Your Council Tax bill usually asks for your Council Tax to be
paid in instalments over ten months. The date you should pay
is on your bill.
This is normally the first of the Month, unless you decide to
pay by Direct Debit, then as an incentive to sign up we
offer five different payment dates (the How to Pay page gives you full details of how to
sign up for Direct Debit - our most popular method of payment).
At any time, please contact our Council Tax Helpline on
01909 533234 to discuss the notice you have received, we may be
able to help discuss a new payment plan.
If you have received a summons for non-payment you need
to ring our Debt Recovery Helpline on 01909 533465.
So, what happens if you don't pay:
First Reminder
If an instalment is overdue, a reminder is issued for the amount
of the arrears. If payment of this amount is made within
seven days, your instalments can continue. If you can't pay
the amount of the arrears within seven days, you lose the
right to pay by instalments and the whole balance on your Council
Tax account is due to be paid. If you do not pay the whole
amount a Summons for non-payment will be
issued. Please be aware, a reminder is not
sent every month
Second Reminder
If you paid in full the arrears on your first reminder, but you
are late paying a further instalment a second reminder will be
issued. If payment of your arrears is made within seven
days then you can continue with your original instalment
plan. If you do not pay the arrears you will lose the
right to pay by instalments and you must pay the whole balance on
your Council Tax account within the next seven days or a
summons for non-payment will be issued. Please be
aware that you will not receive a further reminder. Only two
reminders are issued in any one financial year.
Final Notice
If another instalment is missed then the whole balance on your
Council Tax account becomes due and a Final Notice is issued, if
this is not paid within seven days then a Summons for non-payment
will be issued.
Summons
If you have not paid after receiving a reminder notice, or have
not paid the whole amount of the final notice then you will receive
a Summons for non-payment of your Council Tax. At this point
you will incur an additional £80 in costs. If you pay the
whole amount on the Summons including the costs then the case will
not go before the Magistrates Court.
If payment is not made in full then whatever balance remains
unpaid will go before the Magistrates Court to ask for a
Liability Order to be awarded to Bassetlaw District Council.
This entitles us to take further steps to recover the money from
you.
Liability Order
If the amount shown on the summons is not paid in full by the
court date the Council will apply to the Magistrates Court for a
liability order. An order will be granted to the Council if the
Court is satisfied that the Council has followed the correct
procedures in setting and requesting payment of the Council
Tax.
Once granted the liability order provides the Council
with the option of the following enforcement powers.
Further information is available regarding each option:
Citizens Advice Bureau
You can also contact your local Citizens Advice Bureau. In
the Bassetlaw area the opening hours are:
Worksop - Monday and Wednesday 9.30 am - 3.00
pm, Friday 9.30 am - 12:00 noon
Retford - Tuesday and Thursday 10:00 - 2:00
pm
There is also a telephone helpline which is operated
during the same opening hours, this is 0844 856 3411.
They also have a useful website which
gives advice and information not only on Council Tax matters but
debt and money matters in general.