Please help - Jacobs Bailiffs and Council Tax

[Madkitty]

Please help,

 

In a mixture of getting annoyed with the council not providing me with a proper bill and sticking my head in the sand due to starting a very stressful job I got behind with my council tax.

 

Until the end of August I lived with my ex who was uneployed, and I was a student. At the end of August he moved out and I started a full time job. In October I received a bill with my exes name on it even though he had moved out and had informed them of this. I phoned the council and asked for a new bill, with a breakdown. They just sent me the same bill again. This happened a few times, and eventually my ex and I went to speak to them in person and they did reduce the bill a little but still did not include a breakdown, and the bill still had his name on it.

 

Then, without hearing about a court date, or receiving any sort of summons I received a letter telling me that the court would be sending Bailiffs to collect goods to the value of the debt.

 

I earned less than £13000 last year, does this count as I was a student for part of the year? Should I be paying council tax at all?

 

I want to send the council a letter, I have worked out that I can afford to give them about £20 a month. I have started drafting a letter but am really struggling. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

 

Dear Sir/Madam,

I am writing in regard to my council tax for the year 2012/2013. Please can I have a breakdown of this bill? I have requested this several times by phone and in person and have not yet received a copy.

 

 

My total income last year before tax was less than £13000. I thought that this would qualify me for a 100% council tax reduction as it is classed as a 'low income'. I have no savings and my car is worth less than £1000. I don't own anything valuable that I can sell to cover costs.

 

 

I have had a letter from the courts, and visits from Bailiffs. However I did not receive a letter informing me that the matter was going to court, nor did I ever receive an accurate bill.

 

 

The Bailiffs themselves have not been following the code of conduct. They appear to have added £300 in charges to the amount set by the courts, which they have refused to give me a breakdown of. On the occasion that I spoke to them they had gained entry to the secure building by posing as a delivery driver so that they could get to my front door. They are now sending threatening letters telling me that they will force entry to my flat, which is illegal as they have not completed a levy. Due to these circumstances I refuse to deal with this company and will only deal with yourselves direct.

 

 

I can only afford £20 a month and have included a list of my income and expenditure. Please accept the included £20 as the first payment towards this.

 

 

signed

'a very annoyed and upset council tax payer'

 

Just to note, I haven't allowed the Bailiff into my home. When they tricked their way in I only opened the door slightly as I was very unwell. I told the person that the amount was under question and I wouldn't be paying. I then fainted. Luckily I fainted forward and that closed the door, otherwise my things would probably have vanished.

 

Thank you for reading this and for any advice you can give me.

[i hate bailiffs]

keep the bailiff out there is no right of entry no locksmith no nothing

 

If you have a car you need to keep it away from the bailiffs mitts so don't leave it on the drive

Deal with the council as you do not need to pay the bailiff

there is no real court case with council tax just council renting a room from the court but it sounds professorial but is legal robbery as generates them thousands each year

 

Make payments direct to the council

[Feebee_71]

If you we're a student until August you would not have been liable to pay council tax and, as he was unemployed, your ex should have qualified for council tax benefit for his portion. Once you stopped being a student you would have become liable for council tax but, as your ex also moved out, you would have qualified for single occupant discount of 25%. You don't simply remain exempt from council tax due to being on a low income, you had to have applied for council tax benefit but, on a salary of £13000, it's likely you'd have to pay some (if not all) of your single person's rate council tax.

 

Do you know if the relevant deductions have been applied to the account.

 

Finally, a dispute regarding the name on a council tax bill or over discounts is not seen as an acceptable reason for not paying the bill you should have made some payment each month while waiting for changes to be made then the amount due would be reduced for subsequent months,,

 

Feebee_71