Council Tax Bailiff

[spursdave]

Hi,

I am new to this site and am pushed for time so have been unable trawl through all other posts so I apologise if I am going over old ground.

Today my parents received a knock at the door from a bailiff who handed them a letter. In this letter it says that I owed over £800 in council tax on a house that I haven't lived at for over 3 years. It says that it has been through the courts and they want the lump sum now. I had separated from my wife and moved out the house. I was still the only name on the land register but I informed the council that it was just my ex living in the house with the children. I was still paying the mortgage until I was made redundant and ran out of funds. The mortgage company seized the house and my ex moved out. I have spoken to the council and they say that the council tax had been payed up until the house had been left in July last year. In between then and Feb this year when the house was sold the council are saying that I owe money for this period. Should the bank be liable for the council tax in this period or should it be me? If I am liable should it be both mine and my ex wifes liability?

I also have concerns that I haven't had any other correspondence from the council till this knock on the door and find it a bit confusing that they have managed to get hold of my parents address.

Any advice on the situation would be gratefully received as this situation is really starting to stress me and my family out.

[Guest]

Re: Council Tax Bailiff

HI
It depends on your local authority but here in Manchester empty properties are exempt from council tax under the empty property exemption rules.

Other authorities have different rules they are usually on their council websites. Legally i suppose the person liable for the tax is whoever is the legal owner of the property, I would argue that since the mortgage was rescinded it would be the bank, they may argue otherwise.

D

[ploddertom]

Re: Council Tax Bailiff

To my mind there are 2 issues here.

1 - yourself - even if you were paying the mortgage as a responsible person it doesn't necessarily mean you had to pay the Council Tax. As you had obviously moved did you notify the Council, were you paying CT elsewhere?
2 - repossession - yes you would still be responsible up until the property is resold.

TRhe point of both is that if you actually paying CT then you could not be responsible for paying where you had left. This could mean of course that your ex may be responsible for the whaole lot and it may be down to how dispose you are towards her as to whether you want to pay.

[spursdave]

Re: Council Tax Bailiff

Thanks both for the info.

I had notified the council that I had moved out. I wasnt paying CT elsewhere as I moved back to my parents house. I have checked on the council website and it says that when a house is repossesed that that house is then exempt so have got back onto them. Am waiting on their reply. The way my ex has acted all along with this I really dont want to pay due to her actions.

[wales01man]

Re: Council Tax Bailiff

When we were repossed we were sent a form from the council which was specifically for repossed house we sent in back filled in our liability ended if one council does this they must all

[spursdave]

Re: Council Tax Bailiff

the problem is that as I wasnt at the address my ex recieved all the mail and never forwarded any of it to me. I told the council I wasnt there over the phone and they said they ahd taken me off the bills but from the looks of it the didnt.

[ploddertom]

Re: Council Tax Bailiff

If you can prove you were elsewhere - CT bill, tenancy agreement, utility bills then that should suffice.

[spursdave]

Re: Council Tax Bailiff

I will only have bank statements due to it being parents house I didn't pay the bills or anything. Would this be sufficient?

[Guest]

Re: Council Tax Bailiff

Thanks both for the info.

I had notified the council that I had moved out. I wasnt paying CT elsewhere as I moved back to my parents house. I have checked on the council website and it says that when a house is repossesed that that house is then exempt so have got back onto them. Am waiting on their reply. The way my ex has acted all along with this I really dont want to pay due to her actions.

Yes that isz the way it works up here, you just have to show the paperwork to confirm you vacated before it was due.

D