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Croydon Council will not accept my money for Council Tax

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  • Croydon Council will not accept my money for Council Tax

    Hello everyone. This is my first post in here, so my apologies if I make mistakes. Also, I would like to thank in advance to anyone who may care to contribute with any input. I will try to keep things short and to the point. I have decided to ask for help on LB's site after reading some posts on here, while looking for advice on how to deal with bailiffs and councils. What won me over to this site was an incredible reply to a post made by thequeenisclarice, where mystery1 was giving her step by step instruction on how to proceed. What blew me away was the incredible amount of time and resource, patience and kindness spent by one person towards another, a complete stranger that he had never met and who was not going to give him any remuneration or any kind of special favor in return. That really restored my faith in the human element and made me want to be seeking help nowhere else but here. Respect to him and to all the others like him out there. We really could do with more like them in this day and age...

    My problem is with Croydon Council(CC) and the way they are dealing with Council Tax(CT). We(myself and my wife) owe them money in arrears, but when we offered to pay £10 a week, due to only myself working, while my wife is raising our 2 young kids, they declined and insisted we deal with the enforcement agents.

    To cut a long story short, we owed money to CC for CT, starting with our move to this new address in 2011. CC only sent us the first CT bill 2 years later. After a few months, while we were struggling to find some money to pay them, CC took us to court and then asked us to fill in a Statement of Incoming and Outgoings, in Oct 2013, which we did. We also offered to pay £10 a week towards the sum that we owed them, around £3098. They never replied and a month later we started getting letters from Equita, a bailiff company, for the sum of £3395. We decided to ignore Equita and wait for a reply from the council. We didn't hear from them until 6 months later, March 2014, sending us an annual bill as if nothing ever happened. They started sending letters with recalculated sums, mentioning the £3098 being subject to court proceedings. We kept getting letters from both Equita and CC for awhile. After about 10 letters sent out to us, Equita stopped writing(last letter received 13/03/2014).

    Recently we started receiving letters from a different bailiff company, JBW. last one came on the 2nd April 2016, requesting the sum of £3527.96 to be paid, while informing us that the case has been passed to an enforcement agent. So whatever happened to Equita, they just gave up? Should we also ignore this JBW and hope they will also go away(sarcasm)?

    I called CC today, in an attempt to arrange a payment plan, only to be told to speak to JBW. When I asked whatever happened to our proposal to pay £10 a week towards our debt, they said they couldn't accept it, as it was too little. And when I asked why they never wrote back to let us know, the man said that they deal with too many people and can't possibly answer to all!! Great. I felt like an ant, being talked down to by an elephant.

    So now I was considering sending these JBW a letter suggested by Amethyst , requesting a breakdown of charges. Or start sending money to CC and if so, how can we do that? Or should we do both? What do you knowledgeable people out here suggest we should do?

    Thanks, Michael
    Tags: None

  • #2
    Re: Croydon Council will not accept my money for Council Tax

    Hi Michael & welcome to LB

    I'll give a nudge to [MENTION=26498]ploddertom[/MENTION] [MENTION=15129]Crazy council[/MENTION] [MENTION=9189]bizzybob[/MENTION]
    CAVEAT LECTOR

    This is only my opinion - "Opinions are made to be changed --or how is truth to be got at?" (Byron)

    You and I do not see things as they are. We see things as we are.
    Cohen, Herb


    There is danger when a man throws his tongue into high gear before he
    gets his brain a-going.
    Phelps, C. C.


    "They couldn't hit an elephant at this distance!"
    The last words of John Sedgwick

    Comment


    • #3
      Re: Croydon Council will not accept my money for Council Tax

      The council cannot refuse payment but yes thay may try to reach a plan which allows debt to be paid back in sensible time. Debt collectors are just that..... collectors. And will add fees.
      Keep all communication in writing. Advise council of the errors delays and rude guy!
      Then also remind them they have duty of care for any agents they use and are responsible for agents behaviour etc and that due to your vulnerable situation you will not deal with them but just the council. Enclose income expense etc and reiterate your offer (i think if you can aim for a 3 yr window they more agreeable)
      This happemed to me and worked. I also sent copy to collectors with cover letter advising i wont deal with them and will report them to the council should they persist.
      i set up a stamding order and started making payments whilst in discussion just to cover myself.
      good luck.
      meant to add... i disputed charges too. I think you may be able to argue them due to lack of responses from council so refef to that in your letter.

