Information on Loughborough

Council Tax Turmoil

Posted on 01/04/2008
P. Klein

Picture of person taking money

Charnwood Borough Council has appointed debt collectors to collect an incorrectly calculated and disputed Council Tax Bill.

In a shock move last year the Council in it’s infinite wisdom decided to recalculate 4 years worth of council tax for a shared property in Loughborough and shortly thereafter started actions to recover the incorrectly calculated amount.

The owner of the property, who doesn’t wish to be named said: “I was gobsmacked at the actions. I wrote back to them stating the situation that the person I was sharing with was a student at the time and that there should have been a 25% discount. As previously advised and correctly deducted. I didn’t receive a reply and thought it was sorted.”.

“However in February this year my flat mate phoned me to say that Charnwood Borough Council’s baliffs, Rossendales had called and were threatening to take all my property. My flat mate is registered disabled, clinically depressed and suffering from a terminal illness (he contracted HIV from his now exgirlfriend in 1999 and developed AIDS in 2006). The baliffs also told him that although the debt was in my name they would take his personal possessions. Since then he has been extremely disturbed by these events and has had to take sleeping tablets to help cope. ”

In an effort to resolve the matter the Council were called, there was no one available to speak to so a request was made for someone to call back. No one called back. Emails were sent to the council asking for someone to email back or call. No one called back. Eventually a response was received to a letter. This was responded to, pointing out the errors of the Councils calculations and previous correspondence. But as of yet there has been no response.

A Council spokesman told inLoughborough: "Where the Council has taken recovery action for non-payment of Council Tax, and it is subsequently found that the amount charged was reviewed due to a backdated award of Benefit or other reduction, the Council may cancel any summons costs or bailiff fees previously raised. This is only likely to happen where the Council Tax liability is reduced to nil following the backdated award of Benefit of reduction.

 

"The Council is always sensitive to circumstances where a taxpayer is suffering from a terminal or life limiting illness.”

However to date there has been no response to the response sent to the Council on the 14th March 2008.

In an effort to expedite the matter inLoughborough contacted Cllr Richard Shepherd, Conservative Leader of the Council, with the facts of the matter. Almost a month later he has yet to respond.

Meanwhile the Ombudsman has been asked to intervene.