06 January 2009Council Tax is a yearly charge, which we normally ask you to pay in 10 instalments, beginning in April.
We will give you 14 days notice before the instalments are due to begin. Your first Council Tax bill will show the monthly instalment dates together with the amounts you need to pay in order to clear the bill in the year.
If you do not pay an instalment on time the Council will give you a few more days to pay. Then a reminder will be sent to you after at least 14 days have passed from the due date. If you pay the arrears within seven days of the reminder your instalment arrangement will continue. If you ignore this reminder, a withdrawal notice will be issued.
Please try to pay before you receive a reminder as under rules for Council Tax, each one sent counts against you.
If you have had two reminders
After you have been sent two reminders in one year, no further reminders will be sent during that year. If you receive two reminders and pay the balance on each within seven days, but then fail to pay a subsequent instalment on time, you will receive a withdrawal notice. A withdrawal notice means you have lost your right to pay by instalments. The withdrawal notice asks you to pay all the Council Tax for the whole year.
No further reminders will be sent but if you fail to pay, a summons could be issued without further notice.
If you receive a summons
If you have received an instalment withdrawal notice and not paid the balance in full you wwill be sent a summons. If a summons is issued, you will be required to pay additional costs of at least £46.
If it goes to court
If you do not pay the balance, including costs, as shown on the summons before the court hearing, the matter will be taken to the Magistrates' Court. We will apply for a liability order with additional costs of at least £44, which then enables us to recover the money in a variety of ways.
Before the hearing of the summons at the Magistrates' Court we will still prefer to ask you to come to a payment arrangement. Should the arrangement extend beyond the court hearing date then additional costs of at least £44 will be applied for with the application for the Liability Order.
If this is not possible the options are:
What about bailiffs?
The bailiffs employed by the District Council all work to an agreed code of practice, which is available on request. If a bailiff calls on you, you will be asked to pay the debt in an agreed time and you will incur costs. The bailiff will ask to enter your home to make a list of goods. They can return later to remove and sell your goods should you fail to honour the agreement. At this stage you will incur further costs for the removal of the goods, auctioneer's fees and the cost of storage.
Bankruptcy
In some cases we can take insolvency proceedings to recover debts through the County
Court which can result in Taxpayers losing their homes. This type of action often adds
considerable costs to the original debt.
Prison
If the above options fail a summons may be issued requiring you to attend a committal hearing in the Magistrates' Court. The Magistrates will carry out an examination of your conduct and means. If they consider that the money should have been paid, they may issue a warrant of committal placing you in prison for up to three months.
What to think about at every stage
If you are having difficulty in paying, we have three important messages for you.
Independent advice
If you are having particular problems with paying your Council Tax bill, or you have any other bills outstanding, then you may wish to seek independent advice. This is available, free of charge, from the local Citizens Advice Bureaux in the District.
Click on the following links for more information about help paying your Council Tax, discounts and information on exempt dwellings. For more information or advice, contact the Council Tax section.