      Comment


      • #4
        Re: Croydon Council will not accept my money for Council Tax

        Hi

        Have you kept:
        Copies of the correspondence with CC?
        Proof of postage? (Where applicable)
        Copies of their responses? (if any), + envelopes
        Etc.
        CAVEAT LECTOR

        This is only my opinion - "Opinions are made to be changed --or how is truth to be got at?" (Byron)

        You and I do not see things as they are. We see things as we are.
        Cohen, Herb


        There is danger when a man throws his tongue into high gear before he
        gets his brain a-going.
        Phelps, C. C.


        "They couldn't hit an elephant at this distance!"
        The last words of John Sedgwick

        Comment


        • #5
          Re: Croydon Council will not accept my money for Council Tax

          Have you paid anything at all so far? If not have you saved the promised £10 a week somewhere so you can pay a lump sum off?

          If you have done nothing at all then it could be viewed you are deliberately witholding payment which could result in further action. Do you own your own home? If so it could be at risk of having a Charging Order placed on it! Otherwise they may threaten using committal proceedings where if found guilty you could be imprisoned.

          Council Tax is a priority debt and must be paid ahead of any Loan or Credit Card payments. Also if you have a Sky account any movie or sports package will be classed as frivolous - anything bar the basic and even now because freesat is widely available some may think you should not have a Sky package at all.

          You are going to have to do a lot of letter writing - Council CEO, Head of Revenues for example blaming the Council for what has gone on. You should also be in contact with your local Councillor(s) asking they help on your behalf.

          Comment


          • #6
            Re: Croydon Council will not accept my money for Council Tax

            Hello all and thank you for the help. Here is a brief account of what we did in relation to this:

            1. We have kept copies of all the correspondence with them. We actually went to see them at the Town Hall, when we made the Income and Outgoings declaration and they photocopied all the papers, including our offer to pay £10 a week.

            I will start to deal with this according to your advice, by:

            1. Writting to the debt collectors and informing them that I will not deal with them, but rather straight with the council.
            2. I will set up a DD and start sending the council £10 every week
            3. I will write to the various concerned terminals and to the local Councillor

            I remember seeing a great letter template somewhere on this site, showing how to address the council in regards to money owed and paying back what we can afford. I would appreciate it if anyone could point me in that direction or suggest a similar template for me to use. Thanks all, you are great.

            Comment


            • #7
              Re: Croydon Council will not accept my money for Council Tax

              Just a point..... write to council first. Then debt guys and enc copy of letter to council. This way they know you have put council on notice of their behaviour.
              As you are sending them the money it is a standing order. This means you control its frequency and amount at all times.
              council tax is a priority so you must make sensible proposals.... dont try to drag it out. Pay as much as you can. Either way get the ball rolling.
              best wishes.

              Comment


              • #8
                Re: Croydon Council will not accept my money for Council Tax

                A friend of mine went to the council office and paid, at first he wouldn't take her money so she kept asking 'are you refusing to take my money'? In the end he had to take it. She wrote to the DC and told them she was dealing direct with the Council, but because she didn't pay the full amount at once, the DC took her to court and she had to pay the DC's fee.
                If she had paid the full amount, the DC would not have been able to come back to her, or if she had known how to keep fighting them, she had never heard of this website, sadly.

                Another friend had an HMRC tax bill, he came to an arrangement with the tax office to pay as and when and the tax man told him he would have to get rid of the DC as they could not do it. My friend wrote to the DC told them to go away as he was dealing direct with HMRC and it was none of their business. The DC went away, the as and when payments were made until the account owing £1,200 was timed out and went to 00.00 just before Christmas.

