Author Topic: Council Tax Summons - NO REMINDER...  (Read 4390 times)

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Council Tax Summons - NO REMINDER...
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I completely forgot to pay our council tax (Bromley Council) & have just received a SUMMONS!!!
I have of course paid the council tax immediately.
But my question is about the 'summons/court costs' (£101.50) - which they say is now due on top of the council tax.
My question is this: it looks like they did not send any reminder.  (See below)  Are they obligated to do so?

*   *   *
The correspondence history on my Bromley Council account suggests that they did send a reminder, however I have done a forensic search and there was no reminder email.  Nor did I receive any reminder by post.  As you can see, in previous years they did send reminders…
So this year all I got was the bill on March and then BAM a summons in June

Council Tax 2023-2024
Paperless bill – 14th March 2023 (I received email 16/03/23)
First reminder – 20th June 2023 (I received email on 23/06/23)
Final notice – 12th July 2023 (according to council log but no email received)
Paid in full – 20/07/23

Council Tax 2024-2025
Paperless bill – 11th March 2024 (I received email on 11/03/24)
First reminder – 18th April 2024 (I received email on 24/04/24)
Paid in full – 26/04/24

Council Tax 2025-2026
Paperless bill – 10th March 2025 (I received email on 11/03/25)
“First reminder – 15th April  2025” (according to council’s correspondence history, however no record of this by email or by post!)
Summons – 5th June 2025 (council tax was due on 05/06/25, so summons was generated immediately, & I received in post on 7th)
Paid in full – 07/06/25



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Re: Council Tax Summons - NO REMINDER...
« Reply #1 on: »
There is a requirement to send you either a reminder or final notice before enforcement. They do not have to do both.

Have you checked your spam folder. Is your email address on your account current?

Re: Council Tax Summons - NO REMINDER...
« Reply #2 on: »
Definitely no email and yes they do have my email because in previous years that HAVE emailed me to remind me

Perhaps this year they posted a reminder instead of emailing (giving them the benefit of the doubt) but I did not receive anything.

So it was a complete surprise when I got a summons straight after the bill, with no reminder.

Are you sure they have to give either a reminder / a final notice, because ChatGPT seems to think they don't have to :-(

Re: Council Tax Summons - NO REMINDER...
« Reply #3 on: »
Are you sure they have to give either a reminder / a final notice, because ChatGPT seems to think they don't have to :-(

A barrister is currently facing contempt of court proceedings for using ChatGPT to do legal research, so do you really think you should rely on it?
I am not qualified to give legal advice in the UK. While I will do my best to help you, you should not rely on my advice as if it was given by a lawyer qualified in the UK.
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Re: Council Tax Summons - NO REMINDER...
« Reply #4 on: »
Whenever anyone mentions using ChatGPT for legal questions, I feel compelled to mention the time I asked it how many times the letter 'r' appears in the word 'strawberry'...


Re: Council Tax Summons - NO REMINDER...
« Reply #5 on: »
OP, firstly, why hadn't you paid when notified originally? Making a habit of delaying can, as here, create problems.

Secondly, submit a FoI request for copies of correspondence sent to you within the relevant time period. You could also simply ask for this. Ensure you can prove your identity.

Thirdly, 'which they say is now due on top of the council tax'. How have they 'said' this. If you conduct your enquiries by phone then, as this is the devil's weapon, more problems are likely to come your way. But if you have correspondence, then pl post here.

Re: Council Tax Summons - NO REMINDER...
« Reply #6 on: »
Wouldn't a SAR be better than an FOIR?

Given the council cannot release personal details under FOI

Re: Council Tax Summons - NO REMINDER...
« Reply #7 on: »
Wouldn't a SAR be better than an FOIR?

Given the council cannot release personal details under FOI
eh?? what makes you think you can't make a FOI about YOUR details?
 
Quote from: andy_foster
Mick, you are a very, very bad man

Re: Council Tax Summons - NO REMINDER...
« Reply #8 on: »
Wouldn't a SAR be better than an FOIR?

Given the council cannot release personal details under FOI
eh?? what makes you think you can't make a FOI about YOUR details?

Probably s 40(1) of FOIA

Quote
Any information to which a request for information relates is exempt information if it constitutes personal data of which the applicant is the data subject.
I am not qualified to give legal advice in the UK. While I will do my best to help you, you should not rely on my advice as if it was given by a lawyer qualified in the UK.

Re: Council Tax Summons - NO REMINDER...
« Reply #9 on: »
ok what about the environmental information act?
Quote from: andy_foster
Mick, you are a very, very bad man

Re: Council Tax Summons - NO REMINDER...
« Reply #10 on: »
ok what about the environmental information act?

What about it?
I am not qualified to give legal advice in the UK. While I will do my best to help you, you should not rely on my advice as if it was given by a lawyer qualified in the UK.

Re: Council Tax Summons - NO REMINDER...
« Reply #11 on: »
doesn't that allow you to make an information request about your own property?
Quote from: andy_foster
Mick, you are a very, very bad man

Re: Council Tax Summons - NO REMINDER...
« Reply #12 on: »
doesn't that allow you to make an information request about your own property?
No idea, the question was about FOIA. Why don’t you go and have a look?
I am not qualified to give legal advice in the UK. While I will do my best to help you, you should not rely on my advice as if it was given by a lawyer qualified in the UK.

Re: Council Tax Summons - NO REMINDER...
« Reply #13 on: »
doesn't that allow you to make an information request about your own property?
Only in relation to environmental matters, as defined in the regs.

It is not immediately obvious how the question of the sending (or not) of a council tax reminder falls within that scope.

Re: Council Tax Summons - NO REMINDER...
« Reply #14 on: »
I was basing my thoughts on the fact that I have had a foi request to my local authority about correspondence re me and my property, fully responded to under the EIA.
however if an SAR is the way to go then fair enough.
Quote from: andy_foster
Mick, you are a very, very bad man