Home Council Tax Unpaid Council Tax
Unpaid Council Tax
It is the liable persons’ responsibility to pay their Council Tax bill on time. Council tax payments should be paid promptly on the 1st of each month, unless you pay by Direct Debit where you can set your payment dates to 1st, 5th, 15th or 25th of each month.
It is not possible to check each reminder before it is issued due to the number of accounts administered. Please note reminders and summons’ cannot be sent by email.
At each stage shown below you will be encouraged to contact us if you are unable to make the required payments. Please also see our web page Problems Paying.
Reminders
If you fall behind with your payments or you are paying later than the dates shown on your bill we will send you a reminder, giving you 10 days to bring your account up to date.
If you bring your account up to date and fall behind again we will send you a second reminder. No further reminders are issued if you have already had a second reminder.
If you are unable to bring your account up to date you will lose the right to pay in instalments and the full year’s council tax becomes due.
If payment is still not received, a final notice will be issued.
Final Notice
If you are unable to bring your account up to date you will lose the right to pay in instalments and the full year’s council tax becomes due within 7 days. If you fail to do so, the council may take further action, including applying for a court summons.
It may be possible to make a special payment arrangement for you to clear the account. To discuss this, please contact us on 01306 885001.
Summonses
A summons will be issued if you have not paid in accordance with the notices issued.
The amount to be paid is the total due as shown at the bottom of the summons under ‘Amount to pay’. This amount includes the £57.50 costs incurred when the summons is issued.
If you cannot pay the full amount on the summons you should contact us to discuss a special payment arrangement for you to clear the account
If payment is not received in full before the court hearing, a liability order will be applied for and a further £50 in costs will be added to your outstanding balance.
What happens next?
Should Council Tax remain unpaid and no arrangement is in place to pay, the Council can then apply to the Magistrate’s Court for a Liability Order. This may result in referral to an Enforcement Agent in which case additional fees may apply. Please see Enforcement Agents and Fees.