Woman refusing to pay bills when everyone else does

[jennylamb1]

In the hairdresser's a few weeks ago. A woman is telling the hairdresser that she doesn't pay any of her household bills (council tax, water, gas, electric) on principle. Saying that the council tax arrears letters are fake, that they make them up because when she went to court they hadn't sent a legal representative to defend themselves. Doesn't pay water bills because they can't cut you off because legally they can't. Talking about getting a new flat given to her with all new white goods etc (not sure how this came about, may have been homeless on the council's books if evicted). Sat there with lip fillers, nails done and a head full of expensive hair extensions.
It was annoying me because the hairdresser was 'oh, what are you like,' 'you crack me up,' this sort of thing as if it's OK, when plenty of honest people are getting stung by increased bills and paying their way, working families, pensioners etc. I get that she probably has a mountain of CCJs and a crap credit rating, but is this a thing now?

She’s probably lying

She's a fantasist at best.

I know someone who is exactly the same. Hasn't paid anything for months, possibly years. How on earth do they get away with it. That's of course if they're telling the whole truth 🤔

Sounds like the hairdresser is well-versed in this woman's tall tales.

Obviously, a hairdresser can't criticise a customer or she would lose business.

None of what this woman said sounds plausible. Otherwise, everyone would be doing it.

What did you expect the hairdresser to do? Order her out of the chair immediately in disgust? As others have said, this is bollocks and I imagine the hairdresser was only half listening to her nonsense.

She’s talking shite. You don’t get to not pay council tax just because you ignore the letters

Likely deducted from their wages/benefits but they're too thick to notice. Or they'll have a charging order on their house.

Worked in the debt collection industry and it’s totally a thing, there are loads of Facebook groups spouting dangerous advice to people on how to “avoid” paying back debts, they quote old obscure laws “help” people write template letters.

Unfortunately the people who get sucked in just get further in debt, and will then not engage with debt charities etc to help them. They usually believe in other conspiracy theories too, like new world order etc etc it’s shocking how “mainstream” it is though!

Would suspect it isn’t quite as rosy as she makes out. However she was right legally you have to have access to a water supply so not paying the water bill doesn’t mean you won’t have water.

gas and electric move you to a pre pay meter if you run up substantial debts. So you then either put money on the meter or go without.

council tax they absolutely will chase you.

Well no, but I do believe that she went to court. The mentality in which you have absolutely no sense of responsibility for paying your way is what I find shocking.

Someone is definitely lying here

Don’t criticise the hairdresser - her comments are just to be polite!

Definitely not deducted from wages, because I pay them 🤣 I think a charge on the house is highly likely

That was the thing, she was kind of evangelical about it.

I did think they couldn't cut the water off.

What exactly did you expect the hairdresser to say to a client? A client that spends a lot of money by the sound of it.

& I agree that someone here is telling massive porkies.

If she is telling the truth she is likely to have CCJs, face legal action and have a credit score of 12 (as well as having some utilities cut off.)

She is likely lying.

If you don’t pay council tax they can take it straight from wages or benefits.

https://www.stepchange.org/debt-info/unpaid-council-tax-debt.aspx

It's definitely a thing, there are hoards of people that dont pay for things, have groups online as someone else said.

Council tax obvs did catch up with her if she went to court, so will now be having money deducted from either wages or benefits. Water is different, she may well not be paying that.

Either way, not sure the hairdresser could've said much more than that in that situation!

Edited to add - its exceptionally unlikely (verging on unheard of) that she'd be offered a new fully furnished flat if she'd been evicted from her old home for non payment of rent. This part I'm not sold on.

Not impossible she's just fallen through the cracks or just lives in some black hole property

Meant to add we once stopped recieving water bills ,& were never chased (though we did get charged new ones when we moved with no mention of the old)

Google Freemen of the Land. It's absolutely a thing and they are complete moon howlers.

There’s loads on my estate that don’t pay their water or rent, they can get away with it so why bother.
They claim and that goes on bills and food then the women tend to work cash in hand at cafes etc and that pays for all the fun stuff. They will have a man living with them who does a trade job cash in hand too.
But you write this on mumsnet and its benefits bashing apparently.