Council Gets Tough with Council Tax Collection
PR 168
24 April 2006
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Great Yarmouth Borough Council has adopted a new approach to customers who fail to pay their Council Tax instalments by the due date.
In previous years customers have received both a reminder and final notice before a summons was issued, whereas this year anyone who fails to bring their instalments up to date within 14 days of receiving a reminder will now receive a summons with court costs of £55 – no final notice will be issued.
In addition, customers will only be allowed to receive a maximum of two reminders during the course of the year. So anyone who brings their instalments up to date following receipt of a reminder but persistently fails to pay future instalments by the due date will also receive a summons.
The Council has also employed a firm of private bailiffs to supplement their in-house bailiffs. Therefore anyone who receives a summons and fails to contact the Council can now expect a visit from the bailiffs shortly after the Court Hearing.
Derek Baker, Head of Revenue Services, said “We are adopting this approach due to the increasing numbers of customers who fail to pay their Council Tax or who wait for a reminder to be issued before paying their instalments.
“This results in increased administration and costly recovery action for the Council and is not fair on the vast majority of customers who pay their Council Tax promptly every month.”
He recommended that customers sign up for direct debit which is the easiest and most cost effective method of payment. Customers can then choose to pay on either the first or fifteenth of the month without the need to worry about receiving a summons.
Anyone wishing to pay by this method should call in at Trafalgar House, Hall Plain, Great Yarmouth; at Gorleston Library; or ring 01493 846244/846247 or email
enquiries@great-yarmouth.gov.uk and ask for a Direct Debit mandate.
For further information call Head of Revenue Services, Derek Baker on 01493 846202.Issued by:
Liz Dann
Press Officer
Great Yarmouth Borough Council
01493 846513