Legal help, disabled and council tax from someone else (Scary bailiffs) Urgent

[Ohnoki]

Hello, first time posting!

My brother, whom I have not had the best relationship with had lived in a property. He was leaving the property and as it was a nice house he convinced me to take up a shorthold assured tenancy and I moved in on the 2nd of May.

A few days ago I had bailiffs come knocking very aggressively trying to get into the house. It terrified me. I didn't even know what it was about... Until they showed me a final notice for council tax with an astronomical bill of £3,000! I told them that the name under which the notice was served, was although similar (given we're brothers) not me! I showed him my passport, birth cert etc and he eventually accepted that it wasn't me and left (not without basically interrogating me about my brother...).

I tried to get into contact with my brother but as soon as he sniffed the bill he hung up the phone and has basically vanished. So now I have a council tax bill in someone elses name on the property I'm now living in.

I have proof that I moved in on may the 2nd and can prove that my name isn't the name on the notice. Will that be enough? Not sure if it is relevant but I recieve ESA payments for a disability.

What legal steps should I take? Who do I contact and what do I do? Will I have to pay the bill??

Thanks in advance, was never very good with legal stuff and my brother has always been a troublecauser... He pretty much stabbed me in the back.

Regards

[MIKE770]

name on bill your Brothers only? did you inform council tax people of your residence?(just a couple questions which people may ask you)

[Ohnoki]

name on bill your Brothers only? did you inform council tax people of your residence?(just a couple questions which people may ask you)

The name on the council tax notice was my brothers name. I am not mentioned anywhere on it. The only thing that connects me to this issue is the fact I'm now residing in this property.

I hadn't contacted the council tax people of my residence yet. To be honest this was the first time I've lived alone and so have been a bit slow on the up take.

There's a court hearing coming up. Should I just wait for that date and present my case as I've done here, or is there any steps I should take now?

Do you think I'll have to pay the bill? I had a look at the relevant legislation and it only makes note that people sharing the residence at the time, or civil partners/married couple are liable to pay. Doesn't cover what happens if someone moves out, and another person moves in. Common sense would tell me I'm not liable at all, or else any time anyone would move into a house they'd have to foot the council tax bill for the previous tenant.

[jaguarsuk]

The name on the council tax notice was my brothers name. I am not mentioned anywhere on it. The only thing that connects me to this issue is the fact I'm now residing in this property.

I hadn't contacted the council tax people of my residence yet. To be honest this was the first time I've lived alone and so have been a bit slow on the up take.

There's a court hearing coming up. Should I just wait for that date and present my case as I've done here, or is there any steps I should take now?

Do you think I'll have to pay the bill? I had a look at the relevant legislation and it only makes note that people sharing the residence at the time, or civil partners/married couple are liable to pay. Doesn't cover what happens if someone moves out, and another person moves in. Common sense would tell me I'm not liable at all, or else any time anyone would move into a house they'd have to foot the council tax bill for the previous tenant.

The court hearing is for your brother not you and I doubt they would even want to hear from you at the hearing.

You need to register for council tax at your property as then you will be paying what is owed by you and in doing so make sure you tell them the date you moved in.

You won't have to pay your bothers bill it's his responsibility, which he is sticking his head in the sand about now and will catch up with him eventually.

On him moving out his liability ceased with what he owes and on moving in your liability started from zero to now what you owe going forward.