2,300 tax dodgers face bailiffs’ knock to claw back £1m
BAILIFFS are being sent out to 2,300 homes in a bid to claw back more than £1 million in unpaid council tax.
The 2,300 tax dodgers have all received letters from Cheshire East Council informing them that court proceedings have been launched against them.
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Bailiff
That figure includes approximately 180 business rate accounts which have not been paid, to the value of about £850,000.
Today, the council will ask South Cheshire magistrates sitting at Crewe for court orders which will give them the power to send in the bailiffs to collect the cash, or goods to the amount owed.
The authority could also place an attachment of earnings on to culprits’ pay, which means a set amount will be paid directly from their wages to the council each month; or in some cases, tax dodgers could be declared bankrupt or a charging order could be placed on their property, which secures the debt.
In the worst cases, the council could ask the courts to jail an offender for up to 90 days.
Some cases relate to tax dodgers who have failed to pay since April of last year, although the vast majority, some 80 per cent, have only fallen into arrears from April this year.
Councillor Michael Jones, Conservative portfolio holder for resources, said: “We have a process to look at non-payment, it’s something our council taxpayers expect.
“It is not fair for some people not to pay council tax. If you don’t pay you are taking advantage. These are tough times for everyone.”
Labour councillor and accountant Sam Corcoran, who represents Sandbach Heath and East on the council, said: “People should be proud to pay their council tax, it pays for services.”
West End Residents’ Association chairman Jan Wright, aged 64, of Crewe, said: “I wonder how many are genuine – I got a threatening letter saying I owed council tax and I would be taken to court, then a few days later they told me it was a mistake.
“I think they should be talking to people first and finding out what the problem is. This is a massive publicity stunt to frighten people.”
About 98 per cent of the estimated population of 362,700 who live in Cheshire East, do pay their council tax.
The situation is far worst in Stoke-on-Trent, where only about 93 per cent of 240,000 population pay their council tax.
2 Comments
by Raymondc1
Saturday, November 19 2011, 8:32AM
“I do believe there was a Local Tax in the 1980's which was scrapped after protests from the British Public, meanwhile before scrapping the Tax, the Public in Cheshire East Council was indeed paying an unfair, however evernthough the British Government admitted the Tax was unfair in the 1990's, a new Tax was introduced known as the Council Tax, however, the Public in Cheshire East Council who paid the Unfair Tax known as the Poll Tax have not todate had a refund of Taxes paid to the Cheshire East Council City Council.
Indeed taking the account the British Government admitted that the Poll Tax was indeed an unfair tax I am of the opinion that our Central and Local Government have a responsibility to the Public too return Poll Tax that was over paid, from the date when the Poll Tax came into force upto and including introduing of the Council Tax.
By not refunding the Public who have paid the Poll Tax when it was inforce, In my opinion the Local and Central Government are just as Bad if not worse than the Public who have not paid their Council Taxes for which the Local Government claim, I therefore cannot and would not support the Bailiffs enterring properties in Cheshire East Council or come to that matter any other Council in Britain for collection of unpaid Council Tax when indeed the Local and Central Governments owes the Public refund relating too Poll Taxes.
I am therefore of the opiniion that Local Governments around the Country should address their books and make good the wrong that was done at time the Poll Taxes was inforce and make good their wrong before even thinking of senting any Bailiffs into any Properies in Britain.”
by PaulTheRed
Friday, November 18 2011, 7:48PM
“If councils had not put the council tax up by more then double the rate of inflation for the past 20 years then more people might be able to afford to pay it.”