Thank god Thursday the 13th is over. I've really had a bloody lousy day.
Woke up with a nagging headache, (no, I hadn't been drinking), which somehow stayed around virtually all day.
The Postman brought two letters, my Water Rates Bill, and one from the Council. The Council one was threatening legal action against me for non-payment of Council Tax from 2003 to 2004.
I don't know if any of you remember my having to attend court last year over a similar issue? Anyway, that has been sorted and I am paying £12 per month until it is cleared. Eight months in, and payments are fully up to date on this. So when I read this letter about yet another outstanding amount, I saw red. I blew my top. Lou and I had a row, she thought I was having a go at her, (which I wasn't).
So I get onto them via telephone. After a short wait, I get to speak to somebody. A woman with a foriegn accent. This annoyed me straight away, and I almost demanded to be put through to somebody who could speak understandable English.
I said that there must be some mistake. I was up to date with my payments. She asked for my reference number, which I gave, after repeating my name and address twice.
"Hold the line" she said, and started playing me some crappy music. I put the handset down and switched to speaker phone. Another five minuets and she was back on the line to me.
She said that this bill was an "oversight" on their part and that it should have been included in last years court attendance.
"So why wasn't it then?" I demanded, very angry by now.
"We must have missed it" came the reply. No apology, no contrition, just stated matter-of-factly.
"Well, that's not really good enough, is it?" I said.
She ignored me, and went on to tell me that if it isn't paid then I will recieve a summons to attend court again.
"I do not have that sort of money, I'm a Pensioner" I said. "Where do you think I can get that sort of cash from?"
I then proceeded to tell her exactly what I thought of the Council, it's Employees, and the Council Tax. "It's a bloody con, and you lot know it, " I ranted. "I should not be expected to pay for your pensions, when I am living in virtual poverty".
Silence on the other end. Then, "How much can you pay?" she enquired.
"Not much, seeing I am already paying you each month for that other bill."
"We will take twenty pounds a month" she said.
"You bloody won't take twenty pounds a month" I yelled back.
We finally "agreed" on another £12 per month, the exact amount of my other bill that I am still having to pay.
So now, instead of just £12 per month, my liability for Back-owed Council Tax has just doubled, overnight!
Angry? You bet I am!!!
JoJo
Sorry to hear about your council tax trouble Sandie,it's been like that for my Husband with Tax for some reason they say he has been under taxed even though he was PAYE, when he started working at Lindsey Oil Refinary years ago they didn't take any tax for three months and then they didn't take enough,do you know it took years and years to catch up,he retired early and took some work on for the refinary, once again he was in arears been retired six years now paid it off last year, think we have been paying for all those lazy devils who don't work don't pay tax just get the hand outs
Sandie Seward
Thanks for your reply, JoJo. I'm also having problems still with the Inland Revenue people. For some strange reason they had opened TWO separate Tax Accounts for me, one at Southend, the other at Cardiff.
Last year I had to take legal advice over this, and later, I recieved an apology letter from the Cardiff Office saying that their file had been set up in error.
So, like the trusting idiot I am, I believed them, and thought no more about it.
Last week, I recieve yet another letter from them saying that I now owe a £100 "Penalty" due to my non-payment of non-excistant tax!
I recieved no Tax Demand or anything else, yet, according to their computers, I owe them money still!
I give up, I really do. Words fail me, at the gross incompetence and stupidity of these idiots.
