A couple who refused to pay council tax on a house they owned in Kingswood for four years have been ordered to pay hundreds of pounds
Rachel and Paul Wells did not pay any council tax on the property from 2014 to 2018.
During their first hearing at Bristol Magistrates’ Court in July last year the Rachel Wells said that paying council tax had not been a priority due to their financial circumstances.
She told the court that the property in Kingswood was undergoing completion and should be sold within four to five weeks.
On this evidence, magistrates agreed to adjourn the case until August 2018.
The couple were told they would not need to attend if the property had been sold and the money was paid to South Gloucestershire Council.
In August the debt was still due and the couple failed to attend court.
This led to a further adjournment until September and attempts were made to contact the pair to discuss their non-attendance, without success.
When it came to the September hearing, the Wells’ again failed to attend.
South Gloucestershire Council requested an application for a warrant without bail which was granted by the court.
Further investigations revealed the couple had sold their Kingswood property in August 2018 and had moved to Wales without paying the debt they owed to South Gloucestershire Council.
The couple were eventually arrested at their home in Treorchy in Wales in May this year and taken to Bristol Magistrates’ Court.
They were ordered to pay £4331.66 and handed a 12 week suspended sentence for wilful refusal to pay council tax.
The council’s cabinet member for corporate resources, Ben Burton, said: “Council tax plays an important role in the financing and delivery of vital council services that benefit residents every day.
“This couple were given every opportunity to pay the council tax they owed but still tried to avoid it at all costs.
“The vast majority of hard working people pay their council tax on time and it isn’t fair that some try to cheat the system in this way.
“Let there be no doubt, if people refuse to pay their council tax, we will explore all measures to recoup any outstanding payments; including court action if necessary.”
