Council Apologizes After Bailiffs Pursue Man Over Debt Sent to Wrong Address

Buckinghamshire Council has issued an apology to Colin Phillips, 53, following a situation where he was threatened by bailiffs regarding an outstanding council tax debt of £1,139.52. The council acknowledged that the necessary warnings were dispatched to an incorrect address, and Mr. Phillips stated he did not receive the mandatory notification before enforcement agents arrived at his residence. Speaking to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, Mr. Phillips explained that the enforcement correspondence was sent to a previous address, leading to his unawareness of the outstanding amount. The council confirmed its apology to Mr. Phillips, stating that a “resolution” had been achieved in his case, while also affirming that it “fully acknowledged the anxiety this process must have caused”. According to Mr. Phillips, he first became aware of the issue upon receiving a letter from the enforcement agency Newlyn in February 2022. This communication from Newlyn included a threat to seize his belongings, specifically mentioning a vehicle, and sell them at a public auction if he failed to settle a £1,600 debt within a 24-hour timeframe. Mr. Phillips stated, “I had no idea what it was about. That is not right. A lot of people would have folded because they are scared of having goods taken away.” The individual, a project manager, had previously resided in Chesham, Buckinghamshire, before relocating to Tring, Hertfordshire, and subsequently to Stafford. He had leased his Chesham property prior to its sale, but indicated he was unaware of his liability for council tax on the vacant property, given that he was already making payments to Stafford Borough Council. Newlyn dispatched the notice to Mr. Phillips’ former residence, having received an incorrect address from the council, which had not confirmed it as his current dwelling. The total sum of £1,600 encompassed his original £1,139.52 council tax debt along with additional bailiff fees. Mr. Phillips commented, “Trying to extort £500 out of somebody over a mix-up is absolutely and utterly morally wrong and could tip somebody over the edge.” Despite the council’s refusal to concede that it had not issued him a notice of enforcement, Mr. Phillips proceeded to file a formal complaint. An inquiry conducted by the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman identified “fault” in the council’s management of the situation, noting that the council possessed Mr. Phillips’ email address but failed to utilize it. Ultimately, the council consented to remove nearly £500 in bailiff fees from his outstanding balance, in addition to £100 in court costs. John Chilver, the council’s Conservative cabinet member for accessible housing and resources, stated: “We are sorry that on that occasion, our correspondence with the complainant was lacking and he was given incorrect information.” He further added: “We have a legal duty to collect council tax, which pays for local services, and only use enforcement agents as a last resort.” Newlyn chose not to provide a comment on the matter.