Rossendales council tax debt

[sonicyouth1985]

Okay, my outstanding debt of council tax is in a joint name with a lad I used to share a house with, for one reason or another ive struggled to keep up with bills etc, ive made no attempt to ever hide from this debt, the other name on the account however has, I recently moved to a new property where I recieved the old bill regarding outstanding council tax, I rang up to arrange payment and the council had passed the debt to Rossendales collection, I phoned them to be told only my name has been passed onto them, which annoyed me, and I am sorting out. Half the debt had been passed to a bailiff, who ignored all four of my calls and messages, he has since passed the debt back to the collections. Today I recieved my first correspondance from rossendales by post, after several emails last week to them explaining and detailing my income/expenditure and making an offer of £10 a month until May when I get a lodger and can increase payments, currently I am on my arse as far as finances go due to various recent events; todays letter stated "we can confirm that your case has been set up into an agreement of £110 a month"

I have nowhere near that amount of money spare each month, where do I stand as far as negotiating this? As its totally unreasonable.

[sonicyouth1985]

Okay, my outstanding debt of council tax is in a joint name with a lad I used to share a house with, for one reason or another ive struggled to keep up with bills etc, ive made no attempt to ever hide from this debt, the other name on the account however has, I recently moved to a new property where I recieved the old bill regarding outstanding council tax, I rang up to arrange payment and the council had passed the debt to Rossendales collection, I phoned them to be told only my name has been passed onto them, which annoyed me, and I am sorting out. Half the debt had been passed to a bailiff, who ignored all four of my calls and messages, he has since passed the debt back to the collections. Today I recieved my first correspondance from rossendales by post, after several emails last week to them explaining and detailing my income/expenditure and making an offer of £10 a month until May when I get a lodger and can increase payments, currently I am on my arse as far as finances go due to various recent events; todays letter stated "we can confirm that your case has been set up into an agreement of £110 a month"

I have nowhere near that amount of money spare each month, where do I stand as far as negotiating this? As its totally unreasonable. In the income expenditure sheet I sent to them my disposable income after all outgoings is currently £40 a month!!!

[padja]

Ignore Rossendales pay council via online or automated telephone system. pay regular amounts using the correct ref number, dont ring bailiff ever but from now on if you have a car park it a couple of streets from house, keep downstairs curtains shut, and lock any side gates to house. If you have a garden put any furniture either in shed or cover it over. Dont let bailiff in, he has no rights to enter threats he will use are

I'm getting a locksmith to break-in

I'm fetching the police

I will get you put in prison

I will break in when your not there

These are standard threats and he cant do any of it.

Another tatic the bailiff employs is just let me in and we can set up a payment plan that you can afford and as soon as he is in he does a levy on goods. So pay council direct and stay off the phone to bailiff and if they do show up speak only through letterbox (if you want to speak at all)

[seanamarts]

Will move thread to the bailiff forum.

[sonicyouth1985]

Yeah im not worried about the bailiff, i dont own a lot right now anyways, and i keep curtains windows and doors shut/locked, also he has a rottweiler to get past! I did send £400 to council tax via there online payment system, i recieved a receipt for it, then the £400 came back to my account three days later? So assuming they have sent it back as its already gone too far with Rossendales? I have paid £340 to rossendales direct today, I am paying exactly 50% of the whole bill, and the rest they can do what they want with, although its in a joint name over my dead body will they get more than my share, they havent even contacted the other named person on the account which I feel is victimisation?

My main concern is that letter of repayment stating a ridiculous amount which can clearly be seen I CANNOT afford! In the email with my detailed income expenditure the disposable income I have after all outgoings is £40 and they have seen this, and thats with a very frugal budget, yet they send me this disgusting offer of £110 a month!??

[seanamarts]

You do not have to deal with the bailiff at all, send payment to the council via their on line facility on their web site, explain to the council via email if possible that this is what you are doing from now on and you are refusing to deal with the bailiffs.

What ever you do do not open the door to them, make sure all doors and windows are locked, if you have a car then hide it.. make sure there is nothing in the garden that they can make a levy on.

Others will be alone shortly to advise more.

[seanamarts]

The council sent it back ????!!!!, Im shocked, you need to complain asap to the CEO of the council asap. what council is this by the way.. you can name them.

[RaeUK]

Whilst I can appreciate your concern for being chased for the entire outstanding Council tax, I'm afraid that's how the system works. It is a 'joint and several' liability. In other words, where the tax is in joint names, the council can chase either both debtors for the full amount or one single person can be chased as if he/she were the joint debtors. This is what is happening to you. From a legal perspective, the system is that you pay the debt in full then chase the other debtor to recover your overpayment. The reason I'm saying this is that, whilst I sympathise with your problem, to insist on just paying half will leave you with a future of possibly being chased ad infintum by bailiffs and all the costs / stress that will incur ...