You suspect a bailiff (of his company) has been pocketing your council tax instalments

Should you find yourself in a situation where you have diligently been making payments to a bailiff company for your council tax arrears, yet harbour suspicions that these payments have not been forwarded to the council, creating a concerning discrepancy, it is prudent to take the following steps:

1. Compile a comprehensive record of every payment made to both the bailiff and the council.

2. Aggregate the total amount owed based on your tax band and period of occupancy.

3. Deduct any entitlements to council tax benefits from the total calculated in step 2.

4. Deduct the cumulative sum of all payments made (as per step 1) from the total liabilities determined in step 2. This calculation will reveal any outstanding liabilities that remain, or any potential overpayments that have transpired.

5. Further subtract the amount determined in step 3 from the result of step 4, elucidating the precise sum that remains outstanding or is owed by the council.

In the event that you do not possess a comprehensive record of payments made to both entities, it is advisable to dispatch the subsequent letter to the council, with a duplicate to the bailiff:

Conduct a reconciliation between the records maintained by the council and those of the bailiff. Should any discrepancies emerge, particularly concerning missing payments, it indicates a discrepancy in the accounts.

It is pertinent to note that the expenses incurred by the bailiff are statutorily fixed at £75 and £235 for attendance, irrespective of the number of concurrent liability orders.

Here is a template to help get you started.