Council Tax - Get Ready For A Rant

securespark

securespark

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Got a Council Tax Reminder Notice today, delivered at 9.30am.

First rant, it is dated 24/05/16 and I am given 7 days from that date to sort it out. Since it was only delivered today (Saturday) and Monday is a Bank Holiday, that only leaves 1 day.

Second rant, they are saying I have not paid my bill "up to 15/05/16". My bank tell me that the council themselves set up the DD in March 16 and have failed to even attempt to withdraw funds.
This is great. It's the Council's fault that the bill remains unpaid, yet I get a heavy-handed letter threatening a court summons?

Third rant, I go on their website to try and let them know. Everywhere on the site it says "contact us electronically and it will cost us less and your query will be dealt with quicker..." but when it comes to CT bill queries "Please ring us on XXXX XXX XXXX".

Please allow me a huge loud frustrated "ARRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHH!!!"

Thank you.
 
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The Council is a very important body - it must be, the chiefs get paid ludicrous amounts - and they do wonders for our society and looking after us very economically. It is very unkind of you to question what they have done; they have enough to do without having the worry of being efficient as well.
Please pay this amount forthwith and if by chance the direct debit is taken later as well, do not complain again but be happy in the knowledge that your money is going to a very worthy cause.
 
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Seriously though, are you sure there is no email address?

I always communicate with mine by email regarding council tax.
I instantly receive an automatic acknowledgement saying they will deal with it within ten days but it's usually quicker than that.
 
Why is it that this sending of automated "acknowledgement receipt" emails is something that I find slightly annoying in itself. OK it lets you know they have actually got your email, but when was the last time you had an email sent from a link go astray?
I always feel it's there to give the illusion of an instant reply, while actually taking days.
Perhaps it's just me though. I tend to find that the way the council does everything is both slightly annoying and very expensive for what it is!
 
Automated acknowledgements are bad, but there's nothing worse that spending an age writing a very detailed complaint email, sending it to a 'customer service' email address, and then noticing a day or two later that you received an automated reply stating, 'This email address has been discontinued. Please use our customer service telephone number.' Then you have the delight of trying to explain everything to somebody on the phone, where the points you can make in writing get lost in a constantly interrupted conversation!!

@securespark

I don't miss council tax, but I think I may have preferred it to the 'property taxes' that are imposed here. It seems like very similar houses are just randomly taxed at all different rates, and you are afraid to get yours re-assessed in case they are raised or you inadvertently end up getting your neighbours' raised because they are 'too low'! (A Ddioddefws a Orfu, indeed!)
 
I try, but don't always succeed, to not phone any large business or organisation these days. I object to paying their inevitable "local charge" cost for a call when all my calls are "free", and then they can (and often do) deny any knowledge of a phone call, whereas an email is more difficult to deny, especially if they have an automated receipt service! :LOL:
I've just disagreed with my own previous post!
(But I still don't like automated replies!)

How does the property tax in Ohio compare amount wise with the council tax in the UK?
 
My dear troll

I have been paying for CT by DD every year since it began (and probably the Community Charge before it) quite successfully without hiccup.

This is the first break in payments in all those years.

The Council set up a new DD every year. This is the first payment.
 
The local authority here a few years ago introduced a £20 per year charge for emptying the garden waste wheelly bin (previously it was free). I moved into my house in september a few years ago and tried to sign up for it. Was told it would cost be £20 upto April... Hang on says I, Your website says its £20/year, that makes it more like double that. Ah, she says, the year runs April to April. I tell here that I am not paying for a service between April september that Wasn't provided, plus I'd probably only fill the bin in september and march!. I offer to pay pro rata for the remainder of their year.... no go... in that case I will pay the full £20 but I need my full years worth untill next September. No go. Ended up having a bit of a rant that not only do they want to charge us twice for the service they want to tie folk up in stupid rules so they pay for something for the past that was not used.

The grass clippings went in the normal rubbish bin until the next April!
 
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