It beggars belief.

dreamdaisy

Me and 'im indoors are law-abiding folk but every now and again we wonder why we bother.

As you may remember we moved on 13.12.13 so he informed our Borough Council shortly after (by phone) that this happened, detailing both addresses. Today we received a letter (sent to our new address) asking us to furnish the details of the new address ( :? ) so that their records could be amended and the outstanding tax on the old address could be properly calculated together with what we owe on the new address (that they apparently don't have on their records). Ye gods. DD

villier

All I am going to say typical councils :roll: xx

mig

You couldn't make it up. Mig

applerose

Maybe you are expecting too much of them DD. It is the council after all.

bubbadog

I don't know what to say! You pay peanuts you get monkeys!!!

stickywicket

dreamdaisy wrote:

Today we received a letter (sent to our new address) asking us to furnish the details of the new address ( :? )

Tell 'em you don't know it. (With the address at the top of the page, of course.)

mike26

I cant help having a laugh at this dd
stickywicket i think this is a great idea
it my help next time you move dd to ask them where your new address is they are also quick when you owe them something, but very slow
when they owe you..
still we are just getting over xmas :? :?
mike26..

dreamdaisy

Oh Sticky, what a gem of an idea. That is very tempting . . . . . DD

barbara12

play them at there game...I will look in to it..then you don't get back...

marrianne

Well done everyone yes play em at their own game ....DD just dont move again .. is it on par with trying to change utilities ? ....No its worse

daffy2

Can I put a slightly different perspective on this, the result of dealing with Power of Attorney matters among other things? Firstly the person who took the phone call will likely not be the person who deals with the admin of the Council Tax, just someone taking a message which then is dealt with (or not) elsewhere.
Secondly, by writing to you at your new address for confirmation of the move the council can be reasonably certain that the information about the address change is correct and that any financial transactions are going to the correct person. A telephone message doesn't give them that. On the plus side if you keep a record of your reply then, together with their letter, you have something to wave at the council if they subsequently make a mistake with sorting out tax due/to repay.
This system of back checking falls apart somewhat when such letters are sent to someone with advanced dementia whose affairs are being dealt with under a POA hundreds of miles away....I just learned to laugh about it.

dreamdaisy

You make valid points, Daffy (as usual), he and I met in a rates office in 1988 and no way would we have gotten away with this laissez-faire attitude.

It is an utterly bizarre system they have in place. He rang the CT people again today, re-told them all the information they already have (and have proved they have it by writing to us at both addresses :roll: ) and today he learned a little more. The CT people take the phone calls but it's the billing department who sent the recent letter despite the information being on their screens too. He has made a payment, he now has to ring the billing department to tell them this (although it will show on their screens) and then ring the CT people again to tell him that he has made a payment (which will also show on their screens). As we both have a background in private industry the palaver this involves is breath-taking, especially as he is doing their work for them.

The arrogance of those in our pay is sometimes amazing. 'We know you've done this today but you must ring us again and tell us' from the borough council, or a hospital appointment at 9am with the consultant who waltzes in at 9.20 then rushes everyone through (I know we patients are a nuisance but . . . . ). Try any of that when running a private business and you'd be bust in no time at all. DD