Bailiff Use by Local Councils Excessive?

[Luminol]

BBC News article of the excessive use of bailiffs by Local Councils:

BBC News - Councils to collect unpaid parking fines

[Swingletree]

Re: Bailiff Use by Local Councils Excessive?

The Report is here; http://www.bigbrotherwatch.org.uk/Report040411.pdf

[outlawlgo]

Re: Bailiff Use by Local Councils Excessive?

David Sparks, vice-chairman of the Local Government Association, said about £530m of council tax went unpaid each year, adding that councils "have a duty to the vast majority of residents who pay their taxes to pursue the small number of individuals who don't".

OK, so we fully expected someone from a government group to churn out their predictable, "play one group of residents off against another", "heard it all before" propaganda. But what Mr Sparks fails to point out in his closing comment is that if you tot-up the number of residents who get caught out with alleged court fees i.e. Summons and Liability Order costs, his "vast majority" quickly deteriorates into drivel.

Although he says that about £530m of council tax goes unpaid each year, he doesn't put a figure on the massive resources that must be allocated to organisations such as the CAB and resources within the councils that are needed to rectify blunders which we as tax payers fund. That figure I'm sure would dwarf his £530m of unpaid council tax.

[charitynjw]

Re: Bailiff Use by Local Councils Excessive?

http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/Pol...uncils_Are_Acc

4:06am UK, Wednesday April 06, 2011
Town halls have been accused of using "bully boy" debt collection tactics, as it emerged bailiffs are used to recover unpaid council taxes and parking fines in more than two million cases a year...............

(Article lists 'top 10 councils')

(ps - yes, another link! lol)