COUNCIL tax, National Insurance, tax, tax tax, at the end of the month 90% of your wages have gone on it and for what??? Recently I had a great little experience with Council Tax, I came home to a letter saying I owed them £1394 on a property I had not lived in for 18 months with a couple of friends who now live in Australia. On contacting the most helpful call centre - yeh right, I was advised that actually it was £2599 I owed and why hadn't I paid it yet, many letters had been sent, 2 court summons and as not paid it had now gone to the Balliffs. I said to the most helpful call centre twat, "you were advised we were moving out as my flatmates had advised their new address details at the same as they moved around the corner, but they now live in Australia and I have no way of contacting them". The most helpful call centre twat said "we have never been told this, how will you be paying?", "I am not paying Council Tax for a property I have not lived in, who do I contact to dispute this?" I asked. She advised to email a copy of both tenancy agreements but that I would have to pay regardless. Two days letter I received a letter from the Balliffs saying they would be around in the next 14 days to collect the money or assets to the value of £2599. The next morning I went into the Council ready for a fight, I took a number and sat down and then for the next 20 minutes I was entertained by likes of woman yelling or crying at the workers or men slamming their fists on the desks also yelling abuse all the while these workers sit there calmly taking it all - not a job I would ever want to do. I was quite surprised by how nice the lady I got was and after 10 minutes she explained that it was an error on their part, she called off the Balliffs and would send me out a confirmation letter. I walked out of the Council feeling a huge wave of relief that it was all cleared up. A week later .... a letter from the Balliffs arrived this time in a bright red envelope explaining that I still owed £2599 and that they would be in the area in the next 14 days to collect. The Coucil received yet another call from me the following day and they explained that it was an error and would call off the Balliffs, but actually on looking at the account I was actually owed £139 !!! I asked her to repeat herself as did not think I heard that correctly, "we owe you £139 Miss Nicholson". "Oh" I said and was advised that a credit would be sent out to me in the next few days. A few days later however, I received another red envelope from my new friends the Balliffs saying that I owed the Council £139 and that they would coming to collect in next 14 days. Oh my would this saga never end ... I guess not. Another phone call to the Council and again "we are sorry Miss Nicholson, they have been called off it will not happen again". A few days later ..... oh yeah you guessed it ... another letter, but this time from the Council. "We are unable to send you a credit as there are more than one name on the bill, please get the approval of the others to get the cheque written in your name". What a joke, they know that they live in Australia and that I have no contact details ..... is the Council run by 5 year olds, no, they would do a better job of it .... the saga continues .... :0(