Legal help needed for my friend

[Discoprincess6]

Hi not sure this is the right place but wondering if anyone can help.

My friend’s wife took their own life 9 years ago and my friend ended up homeless and sofa surfing for several years. She didn’t work during this time and didn’t have an address to pay council tax. She hardly had any money to feed herself.

She now has a job and rented home. The council are harassing her to pay council tax from this period. They’ve passed the debt to debt collectors who are making her life a misery. She offered to pay £50 per month to the debt collectors but was refused. She owes a few thousand.

they phone her about 5 times a day, endless texts.

also she had unpaid parking tickets x5 at £100 per go from last year from visiting her mum at home who was very sick.

My friend forgot about them (I know that isn’t great but she was going through a lot) and they’ve been passed to another debt collector who keeps upping the price. She now owes £1000 for the tickets.

she is at her wits end. She is so low. I don’t know what to suggest. She is going to contact citizens advice.

can anyone help pl? Thank you

Citizens Advice will be the best place to help her. They are two completely separate issues. Unpaid council tax can result in prison so it is extremely important she doesn't ignore the matter. It won't go away.

If she was homeless what property does she owe council tax on?

Your friend can contact Step Change, they can help

https://www.stepchange.org/

This, is it a historical charge?

This.
What address does she owe CT on, if she did not have one?

thats what I was saying but apparently the council say that she does. I’m not sure what property it was for. I didn’t know her then.

She must know though? It'll be on the paperwork

Sob stories don't get you out of debt. People have hard lives but still have responsibilities when they accrue debt. It doesn't matter how difficult things have been for her, she caused this and needs to deal with this.

CA can help her with the debts, she'll be fine. If the council are saying she owes money that she doesn't owe, CA can help her there too - their debt advisers can do a lot to practically help people. Although it's more likely you're not getting the full story from her.

Be wary of this friend and the sob stories she's feeding you about her history and experiences. Some people are very entitled and think they shouldn't have to take responsibility for themselves, and that will fall out into you if that's the case.

Do not take responsibility for this friend. Send her to CAB or Step Change as suggested. Sadly, I suspect you may see less of her if you advise her to sort out her own problems.

Right but she must know what property it relates to, and whether she lived there and owes what they say? If she's getting 5 phone calls a day they'll all presumably be 'is that Mary Jones? Morning Ms Jones I'm calling about the debt relating to 5 Station Road' Doubt you're getting the full story here.

Edited cos fat fingers

Your friend is not telling you the whole story