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Anyway, I have received this red letter saying that my "facility to pay monthly has been withdrawn" and the "remainder of the years charge is NOW DUE AND PAYABLE" (it's in caps, I'm not shouting)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! :-(

[boxtops]

Firstly, do you accept that you have missed a month (or more)? It is your responsibility to make the monthly payments, so writing it on a calendar would be a better way to remind yourself, rather than waiting for the letter. "Not remembering" isn't a good enough excuse if you have to make a monthly payment.

However, if you have missed one, go now and pay it - and explain your circumstances, ask to speak to a manager and ask for the circumstances to be taken into consideration. I can't promise it will work, but it's worth a try. If no, go to your bank and ask for a short-term loan for a couple of months - you can then use the payments you would have paid to the council, to pay it off before the end of the financial year.

I am sure they receive many such "excuses" - I am not saying that yours is not a genuine mistake, I am sure it is - but there has to be one rule for everyone.

[AB Editor]

Very surprised they don't take direct debits as ours do and it makes the whole thing much easier, don't have to worry about it at all. I would double check that too, if you can.

[sidkid]

Good advice from Box - can't really add to it but I would make sure your info about the direct debits is 'up-to-date' Seems odd that they don't accept them....

[sidkid]

slow typing :-)

[DTCwordfan]

My mother had this, I went in and explained and they waivered the letter......go and see someone - and armed with the balance that you owe, a cheque or in cash. I moved my mater over to Direct Debit, so that advice does sound baloney....

[murraymints]

'fraid that's what happens in Scotland too..if you miss or are late for a few months then they demand the whole year in a oner....we can do DD here but I choose not to on the basis if they make a mistake it will become problemaic trying to get rebate..just have to remember to pay every month on time !!

[ummmm]

Are you sure they don't take DD? Their offices are only open Monday - Friday, how are people in full time work suppose to pay?

The council are really strict but I'm surprised they've taken action after 2 weeks.

Ask them for a statement so you can see what payments they have on record. There might be an error somewhere! Do you keep the payment receipts?

[Bluestone]

Thanks for all the advice. I have phoned again and asked to speak to a manager. The cow on the phone said "she'll say the same as I've told you", and then said she wasn't available but has taken my number and will call me back.
I inquired about the DD and she said "we have done for the past six months" - but how am I supposed to know that when every time I've asked in the past they've told me they don't.
I have kept all my payment receipts, yes. She said the payment was due on the 29th October, so it's a few weeks late but I have said I can pay it so I don't really understand why they won't let me do this.
Luckily, I am working from home today, so I will go to the town hall in a bit and take all the paperwork with me (and payment).

I know it's my fault for forgetting, but I do rely on the letters that get sent to me, like I do with a few bills.

Aghh. So Fluffing stressed now.

Thanks for all your help and advice :-)

[boxtops]

Good luck bluestone - but do set up that DD while you are there. Please bear in mind that they may say that you owe 2 months now (Oct and Nov) - but if you haven't paid it, don't you keep the £ back for when the bill arrives? If you can pay the 2 months at the desk, and sign the DD for the rest of the year, hopefully that will mollify them. Good luck!

[Bluestone]

Box, yes I have the money for the month I've missed, that isn't the problem, it's the fact they/she has said I now need to pay the remainder of the year. I could just do without that, right before Christmas - which I'm sure you can appreciate :-)

Anyway, I will definitely be setting up a DD whilst I'm there, and hopefully will be able to sort it out.

Thanks again :-)

[boxtops]

Let us know how you get on - the DD will hopefully satisfy them that you can pay the rest of the year on time. :-)

[buildersmate]

With council tax, payment is due in 2 amounts, generally at the half year points of 1st April and 1st October. There is a universal concession that permits the authority to provide a monthly payment arrangement but the concession requires that the CT payer abides by a condition that payments are made at or before the due date. If one misses one date in a year, the council generally send one reminder but if you miss another deadline, virtually every council will return to the first principle that (having broken the terms) one is now liable to the total amount outstanding for that half year. That is what has happened here - you are not being singled out.

[bednobs]

it seems incerdibly odd that everyone who lives in your council area have had to go to the council offices to pay every month for many years I just can't understand it

[Bluestone]

BM, thank you for that. That is my argument. I have not received *any* reminders, let alone two. The girl on the phone said that "one was sent out", but I genuinely did not receive this.

Bednobs, They haven't. I said that's what I do because they previously couldn't accept DDs. There are other options to pay, via an automated phone line, or online. That's not the point I'm making, though...

[buildersmate]

I'm not sure that it is requirement they send a reminder - mine does.
If one adopts monthly payments arrangement, they issue a monthly payment book at the first of the year that informs one of these dates (often 1st of month). Then it's up to the individual to ensure payment by that date.
You might get one last chance, as others have suggested, but you can't rely on council to send reminders.

[themas]

You seem to me to be saying that you didn't pay any of the monthly instalments on the due date - you waited each month until you got a reminder letter. If that is the case, you have certainly broken the arrangement & I can well understand them ending up by not sending you any more "white" letters.

[spudqueen]

This won't help you now, but I work in a Post Office and many of our local authorities accept payment through us, though they do tend to get shirty if you miss a payment.

[Bluestone]

Themas, I have not once said I make late payments each month, just that I wait for the *first* letter to come through.
This is not a red letter, nor even a reminder, just a bill - which I then pay on the same day I receive it in the post.
Seriously, what's the point in answering a question if you don't read ALL the facts *properly* in the first place.... ? <sigh>

Thanks, spudqueen. That's good to know, also :-))

[craft1948]

This happened to me as well some years ago. I couldn't find my stamped receipt and rang up to check when the last payment had been made. I was then advised that although only 1 payment was late I had been issued with a summons which was due to be heard the next day in court. I'd had no reminder, and never received a summons. To stop it going to court I had to not only pay the full amount outstanding on the council tax but also the cost of the unreceived summons.............good luck.

[ELVIS68]

It's probably just a computer generated letter, pay them the last months payment and then set up a DD for the rest of the year