Why your Council Tax Bill is so high... Options

[Strafin]

If that's the case, how did they know to find you at your current address?

Hey I don' tknow what their processes are, but I guess sending a bailiff costs money, or the bailiff's do their research before attending.

[Strafin]

Today I spoke to someone in the council who was able to confirm that I did owe them some money - but it was owed from 2008 before I had made a payment to pay the year in full. She explained that it was an oversight on their part at the time, but the bill still stood. I agreed that if I owe it then I am happy to pay, but will that be it? My main issue with the council tax all along has been that I have been told it is paid in full only to find out later that it wasn't and has had charges added to it. The lady I was speaking to was reasonably empathetic, and told me to contact the bailiff and pay it before it got worse. I then enquired as to who is in charge of the council tax department, because I would do as she suggested and then put in my complaint, she didn't want to tell me, so I said it would be Nick Carter or the name she gave me so she suddenly decided the head of departments name was appropriate. Suddenly she was a lot more helpful and has claimed (over the phone at least) to have called the debt back from the bailiff and removed the costs and added the balance to the remainder of my council tax bill for this year, which I am paying on DD. She then asked if I could "appreciate" that she had spent two hours looking over this which I thought was a bit rich seeing as I have pay £86 a letter on top of all the tax and fines that pay more than her wages for doing so. Whilst I appreciate someone has finally taken the time to sort it out, in all fairness it is their fault in the first place, and she is just doing her job.

I asked her if she was happy that all the accounts were now clear of debt and up to date, which she agreed yes they were. I then asked what the additional £600 was on this years bill then, as my wife had also been told the previous day that it shouldn't be there. It turns out I owe that too. Now my problem here is that again I have clarified that everything is payed and up to date, only to be told that actually it isn't. Had I not mentioned it I am sure I would be getting a bailiff in a month or year for more arrears, costs and fines. I have paid this. I have also asked for a letter from the head of department stating that all of my outstanding tax is payed from this point, back to the beginning of time. If I do not recieve one I will go down and kick up a stink, but the lady agreed that the council had made some errors, and that the letter should not be a problem. A full breakdown of every penny I have paid will also be sent for me to compare to my bank statements to make sure they add up. I am not convinced that I owe the £600 but have paid it, and will argue to get it back should I need to.

I am glad to see the end of this (going on for three years) issue, but I will not consider myself safe until I have the confirmation in writing.

Phew! Sorry to rant on but I wanted to cover it in one rather than dragging it out.

[NWNREADER]

Today I spoke to someone in the council who was able to confirm that I did owe them some money - but it was owed from 2008 before I had made a payment to pay the year in full. She explained that it was an oversight on their part at the time, but the bill still stood. I agreed that if I owe it then I am happy to pay, but will that be it? My main issue with the council tax all along has been that I have been told it is paid in full only to find out later that it wasn't and has had charges added to it. The lady I was speaking to was reasonably empathetic, and told me to contact the bailiff and pay it before it got worse. I then enquired as to who is in charge of the council tax department, because I would do as she suggested and then put in my complaint, she didn't want to tell me, so I said it would be Nick Carter or the name she gave me so she suddenly decided the head of departments name was appropriate. Suddenly she was a lot more helpful and has claimed (over the phone at least) to have called the debt back from the bailiff and removed the costs and added the balance to the remainder of my council tax bill for this year, which I am paying on DD. She then asked if I could "appreciate" that she had spent two hours looking over this which I thought was a bit rich seeing as I have pay £86 a letter on top of all the tax and fines that pay more than her wages for doing so. Whilst I appreciate someone has finally taken the time to sort it out, in all fairness it is their fault in the first place, and she is just doing her job.

I asked her if she was happy that all the accounts were now clear of debt and up to date, which she agreed yes they were. I then asked what the additional £600 was on this years bill then, as my wife had also been told the previous day that it shouldn't be there. It turns out I owe that too. Now my problem here is that again I have clarified that everything is payed and up to date, only to be told that actually it isn't. Had I not mentioned it I am sure I would be getting a bailiff in a month or year for more arrears, costs and fines. I have paid this. I have also asked for a letter from the head of department stating that all of my outstanding tax is payed from this point, back to the beginning of time. If I do not recieve one I will go down and kick up a stink, but the lady agreed that the council had made some errors, and that the letter should not be a problem. A full breakdown of every penny I have paid will also be sent for me to compare to my bank statements to make sure they add up. I am not convinced that I owe the £600 but have paid it, and will argue to get it back should I need to.

I am glad to see the end of this (going on for three years) issue, but I will not consider myself safe until I have the confirmation in writing.

Phew! Sorry to rant on but I wanted to cover it in one rather than dragging it out.

