Council Tax & Utility Bills Debt

Ashley Longmann Associates are specialists at handling all forms of debt.  Council Tax and Utility Bills are often amongst the most tricky as they are usually based upon a continuously recurring charge rather than a simple credit debt.
 

Council Tax Arrears

Many people forget that Council Tax is in fact a TAX.
Everyone is expected to pay their taxes and therefore it is hardly surprising that local authorities have some tough ways of collecting council tax arrears.

Many people also forget that they are, effectively, incurring council tax on a month-by-month basis.  There is always the next month and the next year when more council tax will become due.

Therefore it is important that everyone allows for council tax within their budget.

At Ashley Longmann Associates we see many people who have council tax arrears; sometimes these arrears cover many years.  We have become experts at handling our clients’ predicaments with councils, the enforcement procedures they employ and their bailiffs.
 

What we can do? 

Sort out your financial budget to ensure that you are able to afford your council tax payments.

See whether your council tax bill can be reduced usually by seeing whether you are eligible for council tax benefit, single persons discount or an exemption, for example, for those suffering for mental impairment.

Prioritise your council tax arrear payments to ensure that your legal liability to pay council tax does not become compromised by the actions of debt collectors seeking payment for unsecured consumer credit debt.

Underwrite agreements that have been negotiated with local authorities and their bailiffs
 

 What happens if payments are not made and your bill remains unpaid?

If you fail to keep to your payment arrangement, the Council will ask the Magistrates’ Court to give them a Liability Order against you. Once this Order has been made, the Council may still be prepared to agree to you paying by instalments but, should you fail to keep to the agreement, the Council has a number of options.

Once an Order has been made, the Council has various options available to them to collect the arrears you owe: 

• Applying for a payment to be taken out of your pay or benefit.  This is usually referred to as an attachment of earnings or benefit,
• Instructing Bailiffs to enforce the Liability Order by, if necessary, removing from your home goods that will be sold to recover monies owed, 
• Applying for the outstanding amount to be charged against your home,
• Asking either the Magistrates’ Court to send you to prison or by petitioning in the County Court for your bankruptcy.  (NB: If you are made bankrupt, you will no longer be the owner of your own home and the Official Receiver may enforce the sale of your property to release fund to clear your liability to the Council.)
   

 

Worried About Debt?

If you have worries about debt , no matter how large or small, Ashley Longmann can help you. At Ashley Longmann Associates, your Debt Worries are our Concerns. to get rid of debt worries today, why not take our, no obligation  FREE 60 second Debt solution Test. today or Request a call back.

For More information on your Debt Worries click on the links below:

Credit Card Debt Worries

CCJ's Debt Worries

Mortgage & Rent Arrears Debt Worries

 

 

 

The information provided here should only be treated as a guideline. We strongly recommend that you consult with a debt professional who is able to discuss with you fully your situation and who is able to analyse your particular circumstances.

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