Anyone any similar experience/advice-long post-sorry!

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Thu Nov 17, 2022 4:22 pm

My daughter recently completed her teacher training in the last couple of years. The first 3 years she was working as a TA and attending university as well-should say as a mature student with her own home/mortgage and scraping by.

The last year (was actually 18 months due to covid) she had to leave her job to complete her teacher training so had to survive on student loan £9k) she should have been exempt for council tax at the time but the council needed written confirmation of her student status from the university.

While this was pending she kept in touch with the council and paid a nominal payment each month. While this was going on the council sold her debt to a 3rd party. They in turn took the debt to county court and she now has a ccj against her. The council have now confirmed her status on their records are now correct and show her as exempt from council tax for the period of the ‘debt’.

All this has come out today.

It appears that she paid 50% of the council tax she was exempt from.

How or even CAN she get this money back? From the council who sold a debt of £0 or from the 3rd party? And can she appeal the ccj and clear it from her records?

Beverley · Post by **Beverley** » Thu Nov 17, 2022 4:23 pm

Tell her to email the appeals officer at her local council.

If she had already notified the council & provided proof she was the only adult living in the property & a full time student, exempt from council tax they should back date the exemption & send her a bacs form to claim the credit back. They can recall the debt from the external company & remove CCJ if it was LA error.

Generally speaking council tax debts have to go through a long process before it gets sent to debt recovery. Reminders, final reminder, court summons for a liability order, 14 day letter, internal bailiff if they have them or external bailiff or a debt recovery company.

The council don't send the debt to a debt recovery company if there is an agreed payment arrangement in place.

If the appeal is unsuccessful you have the right to complain using their complaints procedures.

Pauline · Post by **Pauline** » Thu Nov 17, 2022 4:24 pm

I suggest you ring the council & ask them to get the ccj removed & ask for a refund of monies paid.