Court Summons
A summons is a document issued by the Magistrates Court concerning unpaid monies. The council will -
- ask the court to grant a liability order for unpaid council tax. This means that the court agrees you owe the money, and the council can take additional steps to collect it
- a summons can be delivered by posting it to the last known address of the debtor. We do not have to prove that the summons or reminder has been received, only that it has been posted
- a leaflet is enclosed with the summons, which explains why it has been issued and what you need to do next. It is important to follow the guidance on this leaflet
Your options if you receive a summons are -
- pay the whole amount of outstanding council tax, plus £30 of the costs, before the hearing date. The remaining £50 costs can be withdrawn
- you are unable to pay in full and have received a Council Tax Special Arrangement order along with your summons. If you fully pay the arranged instalments on or before the agreed dates there will be no further action taken after the court hearing
- you want to dispute the request for a liability order. You must contact the council at least 7 days prior to the court hearing to explain why you believe you are not liable. As a last resort you will be given a time to present your case to the court by way of a telephone hearing
- taking no action. A liability order will normally be granted for the outstanding council tax and court costs. Further action will continue.