Single mum council tax please help!!!

Quash the Liability Order. Suspend Enforcement. Disputing Liabilities. Claim Damages for Misuse of Enforcement Power.
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Lianne
Posts: 1
Joined: 27 May 2021 14:19

Single mum council tax please help!!!

Post by Lianne »

Hi Iv been paying of my council tax bill to the enforcement officer I pay £50 on the 5th of every month this month I was late paying it but paid the £50 on the 11th of the month it is now the 27th I had a knock on my door from chandlers enforcement officer saying I breached the contract and now need to pay £920 today or my car will be clamped. Can he do this? I’m due to pay again in 9 days.
zeke
Posts: 244
Joined: 30 Jul 2012 21:23

Re: Single mum council tax please help!!!

Post by zeke »

You are a single parent family, and that means you are in a class of vulnerable debtors.

The bailiff is unable to recover any fees and charges except for the compliance stage fee £75 (provided you were given a Notice of Enforcement), unless he has given you adequate opportunity to seek advice in relation to the enforcement power.

If the bailiff did not give you that opportunity, then you can apply to stop the enforcement. This article gives more information.

https://stopthebailiffs.uk/bailiffs-vul ... l-tax.html


I think you should approach the council telling them that you are a vulnerable debtor and the bailiff is applying pressure on you to make payments you cannot afford.

This is contrary to guidelines in the Taking Control of Goods National Standards, published by the Ministry of Justice in 2014, which bailiffs should follow.

At paragraph 24 it states:

Debtors must not be pressed to make unrealistic offers and should be asked to consider carefully any offer they voluntarily make and where possible refer to free debt advice.


The bailiff has the power to clamp your car, provided that you own it.

If the car is on hire purchase, then it is off limits to bailiffs.



You should consider stopping any new arrears from accruing.

Make an online application for council tax benefit. The claim starts from the date you made the online application.

Meanwhile, run this online enforcement compliance check, and see if there are any other red-flags with the council tax arrears and the enforcement action.

It will also give the remedies available to you to stop the enforcement or cancel the council tax arrears.

https://stopthebailiffs.uk/council-tax- ... check.html
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