Ombudsman recommends compensation in council tax dispute – Local Government Lawyer

Posted September 6th, 2024 in compensation, council tax, local government, news, ombudsmen by sally

‘Slough Borough Council has been recommended by an ombudsman to pay £350 to local resident Mr X after taking him to court for unpaid council tax, despite having agreed to him paying by instalments.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 5th September 2024

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Barrister with council tax conviction fails in disbarment appeal – Legal Futures

Posted April 19th, 2022 in appeals, barristers, council tax, disciplinary procedures, disclosure, fraud, news by sally

‘The High Court has rejected an appeal from a barrister disbarred after a council tax conviction and submission of dishonest evidence to a Crown Court.’

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Legal Futures, 19th April 2022

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Disbarred barrister loses bid to practise pending appeal – Law Society Gazette

‘A barrister who was disbarred after she was convicted for council tax fraud and found to have lied to an appellate court has lost a bid to continue practising pending an appeal.’

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Law Society Gazette, 17th December 2021

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

High Court judge rejects appeal by couple over listing of property as two self-contained units for purposes of council tax – Local Government Lawyer

Posted November 25th, 2021 in appeals, council tax, housing, local government, news, valuation by sally

‘A couple has lost a High Court appeal over a council tax valuation dispute with Oxford City Council.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 25th November 2021

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Barrister disbarred after council tax fraud conviction – Legal Futures

‘A barrister convicted of council tax fraud who was then found to have lied at a re-hearing has been disbarred.’

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Legal Futures, 29th September 2021

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Coronavirus: Bailiffs return to chase pre-lockdown unpaid debts – BBC News

Posted August 24th, 2020 in bailiffs, charities, coronavirus, council tax, debts, fines, news by sally

‘Bailiffs are resuming operations in England and Wales chasing unpaid council tax after a five-month suspension owing to coronavirus.’

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BBC News, 24th August 2020

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Local authorities detect 22% more council tax fraud cases in last year, CIPFA research finds – Local Government Lawyer

Posted November 20th, 2019 in council tax, fraud, local government, news, statistics by sally

‘Local authorities in the UK have detected 22% more cases of council tax fraud compared to last year, research by CIPFA has found.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 19th November 2019

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Government guidance to end “aggressive enforcement tactics” in recovery of unpaid council tax – Local Government Lawyer

Posted April 15th, 2019 in council tax, debts, enforcement, local government, news by michael

‘The Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) is to publish new guidance to improve how councils recover unpaid council tax and end their use of “aggressive enforcement tactics”.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 12th April 2019

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Landlord given suspended sentence and ordered to pay £300k+ after hiding families in windowless rooms – Local Government Lawyer

‘A landlord who hid families in windowless rooms after claiming to a council that he had complied with an enforcement notice has been fined £25,000 and ordered to pay a further £266,177 under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 26th March 2019

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Court of Appeal rejects legal duty for council tax purposes to disclose fact of residence – Local Government Lawyer

‘No legal duty exists that requires a resident to notify a council of their residence at a particular address for council tax purposes, the Court of Appeal has ruled.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 7th March 2019

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Judge overturns bankruptcy order that serves “no useful purpose” – Local Government Lawyer

Posted August 29th, 2018 in bankruptcy, council tax, local government, news by sally

‘The High Court has overturned a bankruptcy order made against a woman who owed Aylesbury Vale District Council £8,067 in council tax arrears.’

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Local Government Lawyer, August 2018

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Unlawful imprisonment for council tax non-payment “one of the largest mass miscarriages of justice in British history” – Local Government Lawyer

Posted March 28th, 2018 in council tax, imprisonment, miscarriage of justice, news by tracey

‘The unlawful imprisonment of people for council tax non-payment “is likely to be one of the largest mass miscarriages of justice in British history”, the chair of the Criminal Bar Association, Angela Rafferty QC, and 57 other signatories of a letter to The Guardian have claimed.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 27th March 2018

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

High Court admits people have been wrongly jailed for not paying council tax – The Independent

‘The High Court has admitted up to 17 people in England and Wales were unlawfully sent to jail for not paying their council tax last year – but it refused to accept this constituted “systematic failings” by the courts.’

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The Independent, 17th January 2018

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Debt is not a crime: reviewing imprisonment for council tax non-payment – Legal Voice

Posted December 20th, 2017 in council tax, debts, imprisonment, news by sally

‘Being in debt is not a crime. So why are nearly 100 people a year sent to prison for falling behind on council tax payments?’

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Legal Voice, 19th December 2017

Source: www.legalvoice.org.uk

Local authority wins tribunal case over student accommodation and council tax – Local Government Lawyer

‘The Valuation Tribunal has dismissed an appeal by a student accommodation provider over the application of council tax exemptions to student flats.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 25th October 2017

Source: localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

‘Freeman on the Land’ jailed for failure to pay council tax – Local Government Lawyer

Posted May 15th, 2017 in council tax, local government, news, sentencing by sally

‘A self-proclaimed ‘Freeman-on-the-Land’ who refused to pay council tax citing ancient laws has been sentenced to 40 days in prison and ordered to repay his debt.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 12th May 2017

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Supreme Court refuses to hear case on council tax position where tenant moves out – Local Government Lawyer

Posted March 31st, 2017 in council tax, landlord & tenant, local government, news by tracey

‘The Supreme Court has refused to grant Leeds City Council permission to appeal a key ruling over whether landlords are responsible for paying council tax on a property when a tenant has moved out before the tenancy agreement has formally ended.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 30th March 2017

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Judge orders release of woman jailed for non-payment of council tax – Local Government Lawyer

Posted January 27th, 2017 in council tax, debts, imprisonment, news, sentencing by sally

‘A High Court judge has released a woman jailed for failing to pay council tax, saying she should not have been imprisoned.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 26th January 2017

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Non-payment of Council Tax – Local Government Law

Posted January 26th, 2017 in appeals, committals, council tax, debts, local government, magistrates, news, regulations by tracey

‘In R (Woolcock) v Bridgend MC (2017) EWHC 34 (Admin) Lewis J quashed a suspended committal order, pursuant to Regulation 47 of the Council Tax (Administration and Enforcement) Regulations 1992, because no proper means assessment had been carried out and the suspension period was manifestly excessive.’

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Local Government Law, 23rd January 2017

Source: www.11kbw.com/blogs/local-government-law

Magistrates struggle (again) with the use of imprisonment for non-payment of council tax – by Sam Genen and Sophie Walker – UK Human Rights Blog

‘There is an exceedingly long line of case law, stretching back beyond the days of the community charge (which was of course better known as the Poll Tax). In those cases, the courts have traditionally quashed custodial orders improperly imposed by magistrates for non-payment of council taxes.’

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UK Human Rights Blog, 23rd January 2017

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com