Avoiding recovery action

First, and most obviously, make sure you pay your instalments when they are due. If you often forget to pay why not consider payment by direct debit. 

Remember that you also pay online or by telephone 01509 634555. 

If you are struggling to make payments, you can complete our form to request a payment arrangement. You will need to sign in or register for a portal account to access the form.

If you have had a reminder issued to you before a third payment default will result in the full balance becoming due immediately, so if you are late with your payments don’t let it happen more than twice in one year.

Having a summons issued against you can be very distressing, but remember that making (and keeping) an acceptable payment arrangement at that point will stop any further action being taken. You will need to sign in or register for a portal account to access the form.

We will still ask for a liability order as a guarantee but will not use it as long as everything goes to plan on the arrangement.

• Payment of the summonsed balance (including costs) before the court date means that no liability order needs to be requested, so your name will not be put before the magistrates.
• It is still possible to make an arrangement after a liability order is granted against you, but contacting the Council earlier (as soon as a summons is received) will give you more time to pay on an arrangement, and should cut down on the paperwork issued to you.

You should be aware that the granting of a liability order does give us the legal power to take further recovery action in the form of either:

• Attachment Orders to certain kinds of benefit or earnings
• Referral to an Enforcement Agent
• In some cases the instigation of bankruptcy proceedings

It is therefore extremely important to make and keep to payment arrangements made with us