So part of the reason our council tax is 'so high' is your overdue arrears? 1 down, 5000 to go, then we'll all be better off. US authorities don't mess about - get in arrears and the debt is sold at auction on the steps of city hall. If you think Rossendales/County Court bailiffs are a problem, you ain't seen nothing yet!

[Strafin]

So part of the reason our council tax is 'so high' is your overdue arrears?
Not quite what I said but certainly one way of looking at it. My main point is that there are plenty of people like me who owe but don't get told therefore it doesn't get paid. It then takes a variety of different people, and therefore wages to get it all sorted out. If WBC had got it right in the first place, there wouldn't be so many arrears. Also, you will see that WBC have had to pay the bailiff costs, that's your tax money.

[user23]

So part of the reason our council tax is 'so high' is your overdue arrears?
Not quite what I said but certainly one way of looking at it. My main point is that there are plenty of people like me who owe but don't get told therefore it doesn't get paid. It then takes a variety of different people, and therefore wages to get it all sorted out. If WBC had got it right in the first place, there wouldn't be so many arrears. Also, you will see that WBC have had to pay the bailiff costs, that's your tax money.

We're all paying a bit more because you've avoided paying your share in the past.

[NWNREADER]

So part of the reason our council tax is 'so high' is your overdue arrears?
Not quite what I said but certainly one way of looking at it. My main point is that there are plenty of people like me who owe but don't get told therefore it doesn't get paid. It then takes a variety of different people, and therefore wages to get it all sorted out. If WBC had got it right in the first place, there wouldn't be so many arrears. Also, you will see that WBC have had to pay the bailiff costs, that's your tax money.

At the beginning of the year you were sent a Council Tax Bill (or more than one if you were responsible for several properties)?
Did you pay the amount in full as shown on the bill(s) and before the due time?
If yes, then WBC have goofed.

If no, you are the cause of the problem

The legal costs are added to your debt, and the bailiff fees paid by the Council are your tax money too. Nearly all the time the bailiffs only get involved when someone has not done as they should.

[Strafin]

We're all paying a bit more because you've avoided paying your share in the past.

No I am paying far more than my fair share in "costs" because WBC failed to get my bill right in the first place. Got to prop up those pensions somehow.

[Strafin]

At the beginning of the year you were sent a Council Tax Bill (or more than one if you were responsible for several properties)?
Did you pay the amount in full as shown on the bill(s) and before the due time?
If yes, then WBC have goofed. Yes, that is why they have refunded the bailiff costs

If no, you are the cause of the problem

The legal costs are added to your debt, and the bailiff fees paid by the Council are your tax money too. Nearly all the time the bailiffs only get involved when someone has not done as they should. Yes, in this case WBC

[On the edge]

Strikes me that past arrears notwithstanding the key issue here is that the Council's processes and systems do not seem to be customer centric. In other words it took a huge amount of time and effort to find out what one individual owed. Compliance with data protection rules means that any organisation should be able to provide all the data about enquiring individuals in pretty short order. So, perhaps a process and systems review would be in order here?

[Andy Capp]

Yes, perhaps it would be worth reporting the authorities to the DPA ombudsman for failure to keep good records?

[Strafin]

I will be putting my complaint to the relevant authority, I am waiting to see what comes through the post first.

[Simon Kirby]

Strafin, in fairness to the Council, is it possible that they've been writing to you but that for some reason you haven't been reading or responding to the letters?

[Strafin]

It doesn't matter, I have gone to them on three seperate occaisions and cleared all outstanding monies owed. I have stood in front of them and questioned every little part and been assured that there are no more charges to come. Then I have recieved further charges. they may well have sent letters to our old address, (where the bills were originally), but they should know better! I am on their register and my files should show my new address. Anyway I am not really interested in being fair to the council as I do not believe they have been fair to me, this has been stressful, upsetting and avoidable.

[Berkshirelad]

Council tax dos not just pay for our wheelie bins to be emptied...from the website:

it provides the major source of income for West Berkshire Council. The range of services that the local authority delivers to the community is broad and specialised. Some examples are:

•Education and Learning - adult and community learning, early years and childcare, schools and non-advanced education.
•Health and Social Care - services for children and young people and care services for the elderly and those with disability.
•Community and Living - community events, arts and leisure facilities and libraries.
•Transport and Streets - traffic calming, street naming and numbering, parking, road maintenance and cycle routes.
An amount collected with your Council Tax also pays for Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service, Thames Valley Police Authority and your town or parish council.

I pay £118 a month and would not want to pay more so hope we do not get another increase next year.

I agree about paying into their pension fund, 25% did someone say? Bloody ****, didn't realize it was that much. Not happy about that!!! Funny how that is not on the website

Absolutely, no way, do Councils pay for schools out of council tax. It is a direct central government grant. Of which, the LA may retain up to 15% for central services.