If you miss paying an instalment, a reminder will be sent asking you to bring the account up to date within seven days.
Should you pay the amount requested on the reminder, you may continue paying by instalments. You are allowed one late payment only, in each financial year.
If your payments fall behind a second time, a Final Notice may be issued.
A reminder will ask you to pay your outstanding instalment within seven days.
Final Notice
A Final Notice means you have lost the right to pay by instalments, so will ask you to pay the full outstanding balance within seven days.
If you are unable to pay the amount due, please contact the Business Rates Team immediately.
If you do not pay, or make any contact, a summons will be issued, and a Liability Order subsequently obtained from the Magistrates’ Court.
This will incur additional costs that will be added to your account.
A Liability Order gives the Council the right to:
- Make an arrangement with the ratepayer to clear the debt and the costs
- Pass the case to the council’s enforcement officers who will recover the money owed to the council and additional costs will be incurred
- Commence bankruptcy or liquidation proceedings
Failure to recover the debt by the above methods, may ultimately result in the council applying to the Magistrates’ Court for a committal warrant, which can result in a term of imprisonment.