Dear Mr Quinn,

Freedom of Information / Environmental Information Regulations Request:
LBH/8930819

I acknowledge your request for information received on 12 July 2019.

This information request will be dealt with in accordance with the Freedom
of Information Act 2000 / Environmental Information Regulations and we
will send the response by 09 August 2019

Yours sincerely,

Feedback and Information Governance

Corporate and Customer Services

Haringey Council 

[1][email address]

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References

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Dear Mr Quinn,

Re: Freedom of Information Act Request ref: LBH/8930819

Thank you for your request for information received on 12 July 2019, in
which you asked for the following:

Under the Freedom of Information Act, please provide the following records
for the years 2015/16, 2016/17, 2017/18, 2018/19:

1. The number of cases of council tax debt which have been passed to
external enforcement agencies and the overall amount of council tax which
was owed (just in relation to the cases which were passed to the agencies)

2. In addition to the above, if it is possible to do so within the FOI
cost limit, please provide the overall amount of council tax debt
recovered by agencies

3. In addition to the above, if it is possible to do so within the FOI
cost limit, please provide for each of the periods 2017/18 and 2018/19 the
names of enforcement agencies employed by the council. (If multiple,
please detail % split of cases allocated).

4. In addition to the above, if it is possible to do so within the FOI
cost limit, please provide for each of the periods 2017/18 and 2018/19,
the number of complaints received by the council arising from allegations
about the actions of bailiffs and debt collectors employed by the council.

My response is as follows:

I have attached an excel file that contains the information requested in
questions 1 and 2.

During 2017/18 the enforcement agencies that we used were Equita, Newlyn
PLC, Phoenix Commercial and Reventus ltd

During 2018/19 the enforcement agencies that we used were Newlyn PLC,
Phoenix Commercial and Reventus ltd

You can calculate the percentage split in relation to cases or cash totals
by using the information on the spreadsheet.

Please note I consider that exemption under Section 43 (2) of the 2000
Freedom of Information act, is applicable to the

specific performance of the individual EA’s as it is commercially
sensitive information. I have therefore removed the names of the
individual enforcement agent companies from the attached.

In relation to question 4 the Revenues Team do not keep records of
complaints made against Enforcement Agencies. Complaints are dealt with as
and when they are received but we do not keep a separate record of the
complaints. All complaints are registered with the Central Complaints Team
but they do not hold separate records of complaints received specifically
about Enforcement Agencies.

If you are unhappy with how we have responded to your request you can ask
us to conduct an Internal Review. If so, please contact the Feedback and
Information Team as below. (Please note you should do this within two
months of receiving this response.)   

Feedback and Information Team

5th Floor, Alexandra House

10 Station Road

London

N22 7TR

E [1][email address]

Yours sincerely,

Kieron Pope

Revenues Team Leader

Corporate and Customer Services

Haringey Council

Level 6 Alexandra House, Wood Green, London N22 7WJ

T:020 8489 2837

E. [2][email address]

[3]www.haringey.gov.uk

[4]twitter@haringeycouncil

[5]facebook.com/haringeycouncil

This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential, may be
subject to legal privilege and are intended only for the person(s) or
organisation(s) to whom this email is addressed. Any unauthorised use,
retention, distribution, copying or disclosure is strictly prohibited. If
you have received this email in error, please notify the system
administrator at Haringey Council immediately and delete this e-mail from
your system. Although this e-mail and any attachments are believed to be
free of any virus or other defect which might affect any computer or
system into which they are received and opened, it is the responsibility
of the recipient to ensure they are virus free and no responsibility is
accepted for any loss or damage from receipt or use thereof. All
communications sent to or from external third party organisations may be
subject to recording and/or monitoring in accordance with relevant
legislation.

References

Visible links
1. mailto:[email address]
2. mailto:[email address]
3. http://www.haringey.gov.uk/
4. https://twitter.com/haringeycouncil
5. https://www.facebook.com/haringeycouncil