Hello everyone,
I’m looking for advice for my father.
He received a letter from the Chelmsford City County Council stating that a liability order had been made against him in 2010 and that he now owes 12,000 for business rates. This was a complete shock as my dad has been paying his rates for his restaurant and had never been informed that such an action had been taken.
My father was devastatingly diagnosed with terminal cancer last year. Since then he has found it extremely had to run his business, but without an alternative source of income, had to continue though extremely ill. It is heartbreaking to watch.
This letter has had a profound affect on him. He is so panicked and stressed as to where this has come from and how on earth he will pay this ridiculous amount. He is the type of person who believes the council (in fact all authorities) blindly. He doesn’t realize that there an admin error or that it could be illegal to pursue this after so many years. Always such an upright citizen he is tortured by this demand for money. This should not be right at the end of his life he should be worrying like this.
I need to help my dad by having a meeting with the council in the next week. My dad is petrified that the bailiffs will arrive if he doesn’t sort this out ASAP.
I need advice as to how to deal with this. How do I challenge this? What should I be saying to them?
Surely thete must must be some vulnerability criteria for people who are terminally sick?
It it would mean so much to me to have your thoughts and advice.
