On benefits and owe council tax

[Magpie]

We have found out our council tax arrears have been passed to this company £2500 Benefit overpayment and we had a payment plan in place but my partner missed 3 payments and only found out today they had done this. She tried to call there office to arrange a payment plan but the snotty women on the phone said she could only do this when the bailiff was at our home and to just let him in and he could sort this out. She went through all our income ( I get JSA and my partner gets maternity allowance ) and said she would pass this on to the bailiff before he visits.


I have said there is no way I'm letting him in and I want to go to the council to try and sort this mess out, as they never sent us a letter saying we owed any payments and would be passing our account on. Can the council refuse to take our payments back or do we have to deal with this company.


There is no way we can afford to pay this off in one go and the maximum we could afford is £100 per month, I'm just scarred they are going to take all our thing to pay off the debt.


Lee

[bizzybob]

Re: On benefits and owe council tax

Tou do not have to let the bailiff in, hide any car, and keep doors and windows locked, Beagles will be along soon to expand on what was posted in answer on the other thread.

[Magpie]

Re: On benefits and owe council tax

What is a Levy, the debt is in my partners name so will be parking her car a few streets away as seen in other posts. As I lost my job last year and had to sorn my car which is on the drive I'm thinking they can't touch it? Also we are in receipt of housing benefit and council tax benefit of which is at a reduced rate to pay a overpayment of HB I can't see why they are saying we need to deal with Bristol

[bizzybob]

Re: On benefits and owe council tax

[QUOTE=Magpie;324971]What is a Levy, the debt is in my partners name so will be parking her car a few streets away as seen in other posts. As I lost my job last year and had to sorn my car which is on the drive I'm thinking they can't touch it? Also we are in receipt of housing benefit and council tax benefit of which is at a reduced rate to pay a overpayment of HB I can't see why they are saying we need to deal with Bristol[/QUOTE

Any car outside is a target, how much is your car on SORN worth, as for 2500 worth of debt the bailiff needs to secure around £20 -25,000 of goods to cover that much debt, goods seized and sold at auction in a distress sale often only fetch 10% of their value. All is not lost however.

[Magpie]

Re: On benefits and owe council tax

The car is worth about 4k and there is no way we have around 25k worth of stuff in the house if we sold everything we own including clothes maybe £2000

[ploddertom]

Re: On benefits and owe council tax

You need to speak to someone at the Council and ask the following questions:
1 - how many Liability Orders they have against you
2 - the dates they were obtained
3 - the addresses they were for
4 - the period of time each covers
5 - how much each one was for
6 - how much is still outstanding
7 - the dates they were passed on for enforcement
8 - the dates & amounts of any payments

[ploddertom]

Re: On benefits and owe council tax

Unless your partner lived elsewheere on their own or with someone else at the time the Council Tax accrued then the debt will be seen to be jointly & severally owing, meaning they can come after you as well.

[Magpie]

Re: On benefits and owe council tax

They took her to court and she arranged to pay 100 per month everything was sorted, then when my partner left work to have our baby they messed her wages up and didn't pay her. As far as I was aware the 100 was still being paid but the missed 3 payments and didn't tell me until yesterday when she called the council and they said it had been passed over to bristow & sutor, we had no letter saying we had 14 days to pay and they haven't visited yet.

[CleverClogs]

Re: On benefits and owe council tax

If the buggers have not yet visited, you do not (yet) owe Bull and $hite anything in fees or charges.

Pay the council directly.

[leclerc]

Re: On benefits and owe council tax

They took her to court and she arranged to pay 100 per month everything was sorted, then when my partner left work to have our baby they messed her wages up and didn't pay her. As far as I was aware the 100 was still being paid but the missed 3 payments and didn't tell me until yesterday when she called the council and they said it had been passed over to bristow & sutor, we had no letter saying we had 14 days to pay and they haven't visited yet.

Can the company write a letter stating that it was their mistake because effectively the consequences are as you have stated. BTW, I completely agree with CC with regards to paying the council direct.

[Magpie]

Re: On benefits and owe council tax

Yes she said they can write a letter saying they didn't pay her wages, I will get her to call work.

[Magpie]

Re: On benefits and owe council tax

Quick update:

just visited the council office about passing the account to bailiffs and they point blank refuse to take the account back and say I need to take the matter up with B&S, and from there view the matter is closed. I explained that I was unemployed and in receipt of benefits but that didn't change anything. They did say they would not refuse payments but that wouldn't stop B&S from coming to my house.

Also I said that we never received a 14 day letter saying our account was being passed to B&S and she said it didn't matter and that the bailiff will give me notice when he was there and that they had proof the letter was posted when I asked what proof it was she said the magistrate would take it as evidence that Royal Mail delivered it as its on there system it was posted.

I said we both felt vulnerable having people attend our house to take goods as we have a new born baby but it fell on deaf ears, I did get her name as she was the floor supervisor.

[Magpie]

Re: On benefits and owe council tax

Bump

[CleverClogs]

Re: On benefits and owe council tax

she was the floor supervisor.

Why does the floor need to be supervised?

Is there any risk the floor might decide to become the ceiling or a wall?

[bizzybob]

Re: On benefits and owe council tax

Why does the floor need to be supervised?

Is there any risk the floor might decide to become the ceiling or a wall?

Well it might collapse under the weight of their collective egos and bull excrement they are shovelling about, but then again if it was a Vorlon floor, and therefore a living floor, it could well fancy a change.

When the info ploddertom asked you to get comes in and beagles have seen what is kosher and what is fiction, a Formal Complaint to council bigwigs, and MP will be the next step