Council tax recovery

We will send a reminder notice for any unpaid installment shortly after it is due. The overdue amount must be paid within seven days.  

If you bring your account up to date within seven days of the reminder, you can still pay by monthly installments as shown on your bill.  

If you fall behind again, we will send a second reminder asking you to bring your account up to date. If the overdue amount is not paid, a final notice will be issued and you will lose the right to pay by instalments.  

If you are behind with your payments, we may be in touch before a reminder or summons is issued or before we ask our enforcement agents to try and collect the overdue amount on our behalf. This is to help you to take the right action before the formal recovery process continues and avoid additional costs. 

Whilst this service is offered to prevent customers from falling further into arrears, it should not be relied upon. It is your responsibility to maintain the instalments due on your account in line with your bill. Failure to do so will result in recovery action being taken. 

If the full balance becomes due and is not paid as stated, no further reminders will be sent, and we will send you a court summons that includes additional court costs. 

We can still consider a payment arrangement at this stage. To request instalments, please log into your council tax account. 

If the overdue amount is not paid, we will send you a summons on behalf of the magistrates’ court, which includes additional costs. At this stage it is no longer sufficient to just pay any overdue instalments.  

Please note that if the total amount payable (including costs) shown on the summons letter is paid in full before the hearing date no further action will be taken and there will be no need to attend Court. 

However, if the total amount is not paid before the court hearing date, we will apply to the Magistrates’ Court for a liability order. Once the liability order is granted a further cost will be payable as stated on the summons letter. 

We can still consider a payment arrangement at this stage. To request this, please log into your council tax account.

We will give you at least 14 days’ notice of the court hearing. We will take no further action if the outstanding charge and costs are paid in full before the hearing. 

You do not have to go to court if you know the council tax charge is correct, but you have not paid it.  

If you have any queries, or wish to attend the hearing, you MUST call us on 0116 454 1005 to book an appointment in advance.  

If the magistrates agree that the unpaid charge is correct and payable they will grant a liability order against you for non-payment.  

If you cannot pay the outstanding balance in full, we may consider a payment arrangement. An arrangement will not normally be considered unless it is paid by direct debit and supported by your employment/income details.  

To request a direct debit arrangement, please log into your council tax account. 

If you do not pay in full or maintain the final payment arrangement, we can consider the following recovery options: 

• Attachment of earnings: We will contact your employer to take money direct from your wages. 

• Deductions from benefits: We will take the money directly from your benefits. 

• Enforcement Agents: If the first two options don't work, we will send an enforcement agent to collect the money. 

• Charging Order: The outstanding balance can be secured against your property. 

• Bankruptcy: A legal proceeding for people or businesses that are unable to repay their outstanding debts that amount to £5000 or more.  

If we employ an enforcement agent, this will immediately incur a fee of £75. From this stage you must discuss any payment issues directly with the agent. 

The enforcement agent will try to make an arrangement with you to pay the charge. If this cannot be done, or you do not pay as agreed then you will incur further fees of at least £235 and the enforcement agent can take control of goods in your home. 

If you still do not make an arrangement to pay, the enforcement agent may remove goods from your home to sell at auction. You will incur further fees of at least £110, plus the costs of holding the auction, storage fees and any other fees reasonably incurred by the enforcement agent. 

Contact details for the Enforcement Agents are available within the unpaid council tax page.

If an enforcement agent is unsuccessful, we can take action to have you made bankrupt, secure the debt against your property, or take further court action. 

If you owe £5,000 or more, we can enter a petition against you to have you declared bankrupt. Your home could be sold if we have to take this action, and you may incur substantial legal fees. 

If you have a debt of £1,000 or more and you own your own home, we can apply to the county court to place a charge on your home. Any charges included in the order will be paid automatically to us when the sale of the property completes. 

We can also ask the magistrates to issue a warrant of commitment, for you to appear at court to explain why you have still not paid the charge. If we have to do this, you will be charged the costs incurred. 

If you do not come to court, a warrant for your arrest will be issued. You will be charged further costs for the issue of the warrant.  

The court will look at your income and expenditure and order you to make set payments to us. If you fail to pay as ordered, you will be arrested, and the magistrates will consider imprisoning you for up to three months.