Help: council tax debt: bristow and sutor

[Guest]

Re: Help: council tax debt: bristow and sutor

Have you got some kind of an agreement with the council to pay £39.48 a month towards your arrears? This is quite a good deal as it will take around 2 years to clear the debt.

The fees that B&S are charging are legitimate and in line with legislation. Rather than a complaint at this stage, I would personally write to B&S and the council, asking if you can continue the arrangement. B&S will probably insist that payments are made directly through them to process which quite honestly will not harm you in any way PROVIDED that you stick to them.

My feeling is that you will not have your wages deducted at source at this stage but don't quote me on that. You definitely cannot be sent to prison so this is a non-starter.

If you were to start paying B&S directly, that would stop future visits, PROVIDED you kept up repayments. If you prefer to keep on paying the council and are happy to receive visits, then you can continue to do so if you wish. You are not legally obliged to deal with B&S but bear in mind that it could be unpleasant for your daughter and if they did ever gain access to your goods, you could incur further charges.

Have a think about what you want to do & let us know-I suggest that you write stating that you are prepared to continue paying the £40 odd per month, it is just up to you as to who you want to pay it to. Post back & I'll tell you a few things to include in your letter.

[CheekyChops]

Re: Help: council tax debt: bristow and sutor

Hi
i will await on my reply from york city council and CT advisors.. I don't wish to set up a repayment plan with B&S as they want £100.00 a month which is money I just don't have after bills and rents I'm a single parent and simply can't afford that much. I will keep up the payments with york city council and in the mean time I will make a complaint about their bullying tactics.
Thanks for all yor advice!

[Kati]

Re: Help: council tax debt: bristow and sutor

Just for your reference, here's York Council's Corporate Debt Recovery Policy

[CheekyChops]

Re: Help: council tax debt: bristow and sutor

I've read it thanks kati!
Thanks! Xx

[Guest]

Re: Help: council tax debt: bristow and sutor

If you could pay B&S £40 per month would you consider it?

[CheekyChops]

Re: Help: council tax debt: bristow and sutor

If they would..I might but I've sent letters to them and council tax advisors have advised not to contact them. I'm awaiting my emails..
thanks for all your help
I'm going now..

[Milo]

Re: Help: council tax debt: bristow and sutor

Hi
sorry I copied and pasted wrongly
The fees are
Tax amount £600.00
summons cost £10.00
liability order £10.00

B&S Fees
1st visit £24.50
2nd visit £18.00
post enforcement stage £ 235.00

thats the fees on my account
it is Defoe B&S too!

I have to confess to be very confused with the above and the visit dates in your post number 14.

Firstly, I have never ever seen a local authority charge a summons fee of just £10 and a Liability Order fee of £10. This is simply impossible. What you actually need to obtain is the actual amount of the Liability Order.

Secondly, you stated in your post number 13 that visits were made on 10th Oct 2013 and two visits on 6th April 2014. I would have serious concerns if this was the case as the 6th April was the very same day that the new regulations took effect (which was a Sunday).

Would you mind explaining a bit more about Council Tax Advisors. Did you have to pay a fee to them and if so, how much?

Did they ask for details of your employment and did they suggest an Attachment of Earnings ?

[Kati]

Re: Help: council tax debt: bristow and sutor

I'm still worried about the threats you say they have made to your daughter ... This is definitely WELL below the belt. To tell a young 15yr old child her moher is going to prison is not legally allowed. Firstly, imprisonment for non-payment of CT is always a last resort - and is never used if the debtor is willing to pay. Secondly, the bailiff should not be anywhere near your daughter and certainly must not be telling her lies like this.

I still feel that a complaint to your council is in order (even if just on this point) !! You are not refusing to pay, you are in a repayment plan with the council itself. The bailiffs should have been informed of this by the council to begin with.

Enforcement Agents are employed by the council for the purpose of CT debt. They are bound by certain rules and regulations that they must abide by. From what you have said up to now, the man in question is sailing pretty close to the edge (if not already falling off) and needs stopping before he does something else.

Kati x

[Guest]

Re: Help: council tax debt: bristow and sutor

I have to confess to be very confused with the above and the visit dates in your post number 14.

Firstly, I have never ever seen a local authority charge a summons fee of just £10 and a Liability Order fee of £10. This is simply impossible. What you actually need to obtain is the actual amount of the Liability Order.

Secondly, you stated in your post number 13 that visits were made on 10th Oct 2013 and two visits on 6th April 2014. I would have serious concerns if this was the case as the 6th April was the very same day that the new regulations took effect (which was a Sunday).

Would you mind explaining a bit more about Council Tax Advisors. Did you have to pay a fee to them and if so, how much?

Did they ask for details of your employment and did they suggest an Attachment of Earnings ?

Milo, quite often on these statements, the dates of visits do not match with the date of the actual visit. This is especially common where things get changed around ie a levy fee changed to a visit fee or a Head C visit on one account moved to another account. The debtor has received visits prior to April 6th so it is perfectly legitimate to charge 1st & 2nd visits prior to April 6th. I had forgotten however that April 6th had fallen on a Sunday. The enforcement fee being added on that day is very strange.

I also thought that it was Rossendales who collected for York? I could be wrong on that though.

This whole thread is confusing me as well. We've gone from levy and van fees under the old regs to the enforcement stage under the new regs.

[bizzybob]

Re: Help: council tax debt: bristow and sutor

It is extremely confusing, as it looks like the EA at Busted & Stupid are using the default to apply the new fee scale. Whatever they should have not bullied or threatened a 15 year old by telling her her mother was off to prison for CT arrears. A mild tolchock needed for that at least.

As to the Sunday addition of fees, don't the new regs allow enforcement 7 days a week excluding Christmas Day and other Bank Holidays?

[ploddertom]

Re: Help: council tax debt: bristow and sutor

Think you may find that the inclusion of fees on 6 April is just an admin exercise only whereby they are claiming the old 1st &2nd Visit Fees as the Compliance Stage & added the Enforcement Stage. Only a renewed requst for up to date figures will reveal anything - much better than just getting a list of their website.

[Guest]

Re: Help: council tax debt: bristow and sutor

PT for the avoidance of doubt, the statement of account that a debtor may access on B&S website is complete. It contains every detail you would need, even down to how payments have been allocated. It is also up to date.