What if I don't pay after reminders?
If you don't pay after reminders, your right to pay by instalments will be withdrawn and the full balance for the year will become due within a further 7 days:
- No further or final notice will be issued.
- If your account then remains unpaid, we will request that the magistrates issue a court summons, costing £70.
- This is a request for you to appear at court and answer to the complaint that you have not paid your council tax.
- The magistrates will then issue a liability order, costing £25.
A liability order gives us the right to take further action to collect any money outstanding. This could include employing an enforcement agent to collect the arrears by removing and selling your goods. A charge of £75 will be incurred immediately if the debt is passed to the enforcement agent. If they visit your property, a minimum charge of £235 will be incurred.
We will not intervene once a debt has been passed to an enforcement agent.
We can also commence action to make you bankrupt or your company insolvent.
Ultimately if you do not have limited company liability the council can make an application for you to be committed to prison.
If you are struggling to pay your business rates, or if you fall into arrears with your business rates, please contact our recovery team on 01543 308885 as soon as possible so that we can work with you to make arrangements for a mutually acceptable payment arrangement.