Council Tax Closing Bill

A question about : Council Tax Closing Bill

Hi

I have recently moved house and just received my Council Tax Closing Bill. It states that my balance is over Ј900 which prompted me to call them to notify that they had made a mistake as I pay my council tax every month by direct debit without fail.

They told me that the arrears were from 2008 (!!) - 4 years ago. This was during a time that I was out of work and struggling financially. As far as I was concerned I had cleared the debt as I had paid Ј200 a month as opposed to Ј135 a month for most of the following year, to try and make amends for it. When the Council Tax re-instated my direct debit the following year to the usual amount, I presumed I had cleared the debt. For FOUR YEARS they never contacted me by phone, post, email, to let me know that this debt hadn't been cleared. No correspondance whatsoever. And now they hit me with a bill for over Ј900? That is just not fair. Usually if you so much as miss one month's payment then they are on your case but they have left me for 4 years unaware?

They said they 'were' going to send me a collections order but hadn't got round to it.

Even by going back through my bank statements doesn't help, as this wouldn't show any cash payments that I would have made to them. How can they prove I haven't paid?

Please please help as I don't know what to do.

Thank you,

Rachel

Best answers:

• Ask for proof of the debt - they will send a statement of account. If you do owe it, you will need to make a payment arrangement, you do not have to pay it in one go.
• Thanks for the replies. I asked them to send me a statement for the whole of 2008 which they are doing. I am now wondering if the majority of the 'debt' owed is made up of interest... if so, can they charge me interest on a debt that I had no idea existed? (Due to the fact that no correspondance regarding this has been made?)
• Hi Rach210211, thank for your query regarding council tax closing bill,
  Local authorities have 6 years in which to collect council tax arrears or to take enforcement action from the date stopped making payments or last made contact to acknowledge the debt and as you have been making payments over the last 4 years since you went back to work this would not count towards that period. Regarding your query as to how can the council tax recoveries prove you did not pay with cash. The burden would be on you to prove you had paid the amount not for them to prove you had not.
  Regarding your query about interest being added. As mentioned above interest is not added to council tax arrears and if they have not obtained a liability order it is unlikely any charges have been added either. I would suggest you contact them to arrange a payment plan as soon as possible to avoid enforcement action.
  Hope this is of assistance.
• Does it have the word BILL on it ?