On Friday I received a council tax demand for a previous address from seven years ago. The excuse given by the council worker for the tardiness was "we lost track of you in our records". This despite my unusual first name and despite my paying council taxes over the past seven years, six of them at my current address. Despite my reasonable request for copies of my records at the time this was refused. The excuses were: our computer systems have changed twice; we don't give out copies; our records are not wrong. I suggested that local and national government systems and staff are not infallible. That I do pay your wages, hence these records do belong to me. I was given a stark choice: pay up or the bailiffs go in. Two days later I am still fucking angry. I certainly haven't kept any receipts from seven years ago and I have to pay the £140. Bastards! In some respects this does tie in with the news that our blue painted friends north of the border want to scrap council taxes and replace it with a local tax based upon income. I would go further: scrap the council tax and collect the extra % via income tax. There is then no need for a needless and expensive extra tier of local collection services. I have become Victor Meldrew.
To chill out I've been searching for sixties psychedelia...
(I know, I know...recorded in 1970 at San Francisco).
TTFN.
posted by delcatto at 2:05 pm
3 Comments:
Indeed, they are fuckhounds of the highest order - it appears to be an acceptable form of bullying.
Have you noticed whenever anyone on TV is giving out debt management advice, council tax is pretty much top of the list of things that must be paid
Absolutely.
There is no negotiating with these petty hitlers. "We can apply for an attachment of earnings". If I had a thermometer attached to my body then my BP would have exploded out of the top. It angers me that there appears to be no recourse. Bastards!
Have you paid it yet?
If not, get advice first (eg from Citizen's Advice or from the legal insurance helpline that often comes with household insurance).
I am pretty certain that councils, like HMRC et al, can only go back 6 years. Bailiffs can only go in if they have a court order.
If this went to court, without proof you owe the money, they won't win.
Even if you have paid, still worth taking advice as you may be able to recover what you've paid.
Persoanlly I'd ring the local rag and see if they are interested in this story.
Good luck.
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