                A letter of complaint to the council about the rude behaviour wouldn't go amiss I think.

                Comment


                • #9
                  Re: Croydon Council will not accept my money for Council Tax

                  Hi again people and thanks again for your continuing support. Following advice, here is what I have done to date:

                  1. Set up a £10 weekly Standing Order with Croydon Coucil Tax departament
                  2. Sent email to Croydon Council, reminding them of our offer to pay £10 a week towards our debt and making a new offer to pay that sum, including advising them that a Standing Order has already been set and is in place for the amount of £10 a week

                  'Hello. We have been in contact with the council before, asking to be allowed to make a payment £10 a week. We came in in person and presented an Incoming and Outgoings declaration and your office took photocopies of our papers on the 18 Nov 2014. We have been waiting patiently for a reply, but none has arrived as yet. Now we have started to receive threatening letters from bailiffs. We can't afford to pay more at the moment, as I am the only person working in the household and my wife is a student and looks after the kids too. We have been receiving bailiff letters, despite our intention to pay. We would like our offer to pay to be reconsidered. As a gesture of goodwill, we have set up a Standing Order for the amount of £10 to be paid weekly into your account. Can we ask you to consider our offer again and let us know if this arrangement would suit you? Thank you, xx

                  3. Wrote email to bailiff (template found here: http://www.legalbeagles.info/forums/...Useful-Letters) asking them for a charges breakdown

                  I will be waiting for letters to arrive before I continue with action, then escalate if necessary.

                  Love and best of wishes to you all, Michael

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Re: Croydon Council will not accept my money for Council Tax

                    Originally posted by PeacefulWarrior View Post
                    Hi again people and thanks again for your continuing support. Following advice, here is what I have done to date:

                    1. Set up a £10 weekly Standing Order with Croydon Coucil Tax departament
                    2. Sent email to Croydon Council, reminding them of our offer to pay £10 a week towards our debt and making a new offer to pay that sum, including advising them that a Standing Order has already been set and is in place for the amount of £10 a week

                    'Hello. We have been in contact with the council before, asking to be allowed to make a payment £10 a week. We came in in person and presented an Incoming and Outgoings declaration and your office took photocopies of our papers on the 18 Nov 2014. We have been waiting patiently for a reply, but none has arrived as yet. Now we have started to receive threatening letters from bailiffs. We can't afford to pay more at the moment, as I am the only person working in the household and my wife is a student and looks after the kids too. We have been receiving bailiff letters, despite our intention to pay. We would like our offer to pay to be reconsidered. As a gesture of goodwill, we have set up a Standing Order for the amount of £10 to be paid weekly into your account. Can we ask you to consider our offer again and let us know if this arrangement would suit you? Thank you, xx

                    3. Wrote email to bailiff (template found here: http://www.legalbeagles.info/forums/...Useful-Letters) asking them for a charges breakdown

                    I will be waiting for letters to arrive before I continue with action, then escalate if necessary.

                    Love and best of wishes to you all, Michael
                    Hi Michael, I don't feel qualified to give advice so I just share what I have of knowledge of regarding peoples' experiences.

                    My friend wrote 3 times to the bailiffs (HMRC case) and in the third letter stated that their actions were becoming a form of harassment. Each time he told them he was dealing direct with HMRC, (not that it was their business), he had no contract with them and owed them nothing - roughly, as I remember. They just stopped sending after the 3rd letter - the end.

                    Hope this helps a bit,
                    Good luck to you and family.
                    x

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Re: Croydon Council will not accept my money for Council Tax

                      The Template you have found appears to be a request for a breakdown of charges pre April 2014 but let's see what if anything you get back.

                      You say your wife is a student - if so have you informed the Council of this as you may be entitled to a discount?

                      You should also send a recent up to date I&E statement to the Council - something similar to https://nedcab.cabmoney.org.uk/quickfs.asp

                      With reference to what samuwell has said above then unfortunately in your case the Bailiff will not be seen to be harrassing you as he is in possession of a Liability Order for Council Tax.

