Cost for Council tax summons for liability order
Dear Greenwich Borough Council,
Please can you give me a breakdown of the costs involved in issuing a summons for a liability order for Council Tax non payment.
I expect a super-efficient council like Greenwich can get the costs for doing this down to less than £5.
Yours faithfully,
Jenna Tailor
Dear Ms Tailor
Ref No:- RFI/07223
Thank you for your Freedom of Information request dated 06/06/2014 2014
regarding Cost for Council tax summons for liability order.
Your request is being dealt with under the terms of the Freedom of
Information Act 2000 and will be answered within twenty working days.
If you have any further queries about this request do not hesitate to
contact me. Please remember to quote the reference number above in any
future communications.
Yours sincerely,
Eoin Joyce
Resource Planning & Performance Manager
Customer Services and ICT Strategy Division
Royal Borough of Greenwich
LGC Council of the Year 2013
' 020 8921 8931 À
* The Woolwich Centre, 35 Wellington Street, London SE18 6HQ
source Planning & Performance Manager
Customer Services and ICT Strategy Division
Royal Borough of Greenwich
LGC Council of the Year 2013
020 8921 8931
The Woolwich Centre, 35 Wellington Street, London SE18 6HQ
www.royalgreenwich.gov.uk
Dear Ms Tailor,
I am writing regarding your Freedom of Information (Ref: RFI/07223)
request dated 6 June 2014 concerning Court costs in respect of Council Tax
summonses.
The costs sought from the (defendant) Council Taxpayer by the Local
Authority are covered under regulation 34(5) and 34(7) of The Council Tax
(Administration Enforcement) regulations 1992. This allows the local
authority to seek costs reasonably incurred in respect of the issue of a
Summons and the issue of a Liability Order.
The regulations do not prescribe a scale of fees and the figure of £95.00
was agreed in 2005 by the London Legal Forum, which comprised of the
Department of Constitutional Affairs, Her Majesty’s Court Service and
Local Authorities. The costs cover the additional expenses incurred by the
Authority in having to recover unpaid Council Tax.
The London Borough of Greenwich has not increased its costs since and the
current level compares very favourably with most other London Authorities.
I trust this concludes your enquiry.
If you have any queries about this letter, please contact me. Please
remember to quote the reference number above in any future communications.
If you are dissatisfied with the handling of this request, you have the
right to ask for an internal review. Internal review requests should be
submitted within two months of the date of receipt of the response to the
original letter and should be addressed to:
Debbie Warren
Director of Finance
3^rd Floor, Woolwich Centre
35 Wellington Street,
London SE18 6HQ
E mail: [1][email address]
If you are not content with the outcome of the internal review, you have
the right to apply directly to the Information Commissioner for a
decision. The Information Commissioner can be contacted at: Information
Commissioner’s Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9
5AF.
Yours sincerely
June Reid
Quality and Insight Manager
Customer Services and ICT Strategy Division
Royal Borough of Greenwich
LGC Council of the Year 2013
' 020 8921 6290 À
* The Woolwich Centre, 35 Wellington Street, London SE18 6HQ
Dear foi,
Thank you for your reply.
The question I asked you was quite plain. I want a breakdown of the costs involved in issuing a summons for a liability order. I care not that you or anyone else thinks it is a reasonable amount. Please answer my request by giving me a breakdown of the costs involved in issuing the summons.
If you think that you have complied with the request, then conduct an internal review.
Yours sincerely,
Jenny Tailor
Dear foi,
Please note that Mr Khan is representing me in this matter.
Yours sincerely,
Jenny Tailor
Dear Ms Tailor
I refer to your Internal Review of Freedom of Information request
RFI/07223 as follows:
The question I asked you was quite plain. I want a breakdown of the costs
involved in issuing a summons for a liability order. I care not that you
or anyone else thinks it is a reasonable amount. Please answer my request
by giving me a breakdown of the costs involved in issuing the summons.
Such costs form part of the wider business of the Revenues Office which is
responsible for the raising and collection of debts relating to both
Council Tax and Business rates. More specifically this involves dealing
with correspondence, telephone calls, despatching Demands and other
Notices, receipting payments and raising Refunds, liaising with other
Organisations such as the Valuation Office and these activities form only
part of the duties of the staff involved.
It is for this reason that the Authority does not disaggregate the costs
specifically associated with issuing a summons for a Liability Order
Hearing.
I would reiterate my previous response to you.
The costs sought from the (defendant) Council Taxpayer by the Local
Authority are covered under regulation 34(5) and 34(7) of The Council Tax
(Administration Enforcement) regulations 1992. This allows the local
authority to seek costs reasonably incurred in respect of the issue of a
Summons and the issue of a Liability Order.
The regulations do not prescribe a scale of fees and the figure of £95.00
was agreed in 2005 by the London Legal Forum, which comprised of the
Department of Constitutional Affairs, Her Majesty’s Court Service and
Local Authorities. The costs cover the additional expenses incurred by
the Authority in having to recover unpaid Council Tax.
The Royal Borough of Greenwich has not increased its costs since and the
current level compares very favourably with most other London Authorities.
If you have any queries about this letter, please contact me. Please
remember to quote the reference number above in any future communications.
If you are dissatisfied with the handling of your request, you have the
right to ask for an internal review. Internal review requests should be
submitted within two months of the date of receipt of the response to your
original letter and should be addressed to: The Director of Finance: Mrs D
Warren, 3rd floor The Woolwich Centre, Wellington Street, London, SE18
6HQ. E-mail: [1][email address]
If you are not content with the outcome of your complaint, you may apply
directly to the Information Commissioner for a decision. Generally, the
ICO cannot make a decision unless you have exhausted the complaints
procedure provided by the Authority. The Information Commissioner can be
contacted at: The Information Commissioner’s Office, Wycliffe House, Water
Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF.
Yours sincerely,
June Reid
Quality and Insight Manager
Customer Services and ICT Strategy Division
Royal Borough of Greenwich
LGC Council of the Year 2013
' 020 8921 6290 À
* The Woolwich Centre, 35 Wellington Street, London SE18 6HQ
Dear Ms Tailor
Internal Review on Freedom of Information request RFI/07223
Please accept our apologies for sending out a draft version of this
Internal Review response on 29^th July 2014. This was sent in error.
Please find attached our response to your Internal Review in the correct
format.
If you have any queries about this letter, please contact me. Please
remember to quote the reference number above in any future communications.
If you are not content with the outcome of this internal review, you may
apply directly to the Information Commissioner (ICO) for a decision within
3 months of receiving our response as you have now exhausted the
complaints procedure provided by the Council.
The Information Commissioner can be contacted at: The Information
Commissioner’s Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9
5AF.
Yours sincerely,
June Reid
Quality and Insight Manager
Customer Services and ICT Strategy Division
Royal Borough of Greenwich
LGC Council of the Year 2013
' 020 8921 6290 À
* The Woolwich Centre, 35 Wellington Street, London SE18 6HQ
Dear foi,
Thank you for your reply.
1. Please explain the basis for charging £95 for a summons that costs the Council £3.
2. Please release the details you have on the consultation with the various departments that determined £95 was a reasonable fee.
3. Please provide a breakdown of costs in issuing the summons.
4. Please provide a breakdown of costs in obtaining the liability order.
Many thanks
Yours sincerely,
Jenny Tailor
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