Confusion over council tax payment case

MAGISTRATES have apparently dismissed a case over a Lambourn woman’s alleged unpaid tax bill – after West Berkshire Council failed to show up in court.

Court records state there had been “no appearance by the informant” – the district council – despite a claimed debt of almost £3,000.

However this version of events by Her Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS) has been flatly contradicted by the council.

The local authority had brought the case against Marcelle Monument of Three Post Lane, lodging a “complaint for committal to prison for non-payment of council tax and costs” at Reading Magistrates’ Court on Friday,

November 27 last year.

The council was seeking £498.46 in council tax and costs for the period April 1, 2017, to March 31, 2018; £1,188.39 in respect of the same period for the following 12 months and £1,237.38 in respect of the period April 1 last year to March 31 this year.

The total sum was £2,924.23 in unpaid council tax and costs over a three-year period.

A total of 305 people have been sent to prison in the past six years in England and Wales for failing to pay their council tax.

Ms Monument was not present at the preliminary hearing last year and the matter was adjourned.

On Friday, March 5, court records show that Reading magistrates reopened the case against her and Ms Monument was again not present – but, crucially, neither was the council.

The Newbury Weekly News approached West Berkshire Council to ask why the case was apparently not pursued and whether the debt was being written off.

The council’s revenues and benefits team responded by contradicting the information provided by HMCTS.

Its statement said: “We don’t comment on individual cases and under the current circumstances all committal to prison cases based on non-payment have been placed as ‘pending’ during the pandemic.

“This does not mean that the council tax has been paid or written off and the case has not been dismissed.”