Blackburn with Darwen Council: Tax error nearly cost mum hundreds

Following the Lancashire Telegraph's intervention and a threat of legal action, the authority has since apologised and said they will resolve their error.

The mum-of-two, who wishes to remain anonymous and will be referred to as Kiera, was ordered to pay backdated council tax on a Darwen property she purchased in December 2020; that was despite being told she would not be charged the inflated rate for another seven months.

Kiera, originally from Hoddlesden, was told by the council’s Empty Properties Team that she would have to start paying 200 per cent council tax from December 2022 if the Sandy Lane property remained unoccupied.

Sandy Lane, Darwen

However, Kiera said she was given the incorrect information at the time and that she should have been paying the 200 per cent premium from May 2022, when the previous owners vacated the building.

At the beginning of July 2022, she received a revised council tax bill informing her that she now owed Blackburn with Darwen Council more than £2,944 for back payments of the 200 per cent premium – around £1,400 more than she would usually pay.

Kiera, 36, said this was an error on the council’s part and that she shouldn’t be charged and punished for their mistake.

She said: “I made a decision to allow my boys to finish their school year in July 2022 so that we could relocate over the school summer holidays.

“Had I been given the correct date when I first purchased the house I would have moved in the Easter holidays and never would have had to pay 200 per cent council tax.

“But they told me I didn’t need to move in until December before charging me.”

The first 200 per cent payment, of more than £350, came out of Kiera’s bank account on August 23 leaving her with just £5 in her bills account.

This is despite back-and-forth emails with the Empty Properties Team that date back to the beginning of July.

Kiera, who is currently living in Oxfordshire, said: “When I saw that the money had been taken from my account I was so annoyed

“They have already admitted liability but still proceeded to take 200 per cent council tax.

“Given we are in the midst of an economic crisis, it is unrealistic to ask anyone to find even a pound more than is absolutely necessary at present never mind forcing someone to pay double their normal bill! 

“I am due to relocate this week and that money may have been needed to buy essential items for the property.

“Now all of the money has gone out of my account. I am fortunate that I have had any bills come out of my account until September 1 so my account won’t go into a deficit.”

Since speaking with the Lancashire Telegraph earlier this week, Kiera says the council has agreed to offset the 200 per cent council tax and apply a discount which will cover the overpayment, agreeing that this is an Empty Properties Team error.

She had high praise for council tax manager who helped her resolve the matter.

She said: “I was beyond grateful to him for sorting out this issue as quickly as he did and I sent him an email of thanks, as being expected to pay an extra £1,400 in Council Tax would have put more financial pressure on me at a time where everybody is struggling to make ends meet.”

However, she is still frustrated at the situation and questions if the matter would have been resolved if she hadn't threatened legal action or contacted local media.

She continued: “I believe this matter was only sorted in my favour due to threatening legal action and also informing the council that I had spoken to the media about the issue. 

“I would have happily taken Blackburn with Darwen Council to court regarding this issue as I had written proof that I was given the incorrect information.

"I would warn anyone that buys an empty property within the council to check when it actually became empty as this would be the start date of the 24-month countdown, rather than from their date of purchase.

"I am glad this matter has been resolved in my favour as had I been liable for the extra payments, I am not sure how I would have coped!”

A council spokesperson has apologised for the error.

They told the Lancashire Telegraph: “We work hard to reduce the number of empty properties in Blackburn with Darwen which can cause problems in our neighbourhoods.  

“Our Empty Properties team regularly contact all owners of empty properties to work with them to bring these homes back into occupation.

“Any home that is empty and unfurnished for two years or more is liable for a premium council tax charge – 200 per cent of the charge for the relevant council tax band.  

“While we cannot comment on individual cases, we apologise for the human error that led to incorrect information being shared with the homeowner initially.

“We’re now working with her and looking at the new information she has provided.”