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Council Tax pushing me over the edge

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  • Council Tax pushing me over the edge

    After a period of unemployment and having to do agency work I ended up with a suspended possession order on my house. This also led to missing 3 payments on my council tax. . Last week I received a liability order from the county court. After contacting the solicitor they said they would not accept anything less than £75 per week (for the next 11 wks) or they would send in the bailiffs.
    This leaves me with three choices now
    1 Pay council tax
    2 buy gas and electric top up
    3 buy food.

    Dont really know what to do now dont want the bailiff to come and take my things away.
    Tags: None

  • #2
    Re: Council Tax pushing me over the edge

    Get in touch with your local councillor(s) and make them do some work for their money.

    Meanwhile, pay what you can afford via the council's automated payment line and keep the receipts, as this will shew you are trying to pay.

    Comment


    • #3
      Re: Council Tax pushing me over the edge

      It says in the letter all contact
      must be made via the solicitors and not the council.

      Comment


      • #4
        Re: Council Tax pushing me over the edge

        Originally posted by stevread1 View Post
        It says in the letter all contact
        must be made via the solicitors and not the council.
        Never mind what the letter might state - they have absolutely no right to block a member of the public contacting his/her local councillor(s).

        Comment


        • #5
          Re: Council Tax pushing me over the edge

          Which pit of corruption or local council is this?

          Comment


          • #6
            Re: Council Tax pushing me over the edge

            Rugby borough council

            Comment


            • #7
              Re: Council Tax pushing me over the edge

              Get your local councillor involved and tell them that their revenue department is asking for impossible payments mention what you can realistically afford off the arrears that will allow you to pay the regular installment.

              Comment


              • #8
                Re: Council Tax pushing me over the edge

                ok will do that thanks for your help

                Comment


                • #9
                  Re: Council Tax pushing me over the edge

                  Originally posted by stevread1 View Post
                  It says in the letter all contact must be made via the solicitors and not the council.
                  Make direct payments, regardless.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Re: Council Tax pushing me over the edge

                    I would also obtain the name of this solicitor or firm of solicitors and complain to the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA).
                    Life is a journey on which we all travel, sometimes together, but never alone.

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Re: Council Tax pushing me over the edge

                      Originally posted by stevread1 View Post
                      After a period of unemployment and having to do agency work I ended up with a suspended possession order on my house. This also led to missing 3 payments on my council tax. . Last week I received a liability order from the county court. After contacting the solicitor they said they would not accept anything less than £75 per week (for the next 11 wks) or they would send in the bailiffs.
                      This leaves me with three choices now
                      1 Pay council tax
                      2 buy gas and electric top up
                      3 buy food.

                      Dont really know what to do now dont want the bailiff to come and take my things away.
                      OK - the first thing you do is buy food. If you don't eat you'll die, and the other two will cease to be a problem for you.

                      After that, NOBODY in this day and age should be placed in the position you find yourself. CC is absolutely right to say contact your councillor (LINK). Also contact your MP urgently.

                      There is someone very good on this site who could help you with the suspeneded possession order - hopefully someone will contact her as I'm unable to do so at the minute. In the meantime SHELTER are excellent, and you should contact them.

                      Who is your energy company, and are you currently able to claim benefits? If not, why not after three months?

                      Let us know how things go, and in the meantime, after looking after yourself - you need food and warmth, thus gas and electricity - pay the council what you can. They can negotiate repayment plans over a lengthy period of time, but will always push to get things settled by the end of the current tax year (March 31st 2014). Your solicitor is doing you no favours by just accepting this.

                      Beyond those mentioned above, do you have other debts as well? If so, what are they and how much are they? Sorry for all the questions, but it's easier to offer support if we know all the facts - there's nothing you'll be going through that many of us on here have not gone through.

                      If it's any comfort, I lost my house, had bailiffs at the door for 4 LO's, endless debt collectors letters every day and it wasn't that I didn't want to pay them. I couldn't pay them - I had no money, simple as! I'm still here and smiling, so while it may not seem like it now, you do come out the other side.

                      I'll watch with a keen interest. :beagle:

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Re: Council Tax pushing me over the edge

                        Originally posted by stevread1 View Post
                        After a period of unemployment and having to do agency work I ended up with a suspended possession order on my house. This also led to missing 3 payments on my council tax. . Last week I received a liability order from the county court.
                        Can you tell me a little more about the SPO on your home. This court order will say that you must pay the normal monthly mortgage payment plus a defined amount towards the arrears. If that amount for the arrears is unmanageable you can apply to the court to vary the order to get that sum reduced. I need to know the facts first. Also is this a repayment mortgage or interest-only?

                        If you were unemployed and/or low waged shouldn't you have been entitled to Council Tax Benefit, or was this debt from a different period of your life?

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Re: Council Tax pushing me over the edge

                          Originally posted by labman View Post
                          OK - the first thing you do is buy food. If you don't eat you'll die, and the other two will cease to be a problem for you.

                          After that, NOBODY in this day and age should be placed in the position you find yourself. CC is absolutely right to say contact your councillor (LINK). Also contact your MP urgently.

                          There is someone very good on this site who could help you with the suspeneded possession order - hopefully someone will contact her as I'm unable to do so at the minute. In the meantime SHELTER are excellent, and you should contact them.

                          Who is your energy company, and are you currently able to claim benefits? If not, why not after three months?

                          Let us know how things go, and in the meantime, after looking after yourself - you need food and warmth, thus gas and electricity - pay the council what you can. They can negotiate repayment plans over a lengthy period of time, but will always push to get things settled by the end of the current tax year (March 31st 2014). Your solicitor is doing you no favours by just accepting this.

                          Beyond those mentioned above, do you have other debts as well? If so, what are they and how much are they? Sorry for all the questions, but it's easier to offer support if we know all the facts - there's nothing you'll be going through that many of us on here have not gone through.

                          If it's any comfort, I lost my house, had bailiffs at the door for 4 LO's, endless debt collectors letters every day and it wasn't that I didn't want to pay them. I couldn't pay them - I had no money, simple as! I'm still here and smiling, so while it may not seem like it now, you do come out the other side.

                          I'll watch with a keen interest. :beagle:
                          Its the councils solicitors not mine saying I must pay at least £75 per week or they will issue Distress on our personal belongings. The liability Order has already been issued.

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Re: Council Tax pushing me over the edge

                            Originally posted by PlanB View Post
                            Can you tell me a little more about the SPO on your home. This court order will say that you must pay the normal monthly mortgage payment plus a defined amount towards the arrears. If that amount for the arrears is unmanageable you can apply to the court to vary the order to get that sum reduced. I need to know the facts first. Also is this a repayment mortgage or interest-only?

                            If you were unemployed and/or low waged shouldn't you have been entitled to Council Tax Benefit, or was this debt from a different period of your life?
                            The SPO was mortgage payment plus £30 this is affordable its the £75 a week council tax thats unaffordable. The problem is that some weeks I get offered overtime and this pushes my salary to high to claim benefits.

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Re: Council Tax pushing me over the edge

                              Originally posted by stevread1 View Post
                              The SPO was mortgage payment plus £30 this is affordable its the £75 a week council tax thats unaffordable. The problem is that some weeks I get offered overtime and this pushes my salary to high to claim benefits.
                              Thanks for the update on your SPO and I'm glad to see that's all under control

                              I see your problem may be because your income fluctuates which impacts on your benefits

                              But what about the specific period which you are being chased for by these bailiffs? Is it possible that you may have been entitled to Council Tax benefit then?

                              Comment

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