FENLAND District Council has initiated extra court hearings as it gets tough with people who fail to pay their Council Tax. The council has sent out Council Tax reminders to all who have yet to pay their April instalments and this will be followed by a co

FENLAND District Council has initiated extra court hearings as it gets tough with people who fail to pay their Council Tax.

The council has sent out Council Tax reminders to all who have yet to pay their April instalments and this will be followed by a court summons if the money is not paid by the second week in May.

Every court summons comes with an additional bill for £65 to cover court costs, so the council is urging people to pay up soon to avoid this extra cost.

The summons is an application for a Liability Order, which allows the council to recover owed money directly from a defaulter's wages or by using bailiffs.

In order to speed up the process of recovering Council Tax, the council has now initiated court hearings every month rather than every two months.

While Fenland Council is clamping down on late payers, it is also keen to work with people who have fallen into arrears for previous years. It urges those people in difficulty to telephone the council on 01354 654321 or make contact by e-mail at counciltax@fenland.gov.uk

The council is also keen to help people on low incomes to receive the support they need with paying their Council Tax or rent. Anyone who would like help can contact the council on 01354 654321 or via e-mail at benefits@fenland.gov.uk