If you don’t pay your Council Tax we can issue you with a court summons.
What is a court summons
This is a letter telling you that we are taking your case to court due to non-payment of Council Tax. We will ask the magistrate’s court for a liability order. This is a demand for you to pay the full amount you owe plus £60 costs.
What do I need to do next?
- Follow the repayment plan detailed on the back of your summons letter or;
- Work with us to make an alternative payment arrangement by completing the form below.
Make a summons repayment offer
Do I have to attend court?
No. However, you have the right to attend and offer evidence of why you aren’t liable for the debt, but are not obliged to do so. Either way, please contact us to come to a reasonable arrangement for payment.
You may decide to attend the court hearing if you have a valid defence which will stop a liability order being granted. Valid defences include:
- we have not followed the rules when asking for payment, for example not keeping to the correct time periods when sending bills or reminders
- you have paid what you owe
- you are not the person named on the summons
If you don’t have a valid defence the court will grant a liability order.
