We provide a fixed fee bankruptcy product for local authorities to enable them to recover council tax and non-domestic rates.

What we can offer

• A one stop shop of legal services relating to the collection of council tax and non-domestic rates.
• A regional law firm with offices in Swansea, Cardiff, Bristol, Oxford and Reading.
• For most matters we will undertake the work on a fixed fee basis, so that as a Council you can anticipate the spending requirements for collection of outstanding council tax and non-domestic rates.
• An in-house enquiry services for the location of individuals at no extra cost, as well as discounted rates where enquiry agents are required.
• A first point of call for all advice required by the Council in relation to the collection of council tax and non-domestic rates through our dedicated advice line to our resident solicitor and insolvency practitioner Paul Caldicott on 0870 600 1762.
• The legal solution to outstanding council tax and non-domestic rates debts by providing a full range of insolvency services against individuals and companies to remove the debt from the Council’s books on completion of the bankruptcy/winding-up procedure.
• A team of professionals who have a range of experience covering debt recovery actions, court processes and individual and corporate insolvency. The team are on hand to assist in all aspects of recoveries including ad-hoc advice to the Council.
• A cost effective service for obtaining Liability Orders through to bankruptcy/winding-up.
• A full range of services available in Welsh, English or bi-lingual.

Process

What we can offer

• A one stop shop of legal services relating to the collection of council tax and non-domestic rates.
• A regional law firm with offices in Swansea, Cardiff, Bristol and the Thames Valley.
• For most matters we will undertake the work on a fixed fee basis, so that as a Council you can anticipate the spending requirements for collection of outstanding council tax and non-domestic rates.
• An in-house enquiry services for the location of individuals at no extra cost, as well as discounted rates where enquiry agents are required.
• A first point of call for all advice required by the Council in relation to the collection of council tax and non-domestic rates through our dedicated advice line to our resident solicitor and insolvency practitioner Paul Caldicott on 0870 600 1762.
• The legal solution to outstanding council tax and non-domestic rates debts by providing a full range of insolvency services against individuals and companies to remove the debt from the Council’s books on completion of the bankruptcy/winding-up procedure.
• A team of professionals who have a range of experience covering debt recovery actions, court processes and individual and corporate insolvency. The team are on hand to assist in all aspects of recoveries including ad-hoc advice to the Council.
• A cost effective service for obtaining Liability Orders through to bankruptcy/winding-up.
• A full range of services available in Welsh, English or bi-lingual.

Liability Order

• Receive instructions for an application for a Liability Order. Instructions to be received to a dedicated e-mail address.
• All relevant trace enquiries, property register searches and bankruptcy searches completed against the debtor.
• Complaint made to Magistrates Court seeking a Court summons for the Defendant to be made within 7 days of receipt of instructions (unless a trace is required in which case within 7 days of trace results).
• Attendance at Court seeking a Liability Order.
• Fixed fee of £100.00 plus disbursements*

Enforcement

• We write to debtors seeking payment under Liability Order.
• Consideration of obtaining a charging order before pursuing recovery by instituting insolvency processes.
• Instructions to be obtained for enforcement of Liability Order where no payment received.  Further bankruptcy search completed and Statutory Demand Served within 7 days of instructions (in the case of individuals).
• 21 day period to negotiate Statutory Demand before commencing bankruptcy proceedings/winding up proceedings for the full amount outstanding(winding up proceedings may be commenced within 7 days of instructions without a statutory demand if required).
• Obtain Final Bankruptcy Order/Winding Up Order for full sum outstanding plus costs.

No cost to you*

More information

For more information, or to discuss your individual requirements, please contact a member of the Business Support and Insolvency team.