Missed summons to court!!

[STANTER]

So apparently in 2016 I missed my final council tax payment. This was usually sent to me by post and because I moved out half way through the month I must have missed it. It was for around £50 and I absolutely hold my hands up that I owe this. 4 years later I get a letter in the post (today) to say I missed a court summons in 2017, I owe £200 and I have 4 days to pay. The council tax payment was a final payment and they still sent the summons to this address 4 months after I moved out, even though the whole thing was due to an unpaid FINAL BILL so obviously I didn't live there anymore. This has come as a massive shock to me and I am kicking myself. I've recently come out of an abusive relationship, I have no money and a small baby. I had no reason to avoid paying the £50 4 years ago it was just a mistake. I wrote a post earlier today as I thought I had moved out by the date they had charged me for but it seems I did actually miss a payment. What can I do? I don't have £200.

I've never not paid anything. I also work for the police so the fact that I missed a court summons is really unsettling. Feel like I'm on th verge of a panic attack

Pay it. Beg, steal, borrow, sell stuff, payday loan, overdraft. Anything. Unpaid council tax is one of the few bills that can carry a custodial sentence.

Is the summons to the magistrates court? If so I would have thought that you might be able to do a statutory declaration at court, where you swear that you didn't know anything about this until now (because you had moved out). You would still have to pay the £50 and probably some court fees, but it should be less than £200. Call/contact the court on Monday and ask if you can do this. (Disclaimer: I am not a lawyer)

@bathtangle the court is 200 miles away but yes it is magistrates. By the time I had sorted childcare and travel I guess I may as well just pay the fine. I just have no money.

I'm so angry with myself I swear I am so thick sometimes.

You may also be able to request it is moved to your local court (in my experience). You might need to write and explain but probably with calling first). I do get that childcare may well be a problem though, even for a local court.

worth

Please try not to panic.

The court will not set you up to fail. Contact them on Monday and make an arrangement to pay.

Who has written to you about this? The council, the court, enforcement agents/bailiffs?

When council tax debt is not paid after a few months the council issue a summons and ask the court for a liability order. Costs of this are then added to your debt and it means the council can enforce the debt.

The whole process is a rubber stamping exercise. You don't actually have to attend the court. So you haven't missed a court date or anything!

If there are extenuating circumstances and the debt is with enforcement agents, the council could do a couple of things if you contact them and plead your case. They could take back the debt from enforcement if you make arrangements to pay, and they may remove the charges for the summons and liability order. The latter is mainly successful if you were vulnerable in some way and the fact you have just left an abusive relationship would class you as vulnerable.

Either way you are still able to set up and repayment plan. They are going hard ball as they haven't had any contact from you.

If you need help contracting them and doing all of this contact your local citizens advice, or a debt charity.