Council wrongly sent bailiffs to single mother

The woman, who has not been named, owned and rented out a property but became liable for the council tax arrears of a tenant who left, a Local Government Ombudsman report said.

She had notified Birmingham City Council that she was not living there, the property was vacant and she was also seeking to sell it.

But the authority later proceeded to send council tax reminders, a court summons and liability order to the address meaning the woman had no knowledge of the bill.

In the meantime she had sold the property and after calling the council to give them the details of the new owner, she received two letters on the same day to her new address.

One of them was a £700 bill for council tax arrears and the other stated bailiffs would be visiting her in two days’ time.

The Ombudsman report said it caused the victim 'distress'.

The report said: "She is a single parent with two children and in receipt of Universal Credit due to her low income. She could not raise the amount due."

The watchdog then ruled that the council ‘compounded its errors’ by mistakenly telling the woman they could apply a 25 per cent single person discount to her council tax arrears – a decision it later reneged on when it realised she was not actually entitled to it.

The Ombudsman confirmed the council accepted they should have identified the woman’s proper address earlier and as a result apologised, removed the court costs from the bill and returned the account from bailiffs.

They also told the authority to further deduct £150 from the bill ‘in recognition of the distress and frustration it caused Miss B and the time and trouble it put her to’.

If you feel the council has caused you an injustice visit www.lgo.org.uk for information on how to complain to the Local Government Ombudsman.