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Hi
I could really do with some advice. Back in 2001/2 I lived in a shared house with another housemate. I gave my housemate money each month for the bills and they were paid from his account (I paid the rent, was just how we how we worked it). It was covered under Hounslow Borough council tax. I moved out of there in September 2002, told the council I was moving and gave them a forwarding address, then thought no more of it.
3 weeks ago I got a letter from Hounslow council out of the blue, saying I owed them council tax. It was addressed to me and my old housemate. I called them up to query it and they sent a bizarre bill, which didn't really calculate, but included £97 fees for recovery costs. It was now addressed only to me and not my old housemate. It also said that the matter was being handled by Newlyn bailiffs. I wrote back saying that as this was over 10 years old, it was now statute barred and I didn't acknowledge the debt. I sent that recorded post and also copied in the bailiffs.
Today I got a letter from the bailiffs saying that there was a liability order taken out against me in 2010 (first I heard about it) and I have 14 days to pay or they'll seize my property and charge me for visits. But this was still 8 years past the debt and so surely statue barred anyway?
My question is this - I don't feel that morally the bill is mine. I can't defend myself as it's my old housemate's bank account from over a decade ago, the amount is statute barred too. However, I'm terrified that the bailiffs will turn up and start charging me and/or force themselves into my property and take my possessions. I know that I can complain to the council, but will it do any good?
Anyone got any advice from experience?
Thanks
I could really do with some advice. Back in 2001/2 I lived in a shared house with another housemate. I gave my housemate money each month for the bills and they were paid from his account (I paid the rent, was just how we how we worked it). It was covered under Hounslow Borough council tax. I moved out of there in September 2002, told the council I was moving and gave them a forwarding address, then thought no more of it.
3 weeks ago I got a letter from Hounslow council out of the blue, saying I owed them council tax. It was addressed to me and my old housemate. I called them up to query it and they sent a bizarre bill, which didn't really calculate, but included £97 fees for recovery costs. It was now addressed only to me and not my old housemate. It also said that the matter was being handled by Newlyn bailiffs. I wrote back saying that as this was over 10 years old, it was now statute barred and I didn't acknowledge the debt. I sent that recorded post and also copied in the bailiffs.
Today I got a letter from the bailiffs saying that there was a liability order taken out against me in 2010 (first I heard about it) and I have 14 days to pay or they'll seize my property and charge me for visits. But this was still 8 years past the debt and so surely statue barred anyway?
My question is this - I don't feel that morally the bill is mine. I can't defend myself as it's my old housemate's bank account from over a decade ago, the amount is statute barred too. However, I'm terrified that the bailiffs will turn up and start charging me and/or force themselves into my property and take my possessions. I know that I can complain to the council, but will it do any good?
Anyone got any advice from experience?
Thanks
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