Can i get chased for unpaid UK council tax in the USA

[Wu Banger]

I move to Florida on Sunday but have just been stung with a council tax bill from a couple of years ago - a sum of money i didn't even know i owed. It was only a small amount but costs have been added so it has snowballed to nearly £500. Thing is i have no money to pay this as all my money has gone on flights, insurance etc. If i go without paying can they catch up with me? I will be staying there and just come back every so often for a holiday. I realise it is my fault it wasn't paid but i genuinely didn't know it wasn't up to date when i left the property. Will they bother to chase me if im in America? Will i have any issues if i come back to the UK for a holiday? How long before the debt is written off? Any advise would be appreciated

[daffy654]

The debt won't be written off, you will be chased for the money if they find you have stepped foot back on UK soil. Could you not pay it once you are settled and earning in the USA?

[ummmm]

If I was you I'd write to them explaining the situation. And offer to pay it when settled. As Bednobs says....it will go to court and a warrant for your arrest will be issued.

[daffy654]

Lol, not only do I get mostly ignored nowadays on Answerbank, people even mistake me for someone else!

[dzug2]

Slight speculation here - but it's possible if they were so minded they could get your visa revoked, given that you will have committed fraud.

Whether they would consider it cost-effective - no idea.

[themas]

Erroneously failing to pay is not fraud. You say they have added costs so almost certainly they have been to Court & got a Liability Order. What will happen if they can't trace you is down to their policy. Some creditors will pass such things to tracing agents, & if they find out which country the debtor is in they will sell the debt on to a firm in that country - which will then pursue the debtor (& often the law is less favourable to debtors than it is in this country).

Of course, none of this may happen to you, but you are taking a chance & it may come back & bite you with a much larger sum.

Contact the Council & update them on your situation. Give them your USA address & confirm you will start paying as soon as you have a job & funds. But only do this if you mean it & actually carry it out.

And incidentally, Council Tax is one of the few debts for which you can be imprisoned so if you do nothing they may well at some point get an arrest warrant.

[yogi-bear]

My advice is FIND the money some how.........amd pay it immediately so you dont have future problems because believe me....you will.

And you will stop looking over your shoulder, be allowed to return to the UK without beiong arrested and as dzug quite rightly says.....you COULD have your visa revoked as a result.

Know it's probably hard to find the money, but find it from friends/family/someone and PAY IT, WB.............you'll also fell better for doing it inthe long run.

Good Luck :0)

[factor-fiction]

I hope you managed to sort out your other debts as well: http://www.theanswerb...e/Question255744.html

[ummmm]

Sorry Daffy...I looked twice as well :-(