myself and just really worried that they will sell our house.

Our current council tax is being paid and up to date

 

Just received a letter from the council saying they can't re-negotiate the payments due to WC, and I should contact WC directly.

 

 

WC says they're taking instruction from council.

 

 

Getting very stressed and don't know what to do.

 

 

Tried to upload some documents, let me know if received,

and some help would be really appreciated at wits end at the moment

[northernbloke]

That sounds like a load of rubbish. The Council is WC's client, it is they who should decide what they can do I would have thought. I've always found my local authority to be quite reasonable when I've got behind, although I must admit, not to your levels.

[Skillz234]

That's what I thought about with regards to trying to get an arrangement in place. I know its a large sum £7K which is what the council has confirmed to me, WC are saying over £11k. Just want to get something in place without having to sale

[dx100uk]

Not Capita run Council tax scheme is it?

 

 

why don't you email the council CEO and your MP

and local councillor

 

 

me thinks WC are simply willy waving because they can.

 

 

on a CO you don't need any payment arrangements.

 

 

very unlikely the council will enforce sale

whatever WC threaten.

 

 

you are paying the council not WC?

[Skillz234]

The council emails go via capita so maybe don't know.

 

 

I've sent copies of the letter/emails I've sent to WC to the council and have got no reply from them apart from yesterday

when they told me to re-negotiate with WC.

 

 

I can find out my local MP and councillor is and email them.

 

 

The council has a final charging order

doesn't that mean they can force me to sell.

 

 

Also the lady at the council gave me a breakdown and its only £7K WC are telling me £11K and I don't know what the extra £4K refers to.

 

 

I just want to make an affordable arrangement to pay not agree to something I can't afford which is what's happened

[dx100uk]

what other debts have you got?

 

 

you need to drop everything bar priority bills [gas elec rent mortgage] down to £1PCM

 

 

credit cards,mobiles,catalogues, payday loans, loans etc

need to be cut right down

 

 

dx

[dx100uk]

aha capita

go DIRECTLY to the CEO of collections at the council

that's why you are being stone walled

capita will want to line the pockets of their solicitors.

 

 

bypass them.

 

 

dx

[Skillz234]

Ok will try to find out who he is and email contact details. Got mortgage arrears of £9K but got arrangement in place additional £150 + monthly payment. All other debts are down to the bear minimum. budget attached

[dx100uk]

great make sure the council not capita are aware of your mortgage arrears.

 

 

capita will do everything they can to not inform the council of your position

 

 

don't trust them at all.

 

 

looks like they blindly got the charging order without any recourse to the council.

typically the council would not let this happen

 

 

its because they are kept in the dark by capita these things happen

 

 

under the guidelines are rules that govern CTAX recovery, a CO should be a last resort

but as capita are basically nothing more than a glorified DCA

they get way with these things as people think they are dealing with the council..they are not!!

[Skillz234]

Managed to send an email to Ceo at council and local mp, what do I do in the meantime about WC. Can they apply to force the sale

[nicolee2931]

Me personally

 

 

I would complain to your council, and I would keep complaining exhausting their entire complaints procedure

stating the council are being very heavy handed.

 

 

If they still won't back down after exhausting the entire complaints procedure,

 

 

you can then take your complaint to the Local Government Ombudsman.

 

 

The council don't like the Ombudsman getting involved,

 

 

and the plus side is the council can't act while the ombudsman is investigating.

 

 

Try that approach.

[Skillz234]

Ok email to local MP now sent, what should I do about WC in the meantime, also got meeting at council next week do I mention email to CEO

[dx100uk]

yes

 

 

see what they say about the whole CO and WC threats

[Skillz234]

Hi,getting really stressed. MP forwarded me reply he got from council basically saying that as I ignored their request for payments and the debts go back to 09 the amount I'm offering is not acceptable and WC is looking into getting Order for Sale or they could make me bankrupt, but I could still lose house. Still got meeting at council to go to but don't know what more to say to them when I get there as it doesn't look like they're interested in what I'm saying.Really need some help as to what to do next