Council Tax... Help!

[Bluestone]

Hi, I have received a letter from my local council, saying my council tax payments are not up to date.
I usually wait for the letter to come through, and then take it to the town hall and make the payment via the kiosk. I do this each month, because they don't accept direct debits - which is ridiculous and totally inconvenient.

Anyway, I have received this red letter saying that my "facility to pay monthly has been withdrawn" and the "remainder of the years charge is NOW DUE AND PAYABLE" (it's in caps, I'm not shouting)
It then goes on to say that if the amount is not paid as required, "a magistrates court summons would be issued".

The thing is, this is the first I've heard of it and had no 'white' letter prior to this one. If I had, I would have paid it.

I have just called them to inform them of this and have been told that "people say they don't receive the letters all the time". Ok, so I get this and can imagine it's very true, but you can't tar everyone with the same brush! I have explained that I wait for the letters to come through, as I can't remember everything, and offered to make the payment over the phone (just one month!) but she said there is no option but to pay the full amount and, if I don't, it will be passed to the courts with further costs added!?!

Is there any way around this? I can't afford to pay what they are asking, so do I have any other option but to let it go to court? Then what?

I can't believe they won't budge for a payment that is a couple of weeks late.
I am now stressed to the max! :-(

[Bluestone]

Craft, as much as I didn't want to hear that, thank you for giving such an honest answer and appearing as a normal frickin human being! :-)

[Mamyalynne]

What is amazing is that a Council in this day and age has only just started allowing people to pay by DD - asked my daughter who worked in that department. Her reply was that if they say no DD, is tantamount to saying they have no bank account. I would strongly point out to them that this may be the cause of many late payers, not only yourself.

[THECORBYLOON]

I would have thought that they would have mentioned the DD option when sending each bill for the previous six months. As for not being able to remember everything, could you not have marked the calendar or set a reminder on a mobile 'phone if you have one?

[Bluestone]

Elvisio, thanks kid. I have offered to pay the last months (and this) and they say no, no, no... idiots! :(

Mamyalyne, as already stated, it's not the only way to make payment - therefore I doubt they have *that* many "late payments"...

[Bluestone]

CL, I don't own a calender and I only use my mobile to send texts and receive calls.

It's all sorted now, thanks anyway :-)

[ELVIS68]

I've always payed mine by DD and a few times the DD has failed (their fault not mine) and I've had a letter saying that they want the full years payment.

They then just up the monthly payment to catch up which is a ball buster as my normal payments are £208 per month

[Mamyalynne]

Am sorry a Council will never refuse a payment...speak through experience.

[Bluestone]

P.S no, they didn't mention the DD option... not on any of my last 13 letters! Sure, they appear to mention it on their website, but (strangely enough) this is not something I tend to look at on a day-to-day basis.

Anyhow, as I've just stated, all is sorted.
Thanks for the help, lovelies... :-))

[Mamyalynne]

Glad is sorted.

[THECORBYLOON]

If I were you, I'd invest in a calendar. You relied on being sent the bill which did not arrive so who is to say the same thing may not happen wi other bills? I'm sure you could get a cheap one and it would save any furthet stress.

[Bluestone]

Elvis, yeah, that's what I would have thought they'd have done - just added the amount on to each monthly payment. £208 per month? Ouch!!

Mamyalyne, sorry, you will have to re-type that. I honestly don't understand a word of what you just said...? It didn't read very well...
Actually, don't worry about it. As *already* stated, it's all sorted now. I'm sorry you didn't understand :-)

Thanks Elvis and all the others that did :-))

[Bluestone]

TheCorby, absolutely! I actually have a good friend (on here, actually) who has supplied me with the relevant software needed, which will help me greatly :-) Thanks! :))

[Mamyalynne]

'A Council will never refuse a payment'

[Mamyalynne]

I am happy it is resolved.

[Bluestone]

Again, I don't think you quite understood. I mean this in the nicest way possible, but the fact they would "not accept the payment" actually has nothing to do with my question.

I don't think you've quite understood my exact question. That's ok, it's late - I understand.

Thanks to those that have answered and given great advice :-)

[Svejk]

Just watching a bailiff,on the telly, trying to get council tax off debtors. First one who couldn't pay had a BMW. Second, a brand new. 80inch telly. Others owe £10,000.
I'm no fan of council tax myself, but why do any of us pay when nothing happens if you don't pay.

03:21 Fri 16th Nov 2012

[Svejk]

I should have added, the programme was set in Stoke & a council spokesman said they had given up trying to collect arrears.
It cost more to collect than not, or somesuch.

[themas]

Bluestone

If you read buildersmate's posts he explained the council tax procedure. The monthly payment is a concession which relies on the tax payer paying each month on time without having a reminder each month.

My council, & all others I know about, work on that principle. The first letter that is sent is therefore the first reminder that the payment date has been missed & is therefore late.

You said "I usually wait for the letter to come through". Unless your council operates a procedure which is entirely different from the norm - which I assumed would not be the case - that means that what I posted was correct, & your payments have all been late. Just in case your council does operate differently I said "You seem to be saying...." - a qualified statement - rather than "You are saying..."

I can only add that if your council is sending out an invoice letter each month (presumably to each council tax payer) they are in the dark ages, wasting a lot of council taxpayers money doing it & should come into the 21st century.

[boxtops]

I'm glad it's sorted but "I don't have a calendar" is a really poor excuse. calendars and diaries are really cheap in January, plan to get one you can write on. How do you remember other important dates? Our calendar every month is full of reminders of due dates for payments etc. (I know that sounds as if we've cracked it, but if I didn't do that, I'd never remember anything)