MORE than 100 hard-up householders and companies in York face the threat of bailiffs every week over council tax arrears – which has netted the council half a million pounds in late payment fines over the last three years.

According to figures obtained by The Press under the Freedom Of Information Act, 15,819 liability orders, which enable the council to send in the bailiffs to get the tax, were issued by York Magistrates’ Court in 2009, 2010 and 2011 to householders and companies for not paying council tax or business rates.

In 2009, courts issued 5,348 liability orders and netted £158,151. In 2010, they issued 5,044 orders and received £141,388 and last year a further 5,427 orders were issued, realising a further £125,084.

In total, this amounts to £424,623 netted in fines.

The most affected parts of the city tended to be in the YO31, YO24 and YO10 post code areas.

Liability orders are requested by a council and, once granted, enable it to take enforcement action.

Consumer advice experts have urged people or businesses that cannot pay their bills to seek advice at an early stage.

Once a liability order has been issued by a court and an acceptable payment arrangement cannot be agreed with a debtor, action can be taken including the deployment of bailiffs or bankruptcy.

Responding to the Freedom of Information request, City of York Council said very few liability orders are ever contested due to few defences being able to be stood up. But it said the issue of liability orders “can generate a high volume of enquiries from aggrieved customers wishing to ‘complain’ about the action being taken”.

Council tax in York ranges from £926 for a Band A property to £2,778 for a Band H property. The money contributes a significant proportion of a council’s annual budget.

Councils also collect business rates, but this money goes into a UK pot before being reallocated to councils based on a population and needs formula.