A SON has received a council tax bill from the Isle of Wight Council for his late mother’s house — for 1p.
David Egerton, of Freshwater, said he could not believe it when the bill dropped through his letterbox.
David said,
“I thought they couldn’t be serious
“It is laughable, they are literally penny pinching. They have tried to get the last penny out of her.”
“Smacks of Scrooge being in charge”
David’s mother, Molly, died in July, but had not lived in her Newport home since February. She spent her final months in a care home.
David said,
“It must have cost them ten times the amount to send the letter to me.
“It smacks of Scrooge being in charge. I really hope they get to meet their three spirits soon.”
Council “legally obliged to send bill even for small amounts”
An Isle of Wight Council spokesperson said:
“We would like to express our sincere condolences to the family and apologise that this situation has arisen.
“When closing an account, sometimes, due to the calculations, regrettably it can result in small amounts being left owing.
“We would not pursue payment for such a small amount.
“It would be our normal practice for the council tax bill to show that this is for information only, together with an explanation that the council is legally obliged to send a bill even for small amounts.
“It is with regret that this did not happen on this occasion and we are very sorry for any distress this may have caused.”
