We had a similar problem back in my 2nd year of uni. Three of us were students, exempt, and one of us dropped out for a year and was liable for the tax. Again, we were fairly late getting our forms in (or rather, the one housemate who was liable for us all didn't bother to tell us and didn't give us time to sort it out by paying some of the bill which he'd have to pay either way) and we got a court summons.
Basically, I had the ring the council, explain the situation with the late forms, and the court thing was nullified in return for a £50 fine. It still pisses me off that we all agreed to go 1/4 each on the fine, when it actually wasn't our fault.
The liable housemate spent the rest of the year being miserable, as he had this strange idea that despite the fact it was only because he was living there, not being a student, made us liable for council tax in the first place, that we should have all contributed equally to the total bill. He got mugged twice that year, so there is some justice in the world
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Mr Kissyfur wrote:
Pretty much everyone agrees with Gnomes,
really, it's just some are too right on to admit it.