Council Tax, 10% late payment charge! is this legal?

[lomondrock]

Looking for a wee bit of advice.

 

Council Tax, 10% late payment charge! is this legal?

 

I have read some of the posts on Council Tax, but looking for some advice.

 

Can the Council (in Scotland) apply a charge of 10% of the value of the Council tax for late payment?

 

Surely this is not a fair charge as there is already a £50 levy applied to every Council Tax bill to cover people who do not pay.

 

Any advice welcomed.

[BankFodder]

This does sound unusual and also excessive. I don't know if the council is protected in some way from the usual rules relating to the kind of thing.

 

I think that I owuld start off by challenging this to the Local Authority Ombudsman.

Also, contact Govan Law Centre about this as they are in Scotland and will know the rules very well and will also be very concerned to hear your story

[Maddaddy]

Hi

As previous answer, phone Council Office, they can "recall" charge

I receive these 2-3 times a year (although my CT is always paid in full by December 2 MONTHS EARLY ) because payments are a few pence out, you are required to pay all outstanding + 10% (so says the letter)

Phone them

[IdaInFife]

10% surcharge is cahrged when non payment of council tax occurs and has to be forward to a summary judgement then sent to sheriff officers for enforcement -

 

 

there is no £50 levy?????

 

the 10 % is applied to cover socts of the summary judgement and and SO fees

[buzby]

As Ida says - the 10% Statutory Charge is legal, and had been an element of the late payment charges since the days before and following the Community Charge (Poll Tax), whether it is 'fair' or not is irrelevant - it is the law of the land.

 

I've never come acrross this £50 levy you talk of. Which Council area are you in?

[Coactum]

Don’t get me started on Councils! As Busby & Ida have said this in commonplace in Scotland, worse still be wary if there is an outstanding balance at the end of the year because some local Authorities always take your most recent payment and apply this to your oldest outstanding debt. So, whilst you think you are paying this years bill and arguing that 10% addition from last year they in effect accept your money, pay towards last year and run this year into arrears and adding.... you got it 10% to this years bill!

 

What has always bugged me is that the council get a summary warrant without you ever getting the change to go to court and defend the matter.

 

I’ve known people who were getting a rebate then the council rescinded it placing a demand and the next day adding the 10%. That really was adding insult to injury.