Reminders, summonses and enforcement

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Paying your Business Rates on time

You are required to make payments by the due dates shown on the bill and should allow at least 4 days for the payment to be received by the Council. Where payments are not received on time, recovery action will commence immediately.

If you are unable to pay or are experiencing financial difficulty please contact the Business Rates team on 020 8708 4357.

Reminders

We will only send you one reminder notice in any year. If you miss a payment or your payments are made late, you will be sent a reminder notice. The notice will tell you the amount required to bring your account up to date. You must bring your payments up to date within 7 days of the date on the notice. Providing you do this, you can continue paying by monthly instalments. 

If you do not bring your payments up to date within 7 days, after a further 7 days you will lose your right to pay by instalments. The full balance outstanding on your account must then be paid immediately or otherwise a summons may be issued.

Final Notice

If you miss a payment or pay late again, a final notice will be sent to you and your right to pay by instalments will be cancelled. The full balance outstanding on your account must then be paid immediately or otherwise a summons will be issued. 

Summons

If you do not pay the full amount due, we will apply to the local Magistrates' Court for a summons to be issued. The issue of a summons will incur legal costs of £214.50, which you will also have to pay. If you do not pay the full amount of business rates and costs before the court hearing and a liability order is issued further legal costs of £13.50 will also become payable. 

 

If you receive a summons

If you are unable to pay the amount shown on the summons you should contact us immediately on 020 8708 4357.  We will be able to advise you on the best course of action and offer a payment arrangement. If the amount remains unpaid we will seek a liability order at the court hearing.

You have the right to attend the Court, although the hearing is only to determine your liability, not your ability to pay. Any questions relating to rateable value will not be dealt with by the Court, you will need to contact the Valuation Office.

Where payment of the amount shown on the summons is not made, or a payment arrangement has not been agreed, further recovery action will be taken. This may include the use of Enforcement Agents (previously known as Bailiffs), bankruptcy or liquidation and ultimately imprisonment.

 

Business Rate debt collection stage

Compliance Stage

If a Liability order is issued by the Magistrates' Court, this can be passed to an Enforcement Agent for collection. Once they receive the Liability Order, a fee of £75 becomes payable in respect of each Liability Order referred to the Enforcement Agent.

On receipt of each Liability Order, the Enforcement Agent will issue a written Notice of Enforcement that provides you a minimum period of 7 clear days in which to pay the outstanding Business Rates or reach an agreement for payment with them.

During the Compliance Stage, the Enforcement Agent may also contact you by other means including telephone, text or email.

Enforcement stage

Following the expiry of the Compliance Stage, the Enforcement Agent will visit your property to seek to "Take Control of Goods". This action will add a further fee of £235. If the debt you owe exceeds £1500, further fees will be payable. (See table below)

At this stage you may still enter into a payment plan acceptable to the Enforcement Agent, known as a "Controlled Goods Agreement". This will prevent immediate removal of the goods seized.

Fees - Take Control of Goods

If the Enforcement Agent is unable to agree a payment arrangement or collect the amount outstanding, they must take control of your possessions.  If this is necessary they are taken to a place of sale or are sold and a further fee of £110 will be payable. If the debt you owe exceeds £1,500, further fees will be payable in addition to the £110.

 

Enforcement Stage - £235.00

	Percentage Fees	Percentage Fees
Fixed Fee	£0 - £1500	Over £1,500
£235.00	0%	7.5%

 

Sale or Disposal Stage - £110.00

	Percentage Fees	Percentage Fees
Fixed Fee	£0 - £1,500	Over £1,500
£110.00	0%	7.5%

If you have made an arrangement, the Liability Order will be held until the agreed payment plan is cleared. If you receive any notice from the us regarding the non-payment of your Business Rate, do not ignore it, as this may mean that further action will be taken with additional costs being incurred.