Liability order retention

The request was partially successful.

Dear Manchester City Council,

under foi and public interest

can you please inform us

how long you keep details of liability orders granted for business rates

how far back are the summary details of liability orders retained on a register even if only the name of the company and the amount /liability order number

this is not a claim against you just research into how aware councils are of the limitation act

thank you

dan prkns

Information Compliance, Manchester City Council

Dear Dan
Re: Request for Information - Reference No: TRE / BM6EYS
Thank you for your request for information received by Manchester City
Council on 26 February 2020.
Please note that it may take up to 20 working days (25 March 2020) for the
Council to consider your request and to provide a formal response.   
If this timescale needs to be extended to consider an exemption you will
be notified and kept informed. 
If you have any queries, please do not hesitate to contact me. 
Yours sincerely
Jerry Frys
Democratic Services
PO Box 532
Town Hall
Manchester
M60 2LA
Email:  [1][MCC request email]
Website:  [2]www.manchester.gov.uk

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Business Rates (Manchester), Manchester City Council

1 Attachment

Dear Mr Prkns

Please find attached my response to your request for information received
on 26 February 2020.

(See attached file: Dan Prkns 3.doc)

Regards
Andrew Heap
Team Manager

You may find the answers to any further enquiries by using the links below.
In the interests of efficiency the Council would expect businesses to use
this facility.

Full details of your individual business rates account, including copies of
your bills, are available online using our connect service. This allows
you to obtain information on demand.
REGISTER NOW at:
connect.revbens.manchester.gov.uk/publicaccesslive/selfservice/citizenportal/login.htm

In addition comprehensive guidance surrounding business rates can be found
on our web pages at:
www.manchester.gov.uk/businessrates

Business Rates Service
Manchester City Council
Revenues & Benefits Unit
P.O Box 3
Manchester
M15 5BA

Dear Business Rates (Manchester),

thank you andrew for the response that is exactly how i believe freedom of info requests should be answered

it is clear you have your values in check

further to your answers and please note this does not relate to your council nor will any complaints be made

do your rates team have any knowledge of the law of levy and distress.are they trained to know when a bailiff firm are misrepresenting the laws of levy?

if their was a complaint about your bailiffs would you use customer service agents to investigate the complaint or would you use legally qualified regarding levy lawyers .ie would your complaints team know what they are investigating?

do all your liability orders get recorded as either collected or not and how often do your bailiffs have to report failed levies .

do you keep a note of all liability orders you have written off?

would your council deem it incorrect if goods were taken from the wrong companies to those listed on your liability orders .How long would you think it would be fair to prove ownership of the goods by another company

what checks would you epect a bailiff firm to make to ascertain if they have taken the right companies goods and how long would they be given to return the goods to the company if taken in error

have your bailiffs ever taken goods in error and taken 3/4 months to return them ?

have you ever allowed bailiffs to add on extra liability orders three days after a distress ie .Are you aware it is against the law to add on extra liability orders without the bailiff mentioning this at the time of levy or including it on the inventory ?

Do you allow bailiffs to make their own settlement agreements if they find themselves in a position they dont feel safe selling the goods they have seized (ie ownership has been proven but they darent admit it )
would you ask questions if it has taken 3/4 months to return goods to the rightful owner?

would you class the concealment of a secret indemnity(we will return goods if you dont sue us) that you were not made aware of (or included in)after a failed levy as a material breach ..This question has been answered by 100 other councils

thank you again for your candour

Yours sincerely,

dan74