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Re: Croydon Council will not accept my money for Council Tax

                        Originally posted by ploddertom View Post
                        The Template you have found appears to be a request for a breakdown of charges pre April 2014 but let's see what if anything you get back.

                        You say your wife is a student - if so have you informed the Council of this as you may be entitled to a discount?

                        You should also send a recent up to date I&E statement to the Council - something similar to https://nedcab.cabmoney.org.uk/quickfs.asp

                        With reference to what samuwell has said above then unfortunately in your case the Bailiff will not be seen to be harrassing you as he is in possession of a Liability Order for Council Tax.
                        Yes, so sorry I missed that. The situation with HMRC were just DC letters, nor bailiffs, very sorry.

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Re: Croydon Council will not accept my money for Council Tax

                          The debt collectors are just that... collectors. They dont own the debt. The cc therefore have to cancel instruction to agent to collect and take debt back in house to manage.
                          I wouldnt be asking for info of agents fees as you are inviting discussion as if to pay.
                          Potentially cc may put a fee onto your account for having to use an agent in first place but you can haggle over that. Especially as you have proof of early discussion etc so they shouldnt have gone to an agent.
                          cc may say your offer isnt enough but cannot refuse to take money off you.

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Re: Croydon Council will not accept my money for Council Tax

                            Originally posted by Scousebird333 View Post
                            The debt collectors are just that... collectors. They dont own the debt. The cc therefore have to cancel instruction to agent to collect and take debt back in house to manage.
                            I wouldnt be asking for info of agents fees as you are inviting discussion as if to pay.
                            Potentially cc may put a fee onto your account for having to use an agent in first place but you can haggle over that. Especially as you have proof of early discussion etc so they shouldnt have gone to an agent.
                            cc may say your offer isnt enough but cannot refuse to take money off you.
                            This is not your common or garden debt collector & asking for details of fees is a right not an invitation discussion. Not sure where you got your info from but it is well wide of the mark. We are also hearing some Councils are returning payments made direct after Bailiffs have been instructed but info on this is scarce at the moment.

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Re: Croydon Council will not accept my money for Council Tax

                              Originally posted by Scousebird333 View Post
                              The debt collectors are just that... collectors. They dont own the debt. The cc therefore have to cancel instruction to agent to collect and take debt back in house to manage.
                              I wouldnt be asking for info of agents fees as you are inviting discussion as if to pay.
                              Potentially cc may put a fee onto your account for having to use an agent in first place but you can haggle over that. Especially as you have proof of early discussion etc so they shouldnt have gone to an agent.
                              cc may say your offer isnt enough but cannot refuse to take money off you.
                              Originally posted by ploddertom View Post
                              This is not your common or garden debt collector & asking for details of fees is a right not an invitation discussion. Not sure where you got your info from but it is well wide of the mark. We are also hearing some Councils are returning payments made direct after Bailiffs have been instructed but info on this is scarce at the moment.
                              I believe that an Enforcement agent (bailiff) is armed with a warrant (unlike Debt Collection doorstep bods).

                              Once instructed, & after the (very short) initial Enforcement stage, they are legally entitled to take control of the debtor's goods.

                              Cars/vehicles (which are not work vehicles, or on HP) are prime targets, as they are valuable & cause maximum inconvenience.

                              I have also seen on the 'net that some people think they can remove wheel clamps - but I've been informed that this could be a serious offence, resulting in a large fine or worse.

                              Perhaps @ploddertom could comment?
                              CAVEAT LECTOR

                              This is only my opinion - "Opinions are made to be changed --or how is truth to be got at?" (Byron)

                              You and I do not see things as they are. We see things as we are.
                              Cohen, Herb


                              There is danger when a man throws his tongue into high gear before he
                              gets his brain a-going.
                              Phelps, C. C.


                              "They couldn't hit an elephant at this distance!"
                              The last words of John Sedgwick

                              Comment

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