monkey104 Posted June 24, 2017 Share Posted June 24, 2017 It may be a bit late now but if you had engaged with them when your issues first started they could have arranged payments and in some cases dropped or lowered the charges. But it seems like this has been going on for years as you say, therefore I believe there may be more to this than you are disclosing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pdbmn Posted June 24, 2017 Author Share Posted June 24, 2017 easier said than done to just 'get another job and get my life sorted' , i should've expected that kind of flippant response though was hoping not to get it . and i paid £30 more than the present monthly payment ...not JUST the £30. i have tried to speak to someone in the council tax dept at the council to sort out something but they imply it's gone beyond that stage and they can't do that, and the court officer doesn't seem able or willing to negotiate with me ---------- Post added 24-06-2017 at 12:53 ---------- 'more to it than i'm disclosing' is 'only' that i am in a substantial amount of debt already Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chang Posted June 24, 2017 Share Posted June 24, 2017 there are loads of places thats hiring, its just a excuse if you cant find one Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nowt2pctoday Posted June 24, 2017 Share Posted June 24, 2017 Try Citizen's advice. They deal with problems like yours all the time. If you live alone it's possible you should have been getting a reduction in your Council tax. Get advice ASAP. open letters, engage with the council, and deal with it. You will feel much better for it. Council tax is one of your financial priorities, it won't go away. If it's any comfort, you are not alone, a lot of people get into this situation which is why they are cracking down on it. agree its important, the problem is people just ignoring it thinking its not important thats why councils and services are struggling, council tax like rent or Mortgage is priority, i am glad they re cracking down on it and the sooner the better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ECCOnoob Posted June 24, 2017 Share Posted June 24, 2017 (edited) easier said than done to just 'get another job and get my life sorted' , i should've expected that kind of flippant response though was hoping not to get it . and i paid £30 more than the present monthly payment ...not JUST the £30. i have tried to speak to someone in the council tax dept at the council to sort out something but they imply it's gone beyond that stage and they can't do that, and the court officer doesn't seem able or willing to negotiate with me ---------- Post added 24-06-2017 at 12:53 ---------- 'more to it than i'm disclosing' is 'only' that i am in a substantial amount of debt already You are getting flippant responses because of your flippant behaviour. Substantial debt doesn't just happen overnight. This has clearly been building and building and you would have had ample opportunity to try and resolve it by contacting the council to explain your circumstances and try and reach an agreement. They deal with people in your circumstances day in day out and always try to reach an agreement. That should have happened a long time ago. Clearly that hasn't happened because the court is now involved. Instead of attending a court hearing to explain your position you make some excuse about being fearful of what would happen, skip attending and making a completely ridiculous assumption that chucking a bit of extra money which was neither agreed by the council or the court will be enough to stop you having to attend. You've got to face up to it. Stop being all defensive by trying to blame the council and Court for allegedly refusing to listen to you. It's clearly obvious that they will have a very set procedure and you have failed to maintain any dialogue with them. I agree with others that there is something more to this story than you are letting on but I'm not going to waste my time arguing. Your advice is simple. Face facts get on the phone with the council and be realistic about what you have to pay each month rather than what you would prefer to. If that involves having to get a second job or temporarily finding some other source of money then it will have to be done. If you are summoned to attend court again stop making silly excuses and attend. The court could only hear your story if you bother to turn up to tell it. We all make mistakes in our life and most of us will always face some problem. Only you can get yourself out of it by facing up to it instead of hiding away. Edited June 24, 2017 by ECCOnoob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carosio Posted June 24, 2017 Share Posted June 24, 2017 A few years ago I saw a TV progamme where a council officer was interviewing a disabled man in his council flat concerning £700 of council tax debt. The man refused to pay claiming he had nothing to offer, so the officer just wrote off the debt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iansheff Posted June 24, 2017 Share Posted June 24, 2017 As has been said get to the CAB and discuss it with them, they will probably be able to check the amount you owe and make sure it is correct. I don't trust the council at all, they sent me a letter with council tax reassessment because I had moved, I hadn't. Then after telling them that they sent me a bill for over £700 and I had never missed a payment, so I would make sure what they say you owe is correct. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hairyloon Posted June 24, 2017 Share Posted June 24, 2017 YThis has clearly been building and building and you would have had ample opportunity to try and resolve it by contacting the council to explain your circumstances and try and reach an agreement. They deal with people in your circumstances day in day out and always try to reach an agreement... Are you speaking theoretically or from experience, because my experience differs very much from that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ECCOnoob Posted June 24, 2017 Share Posted June 24, 2017 (edited) Are you speaking theoretically or from experience, because my experience differs very much from that. From experience. Back when I was between jobs and studying I got into arrears on both my council tax and service charges. I had various discussions and made payment arrangements where they adjusted my bill and direct debits to include a repayment of the arrears. I also know from my days doing legal Aid work that the council has protocols when dealing with people with rent and tax arrears and the advice on how to sort such issue is widely available from CABs and the council themselves. As I have said in my earlier post people in original posters situation are not unique at all. A fact which is proven by the court dealing with such cases on a bulk listing. The advice remains. The earlier someone actually faces up to the issue and speaks to the council the more they can offer to help. It will also mean that if the council is in the wrong they can correct it sooner rather than later. This is exactly what the original poster needs to do instead of trying to run away and make excuses. Edited June 24, 2017 by ECCOnoob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pdbmn Posted June 24, 2017 Author Share Posted June 24, 2017 to answer people's cynical points, can i mention that i have tried on multiple occasions to explain my financial problems to the council staff, and i have tried to get other work , unfortunately it's not just that easy i'm pleased to see others have had bad experiences or know others who have , i am able to face up to my problems but it's not very helpful getting the unwanted but expected "it's all your fault" comments, though i suppose if it wasn't my thread it would be someone else's Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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