Being taken to court for money not yet owed?

[Karis]

When is the final payment due?

 

Well, it's for the period 2011/2012 so it'll be Feb 2012.

[Halibut]

Well, it's for the period 2011/2012 so it'll be Feb 2012.

 

I'd ignore all the stuff about courts - just phone them and tell them the payment isn't due yet.

[denlin]

They do this because their system can't cope if you are in front, it confuses it. A friend of mine had the same problem. if you pay on or about due date you're OK but in effect you owe Januarys payment but their system thinks you're in arrears. Ring them up and explain that if they don't sort it you will go to court with your payment slips and they'll have to pay court costs

[denlin]

Well, it's for the period 2011/2012 so it'll be Feb 2012.

 

It's January actually Feb/March are free months

[truman]

............................

 

sorry,posted on wrong thread

[HeadingNorth]

It's January actually Feb/March are free months

 

People now have the option whether to spread the cost over ten months, or twelve; the OP may have chosen twelve.

 

 

Either way, the council are going to look pretty silly if they've allowed him 10/12 months to pay and are trying to sue him for a payment not yet due. Personally I'd want to ring the council and get it sorted out; for all that it would be funny to watch them humiliate themselves, I have better things to do with my days than waste one of them in a courtroom.

[Chris_Sleeps]

Even still, I got a letter demanding the final amount or they would take legal action.

 

And that got me to thinking: is it fair or ethical in any way, to take a person to Court for money not yet owed?

I'd imagine that it is just an administrative error. The council would only take a person to court if their arrears were big enough to justify the cost of court time. Beyond that one would hope they'd try the nicer "gentle reminder" route first.

[denlin]

I'd imagine that it is just an administrative error. The council would only take a person to court if their arrears were big enough to justify the cost of court time. Beyond that one would hope they'd try the nicer "gentle reminder" route first.

 

That's correct, my friend was taken to court for being in front with her payments - the system can't cope with it. Council had to pay costs

[MrSmith]

I'd imagine that it is just an administrative error. The council would only take a person to court if their arrears were big enough to justify the cost of court time. Beyond that one would hope they'd try the nicer "gentle reminder" route first.

 

I agree, but they do like to make idle threats that they have no intension of following through.

[Chris_Sleeps]

my friend was taken to court for being in front with her payments

Really?

 

In my work I know people with arrears of two/three years who haven't been taken to court yet. Madness for the courts to even entertain a case that is in credit.