I have recently received a council tax summons, where now council tax has to be paid in full with costs. if only a bit was paid would a liability order still be issued ? After being given a liability order, how long could it be before committal proceedings ? can anyone help with this question ?
Council Tax is one of these essential things that have to be paid. When it comes to your money there are certain payments that you have to prioritise such as your mortgage or rent, food, utilities, and council tax. If you only pay a part of it you will still be chased. If you can't afford to pay it come to some payment arrangement with the Council if they will agree - and stick to it. A council will not use a normal debt collection company (who have no rights to anything) to chase the debt, they will use Court appointed bailiffs (or Sheriff Officers in Scotland) who do have the ability to impound and sell your goods. In Scotland even Sheriff Officers cannot force their way into your house, but if you leave a window open or a door unlocked, they do have rights of entry and can seize goods. You don't want to be living like that, so come to an agreement to pay your Council Tax BEFORE it gets to that stage. Also, be aware that these court appointed people who pursue the debt have set charges for carrying out tasks. Some of them are unscrupulous and will charge excessive fees with demands that you pay immediately. Make sure you know what the fees SHOULD be before you hand anything over. You need to visit a solicitor or visit your local Citizen Advice Bureau for more advice - they will help you out. One thing you musn't do is bury your head and pretend nothing is happening. Face up to it, and deal with it. You'll be glad you did.
Never allow a court appointed baliff to enter your property. Once they have entered it once they are legally allowed to enter it again without your permission - on their own without causing damage or can involve the police if enterance has to be forced. A single payment is not going to stop things going forward. You could speak to them, agree a payment plan and then make the payment and that may but to be honest it is unlikely. Once the council has decided to get a liability order (ie a conformation you owe the money) they almost always follow through on that but that doesn't mean they are going to use the full strength of the law to enforce it the second they have it. How long they will take to deal with things varies massively between councils. It took Dundee Council 4 years to chase a friend for monies owed for alleged arrears when the council decided to question the student status of one of the occupants.