What happens if you don't pay your Council Tax
If you miss a payment, we will start the Council Tax recovery process. This process has 3 stages:
- Reminder notices
- Court summons
- Liability order
Reminder notices
We'll send you a reminder notice the first time you miss a payment. You'll have 7 days to make the payment or call us to agree a payment arrangement.
If you do nothing, you will not get a second reminder notice.
If you miss another payment
If you paid or agreed a payment arrangement within 7 days of the first reminder, you will get one more reminder if you miss another payment. If you continue to miss payments, you will get a final notice.
Final notice
If you get a final notice, you will lose your right to pay by instalments and payment for the full year will be due, minus any payments already made. You can also contact us to agree a payment arrangement.
If you do nothing, you will get a court summons.
Court summons
If you get a court summons, you will be liable to pay for the full year, plus £85.50. You can also call us to agree a payment arrangement.
If you do nothing, we will apply to the court for a liability order.
Liability order
If the court makes a liability order, you must pay the amount you owe plus £25.00. You can also call us to agree a payment arrangement.
If you do nothing, we can:
- take money from your wages, known as an attachment of earnings order
- take money from your benefits, known as an attachment of benefits order
- ask an enforcement agency to collect your debt
If other methods of trying to recover the money you owe are unsuccessful and as a last resort, we can apply to the Magistrates' Court for you to be committed to prison.
If you're committed to prison you will still owe the Council Tax plus additional costs.
