Court orders that Reverend Nicolson must pay his council tax arrears.

[Bailiff Advice]

Many people on this forum will know of the excellent work that the Reverend Paul Nicolson has done to highlight the summons costs that is applied to each Liability Order for council tax arrears. His case eventually went to the High Court where unfortunately, he lost and was ordered to pay £47,000.

 

Following the hearing, he has incurred a further Liability Order. He refused to pay this one. His refusal is not in connection with his previous case, he explained that the reason for non payment of this particular bill is because:

 

“I am refusing to pay £2,831.42 council tax because of the damage the tax is doing to the health of very badly off residents of Haringey some of whom have had their income stopped by a benefit sanction,” he wrote

 

“Meanwhile Haringey council continues to tax the benefit incomes of its poorest residents, adding court costs, sending in the bailiffs, ignoring mental and physical ill health, the short life span, the low birth weight, food and fuel poverty, in some of the most deprived wards in the UK … I will stop protesting when Haringey stops taxing benefit incomes.”

 

Yesterday, he lost his case and has been ordered to pay. Whether he does so or not, is another matter.

 

https://www.theguardian.com/money/2016/aug/04/retired-vicar-paul-nicolson-loses-case-over-non-payment-of-haringey-council-tax

 

http://www.scoop.it/t/lacef-news

[colin11]

Looks like he will be going back to prison

[silverfox1961]

Looks like he will be going back to prison

Back to prison???

It is my understanding that he has never been to jail.

 

I believe the Rev has been saving the amounts to pay in full should the need arise. It's about time this man was honoured.

[colin11]

Back to prison???

It is my understanding that he has never been to jail.

 

I believe the Rev has been saving the amounts to pay in full should the need arise. It's about time this man was honoured.

 

Why did i think he had ?

[brassnecked]

The council would love to jail him, but know they would look really bad and be a PR disaster if they did, even though it would be lawful for them to seek committal for non payment.

[Bailiff Advice]

Back to prison??? It is my understanding that he has never been to jail.

 

I believe the Rev has been saving the amounts to pay in full should the need arise. It's about time this man was honoured.

 

There was never the slightest chance that he could have won this particular case, given that he was openly admitting that his 'refusal' to pay was because he wanted to highlight the effect that council tax arrears were having on low income families and the unfairness at some benefits being taxed.

 

I would hope that he does now pay the arrears but knowing the Reverend as I do, and knowing how passionate he feels about low income families struggling to pay council tax, I would not be surprised if he gets taken back to court in the following months.

 

He truly is an amazing man.

[Consumer dude]

Won't the authorities just now apply collection procedures ?..

[Bailiff Advice]

Won't the authorities just now apply collection procedures ?..

 

The Reverend has openly stated that as a protest, he will go to prison. There are a lot of hurdles to go through before this procedure can be an option.

 

Firstly, Haringey Council will need to forward the Liability Order to their enforcement contractor. A Notice of Enforcement will be sent. If payment is not made, the account will be referred to an individual bailiff to attend his property. Any bailiff tasked with enforcing this debt, needs to tread very carefully indeed. Their actions will be scrutinised by the Reverend for the slightest hint of bad behaviour. He will know perfectly well that the EA only has a right to 'peaceful' entry.

 

If the enforcement agent cannot obtain payment, then the account would be returned back to Haringey Council and it is at this particular point, that their problems really start. The council could decide to leave collection of the debt for a year or two. They could also take a 'hard line' and issue committal proceedings. I suspect that this is what the Reverend would like to have happen. When he has to attend at court, he can then pay in full to avoid being hauled off to prison.

[Peterbard]

The council would love to jail him, but know they would look really bad and be a PR disaster if they did, even though it would be lawful for them to seek committal for non payment.

 

I think the authorities would give an arm and a leg to be able to just let him off, and make the whole thing go away.

[brassnecked]

I think the authorities would give an arm and a leg to be able to just let him off, and make the whole thing go away.

No he has embarrassed them, they would in their Common Purpose apparatchik minds rather he went to jail to keep the plebs in line.

[Peterbard]

No he has embarrassed them, they would in their Common Purpose apparatchik minds rather he went to jail to keep the plebs in line.

 

I see, who do you mean by "them" ?

[brassnecked]

I see, who do you mean by "them" ?

The apparatchiks, and officials working in the Revenues and legal departments. They are usually really thin skinned when one of their shibboleths aka fees and charges are called into question by a pleb, oops a council tax payer. Is Haringey a Capita infested council?

 

In my experience these people are like politicians in the Westminster Bubble, secure with their salary and index linked pension, they don't give a flying fsck (Linux file check, like chkdsk) about can't pays.

[Bailiff Advice]

No he has embarrassed them, they would in their Common Purpose apparatchik minds rather he went to jail to keep the plebs in line.

 

The truth of the matter, is that he did not embarrass Haringey Council. Like all local authorities they charge a 'summons' fee when requesting a Liability Order. The judgement was most critical of the Magistrate's Court ( as opposed to Haringey Council) for allowing the costs to be claimed without evidence to support how the cost had been calculated.

[brassnecked]

The truth of the matter, is that he did not embarrass Haringey Council. Like all local authorities they charge a 'summons' fee when requesting a Liability Order. The judgement was most critical of the Magistrate's Court ( as opposed to Haringey Council) for allowing the costs to be claimed without evidence to support how the cost had been calculated.

Yes that is the nub, but I have found council officials to be very thin skinned when challenged over the Summons Fee, the Welsh councils are not happy with that cap, do you know that North Wales council tax payers have an amount added to council tax bills to subsidise the C tax for the South Wales valleys? We are not happy with that one and wish Carwyn Jones and others from De Cymru would do a Reggie Perrin into the sea off Barry.

[Peterbard]

The truth of the matter, is that he did not embarrass Haringey Council. Like all local authorities they charge a 'summons' fee when requesting a Liability Order. The judgement was most critical of the Magistrate's Court ( as opposed to Haringey Council) for allowing the costs to be claimed without evidence to support how the cost had been calculated.

 

My understanding also.

[brassnecked]

Bye bye had enough they will want to send him to jail, you all underestimate the shenanigans a council will engage in to protect it's interests.