Paying by instalments
All ratepayers have the right to pay their Business Rates by
instalments, but you must pay regularly and on time. If your
payments fall behind more than twice within a financial year you
can lose that right.
Reminders and final notices
All ratepayer accounts are checked every month, if you have not
paid an instalment when it is due, you will be sent a reminder
asking you to bring your account up-to-date. If you do not pay
after the reminder, or if your instalments fall behind more than
twice in a year, you will lose your right to pay by
instalments. If this happens you will have seven days to pay
the balance of your account (the amount outstanding for the rest of
the year).
Summonses
If you do not pay your account in full, a summons, issued by the
Magistrates Court, will be sent for the outstanding balance, Court
costs will be added to your account because the summons has been
issued. The summons will tell you the date and time of the Court
hearing, you have the right to go to the Court and give evidence as
to why you feel that you should not have to pay the amount due. If
you decide not to go to Court, you can contact the Business Rates
Team to see if a special payment arrangement can be entered into.
Should this be done and provided you keep to the arrangement,
then you may not have to pay any extra costs.
Liability orders
The Magistrates Court, on the day of the Court hearing, will
grant liability orders and these give the Council power to recover
the debt. The Business Rates team will send you a letter after the
Court hearing giving you seven days to settle the balance including
costs and informing you that the next course of action will be for
the bailiffs to call.
Bailiffs
If the balance remains unpaid, bailiffs may employed to
recover the debt, this will result in you paying extra costs and
these can be quite high. They may make a list of your goods,
but as long as you agree to repay the debt, they will only remove
the goods if you do not keep to the agreement. If the bailiffs
remove your goods, they can sell them and use the money to repay
the debt.
The Council uses bailiff services provided by
Rossendales Ltd (new window) who offer a
range of methods for making payments (new
window), including online payments, by telephone, at a Post
Office or Payzone outlet and by cheque or bank giro credit.
Debt management and recovery policy
The Council has a debt management and recovery policy in place
which will be followed by the Business Rates team to ensure that
all debts are recovered where ever possible.
If recovery proceedings have been taken against you for non-payment
of rates, you will lose the right to any interest you may have been
entitled to if a refund is due following a successful rating
appeal.
Contact us
For more information or enquiries about Business Rates you can
contact Suffolk Coastal’s Business Rates Team by:
Telephone: 01394 444546 or
444544,
Email:
businessrates@suffolkcoastal.gov.uk,
Fax: 01394 444247.
Business Rates Team,
Suffolk Coastal District Council,
Melton Hill,
Woodbridge IP12 1AU.