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Hi,
I used this site a number of years ago when in trouble financially and it was a great, great help but unfortunately I find myself in trouble again and need some advice!
I briefly lived with a now ex partner for around 6 months in a different area to the one I live now, we split bills to pay and one of his was council tax, we split up (DV) and now about 7 years later I got a phonecall out of the blue regarding the bill that apparently he didn't pay from Jacobs. They had managed to trace me through the electoral register I presume. Don't know why it took so long but it is what it is. The liability was granted in 2016.
The dates were wrong, and I contacted the council and provided evidence of that and they have been amended. I now have the correct amount and have made 1 (1 off) payment of £50 in November while on the phone to the council and have set up a standing order for £50 every 28 days, the debt is just shy of £500 so will be paid off by 1st November (well actually the last payment in Oct) 10 months. I have told the person at the council I have done this. They did say if the offer was 'reasonable' they would instruct Jacobs to accept - but I'm not sure what they'd consider reasonable, I've offered what I can afford.
The person I'm dealing with at the council has said I 'must' deal with Jacobs, I really, really don't want to after the issues I faced the last time, including me turning up at a police station to hand myself in because the bailiff had convinced me I'd be arrested for not paying the full amount there and then and my daughter taken into care, among other things that they just didn't have the power to do, threatening to break in, levied a car that wasn't mine or in any way connected among other bully boy tactics. I was particularly vulnerable at that time and although it's all a horrible but distant memory now, I am not going to deal with Jacobs again unless I'm absolutely forced to.
I have read this -
"(Q) The Council are insisting that they do not want to deal with me as the debt has been passed to the Bailiffs
(A) The arrears of Council Tax outstanding are of concern to the Council and to the Council only. The Council are the ‘managers’ or ‘owners’ of the debt. Bailiffs only work as an agency for the Council. Any queries on outstanding debt should always be addressed to the Council. Future Payment plans set up should be between you and the Council. NB notice how many times one word has been deliberately repeated!!!"
And as I've already paid them one payment, can they refuse/return the payments I make in the future? Although I'm really annoyed that apparently 'jointly' liable means I have to pay this debt because they can't find my ex, I've made my peace with it and the offer and time frame account for the full amount, I also doubt very much they'll put much effort into finding him now (even though I have told them his work address - apparently they can't use it though?!) So I'm kind of stuck with it, but it is what it is.
I haven't avoided this debt, I genuinely didn't know about it until end November last year and have chased the council concerned for updates when I sent the information they requested etc, I've been proactive sorting this out, I just regret I don't have the full amount to just pay. I'm not trying to get out of the bailiffs fees either, I know I have to pay them but I just do not want to deal with Jacobs after last time, I couldn't cope with it, it'd finish me off having someone at me constantly threatening stuff to increase my payments or pay the full amount, go to a loan shark (yes! Suggested by one of their agents in the past).
I'm also concerned because they have put the letter sent from Jacobs (following the phone call) in mine and his names - he doesn't and has never lived here (address I moved to after the break up) so I'm now worried that this may lead to any other debts that he has turning up here and me having to fight to remove them. I have asked the council to not reveal this address to him (should a miracle occur and him actually be found) because as I said above, the relationship ended because of abuse.
Can I just pay the council?
I used this site a number of years ago when in trouble financially and it was a great, great help but unfortunately I find myself in trouble again and need some advice!
I briefly lived with a now ex partner for around 6 months in a different area to the one I live now, we split bills to pay and one of his was council tax, we split up (DV) and now about 7 years later I got a phonecall out of the blue regarding the bill that apparently he didn't pay from Jacobs. They had managed to trace me through the electoral register I presume. Don't know why it took so long but it is what it is. The liability was granted in 2016.
The dates were wrong, and I contacted the council and provided evidence of that and they have been amended. I now have the correct amount and have made 1 (1 off) payment of £50 in November while on the phone to the council and have set up a standing order for £50 every 28 days, the debt is just shy of £500 so will be paid off by 1st November (well actually the last payment in Oct) 10 months. I have told the person at the council I have done this. They did say if the offer was 'reasonable' they would instruct Jacobs to accept - but I'm not sure what they'd consider reasonable, I've offered what I can afford.
The person I'm dealing with at the council has said I 'must' deal with Jacobs, I really, really don't want to after the issues I faced the last time, including me turning up at a police station to hand myself in because the bailiff had convinced me I'd be arrested for not paying the full amount there and then and my daughter taken into care, among other things that they just didn't have the power to do, threatening to break in, levied a car that wasn't mine or in any way connected among other bully boy tactics. I was particularly vulnerable at that time and although it's all a horrible but distant memory now, I am not going to deal with Jacobs again unless I'm absolutely forced to.
I have read this -
"(Q) The Council are insisting that they do not want to deal with me as the debt has been passed to the Bailiffs
(A) The arrears of Council Tax outstanding are of concern to the Council and to the Council only. The Council are the ‘managers’ or ‘owners’ of the debt. Bailiffs only work as an agency for the Council. Any queries on outstanding debt should always be addressed to the Council. Future Payment plans set up should be between you and the Council. NB notice how many times one word has been deliberately repeated!!!"
And as I've already paid them one payment, can they refuse/return the payments I make in the future? Although I'm really annoyed that apparently 'jointly' liable means I have to pay this debt because they can't find my ex, I've made my peace with it and the offer and time frame account for the full amount, I also doubt very much they'll put much effort into finding him now (even though I have told them his work address - apparently they can't use it though?!) So I'm kind of stuck with it, but it is what it is.
I haven't avoided this debt, I genuinely didn't know about it until end November last year and have chased the council concerned for updates when I sent the information they requested etc, I've been proactive sorting this out, I just regret I don't have the full amount to just pay. I'm not trying to get out of the bailiffs fees either, I know I have to pay them but I just do not want to deal with Jacobs after last time, I couldn't cope with it, it'd finish me off having someone at me constantly threatening stuff to increase my payments or pay the full amount, go to a loan shark (yes! Suggested by one of their agents in the past).
I'm also concerned because they have put the letter sent from Jacobs (following the phone call) in mine and his names - he doesn't and has never lived here (address I moved to after the break up) so I'm now worried that this may lead to any other debts that he has turning up here and me having to fight to remove them. I have asked the council to not reveal this address to him (should a miracle occur and him actually be found) because as I said above, the relationship ended because of abuse.
Can I just pay the council?
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