Council Tax: recovery of non-payment

We employ national firms of accredited enforcement agents who are authorised to act on its behalf to collect Council Tax debts following the issue of a Liability Order. Our main enforcement agents are:

• Rossendales
• Dukes
• JBW
• Bristow & Sutor

Any enforcement agent visiting your property on our behalf will:

• carry official identification at all times
• carry written authorisation to act on behalf of the council
• issue an official receipt for cash payments, and for other payments on request

Make a payment

Procedure

Days and hours of entry

The enforcement agent may enter, re-enter or remain on the premises on any day of the week after 6am and before 9pm on any day.

Where premises are used (whether wholly or partly) for a trade or business, the enforcement agent may enter, re-enter or remain on the premises (or part of the premises so used) during any hours when the premises (or part of the premises) are open for the conduct of that trade or business.

Where the enforcement agent has already entered or re-entered premises, the enforcement agent may, outside such permitted hours, remain on the premises, if it is reasonably necessary for him to continue to search for and take control of goods, inspect controlled goods or remove controlled goods for storage or sale, provided the duration of time spent is reasonable.

The court may authorise the enforcement agent to enter, re-enter or remain on premises during times other than those permitted if (and only if) an application for authorisation is made to the court by the enforcement agent.

Which goods can the enforcement agent not remove and take? 

• List of goods which are exempt from seizure

Fees 

There are three stages of enforcement and a cost scale associated to each.  These fees are set in law and cannot be changed by us or the enforcement agent:

The compliance stage comprises all activities relating to enforcement from the receipt by the enforcement agent of instructions to use that procedure in relation to a sum to be recovered up to but not including the commencement of the enforcement stage.

The enforcement stage comprises all activities relating to enforcement from the first attendance at the premises in relation to the instructions up to but not including the commencement of the sale or disposal stage.

The sale or disposal stage comprises all activities relating to enforcement from the first attendance at the property for the purpose of transporting goods to the place of sale, or from commencing preparation for sale if the sale is to be held on the premises, until the completion of the sale or disposal.

Other costs (known as Disbursement Fees) in relation to the removal and sale of the goods (e.g. auctioneer fees, locksmith fees, etc.) may also be recovered.