Re: council tax / Bailfs Bristow and Sutor

[Stu62]

Hi Guys,
I have had a similar letter sent to my Landlord. The council is Shropshire County and the Bailiff is Bristow and Sutor. My wife is in a state now, as they took over £900 two years ago prior to us moving from our last home and they now require £2932.
We have had no correspondence at all for this dept, Just the note from the bailiff. We have been paying our council Tax for this place through our Landlord, who happens to be a councilor and a close friend.
My wife will contact the council today requesting the chain of correspondence and make them an offer if the dept is found to be true, but I can't believe that in just over one year a dept that we had paid off in 2011 has escalated to such an amount when we had moved shortly after and were paying the council directly in between???
Any further Help would be grateful Guys?

[ploddertom]

Re: council tax / Bailfs Bristow and Sutor

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

You may also need to find out what reference the Landlord has and are you sure he has been paying.

[ploddertom]

Re: council tax / Bailfs Bristow and Sutor

You also need a breakdown of the fee the Bailiff is charging send Letter 1 from http://www.legalbeagles.info/forums/...Useful-Letters

[Stu62]

Re: council tax / Bailfs Bristow and Sutor

Thanks for the help Ploddertom, Have contacted the council, they arrange a meeting last Tuesday. Turned up, and they said they can not do anything now it has been passed to the collection agency B&S. I have tried to set up an interim payment via my online banking as a matter of course yet they will not accept any payments direct from my account.
I will write to B&S asking for the information you suggested. Are there anyother things i could do?
I am also registering with the National Dept line. Will they help?

Thanks for you help in advance!!

[ploddertom]

Re: council tax / Bailfs Bristow and Sutor

The Council are telling porkies. They are 100% liable for this but try to pull the wool over everyones eyes and deny all knowledge. You may need to speak to someone more senior and remind them of their vicarious liability. As for not being able to pay then providing you have their bank account details & ref no then if they refuse payments they could be in for a shock as they could well be braking the law - one way to find this out is to take payment in cash to the Council and if they refuse then ask for the name and position of the person refusing as it will form the basis of a complaint aginst the Council to the Local Government Ombudsman.

Nothing wrong with contacting NDL - hopefully they will back up the advice already offered.

[Stu62]

Re: council tax / Bailfs Bristow and Sutor

Thanks again for the help, Much appreciated! I will attempt to pay them again today and let you know the result!!

Now i have a problem with the HMRC.

Tried to send in my end of year electronically but there system would not let me on using my ID and Password. I contacted them via email and asked them for a new user ID and Password but got no reply at all. I contacted them again by email again asking for the log in information and told them that for the period the required, I was cards in for a local company but had some expenses for that year, yet got the same responce, 'Nothing'. On Monday of last week , the 3rd March 2014. I recieved a demand of £100 for not completing my end of year, which had to be paid within 30 days from the date of the letter which was the 18th of Feb 2014. I have pisputed this and sent back the form but have heard nothing

1) Do i pay up or wait for a reply?
2) How can I send in my return electronically without and ID and Password?

Tipical government system!!

Give no help then stuff you up with fines!!

[Stu62]

Re: council tax / Bailfs Bristow and Sutor

I have just had the reply from HMRC.

As you would probably expect they do not agree with my reason for not being able to send in my end of year and the £100 penalty stands.
I have also just received my new user ID and password yet the system fails to recognize me and has now locked me out again.

Where the heck do i go now? I'm at my wits end!!
Please help as things are now getting on top of me and I feel that I have nowhere to turn!

[seduraed]

Re: council tax / Bailfs Bristow and Sutor

Do a paper return and send it in now? They will never accept that that their system could be at fault and you could end up with hundreds of pound of penalties.. Take screenshots of the login . It may also be worth ringing the HRC technical helpline to see what they can do .