FOI request (FOIR-811197879)

Council Tax Enforcement Data for Financial Year 2024/25

Requested Thu 12 March 2026
Responded Tue 24 March 2026

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Response

Please accept my apologies for the delay in responding.

 

1. Council Tax enforcement actions

a. Number of summonses issued for non-payment of council tax b. Number of Liability Orders granted by magistrates for non-payment of council tax c. Number of cases referred to enforcement agents (bailiffs) d. Number of enforcement letters issued by enforcement agents on behalf of the council e. Number of enforcement visits made by enforcement agents on behalf of the council

Answer:

Number of Liability Orders sent

Answer: 4902

Number of cases referred to Enforcement Agents

Answer:  2678

Number of Cases Referred to Enforcement Agents

 

Answer:  2,914

 

Number of Case Visits made by the Enforcement Agents

 

Answer:  4,795

Number of Letters

Answer:

NOTICE OF REFUSAL

 

The information requested in respect of the number of letters would require us to manually check each customer record, this would far exceed the time limit set out by the Information Commissioner therefore under S12 of the Freedom of information Act 2000 provides an exemption from the obligation to comply with a request for information if the estimated costs of complying with that request would exceed the prescribed appropriate limit.

 

We estimate that the costs of complying with your request would exceed the appropriate limit by a significant amount.

 

For this reason we feel unable to comply with this part of your request.

 

2. Fees and charges

a. The summons fee charged  

b. The Liability Order fee charged

 

NOTICE OF REFUSAL

The information you have requested regarding fees and charges is commercially sensitive and falls under Section 43 of the Freedom of Information Act – Commercially Sensitive Information

Information prejudicing commercial interests – commercial interest relating to an organisations commercial activity and may include trading activity procurement and relationships with third parties.

 

The exemption afforded by Section 43 is subject to what is known as the ‘public interest test’.  When applying the test in a particular case a public authority is deciding whether the public interest is better served by non-disclosure than by disclosure. 

 

Although the Freedom of Information Act does not define ‘in the public interest’, there is a presumption under Freedom of Information that openness is in the public interest.  In applying the public interest test a public authority will take into account the distinction that has been often made by courts between things that are in the public interest, and things that merely interest the public.  Where applicants have not identified public interest considerations succinctly or accurately, the public authority has a responsibility under the Act to make their own assessment of the public interest considerations in the particular case.

 

We have identified the following public interest factors that may be seen as encouraging the disclosure of information:

 

a)    accountability of public spending

 

We consider these factors to be of limited relevance in relation to the information in question.

 

Public interest factors seen as encouraging non-disclosure are, generally, the exemptions themselves.   In consideration of this matter we came to the following conclusions:

 

a)   ensuring that companies are able to compete for business fairly

b)   damage to reputation and/or financial interests

 

 

In weighing the factors for and against disclosure we have concluded that the likely benefit to the applicant and the wider public of disclosure is outweighed by the likely prejudice caused by such disclosure and that therefore the public interest is better served by non-disclosure. 

 

For the reasons given above we will not be communicating to you the information you have requested.

 

c. A breakdown of how these fees are calculated or determined

Answer: The charges cover:

• Staff costs (wages)
• Postage, printing and stationery
• IT software

3. Enforcement agent firms used

a. The names of all enforcement agent companies used by the council for council tax collection, recovery, and enforcement during 2024/25 (Please note: I am requesting only the names of the enforcement firms, not contract values or commercially sensitive information.)

Answer: Enforcement Agents used by Hastings Borough Council – Marston’s