Cornwall Council Tax Bailiffs: The Two Firms, and What Happens Next

What happens if you don't pay Cornwall council tax

Cornwall works through the standard recovery stages, a reminder, then a court summons, then a liability order from the magistrates if the arrears are not cleared. It is unusually clear about the cost added at each step, which the sections below draw on rather than leaving vague. What an enforcement agent may do once a liability order exists, and the national fee stages that come with a visit, are set out in our council tax bailiffs guide instead of on this page. Reaching the council early, while the debt is still its to manage, usually leaves the most room to agree an affordable plan.

The two firms Cornwall currently instructs

Cornwall names two enforcement agencies on its own arrears page, Marston Recovery and Bristow and Sutor, and says the current contract with them runs until 31 January 2027, with a fresh procurement expected during 2026. The pair is therefore accurate today, though it may change once the contract is re-let. Cornwall does not say which cases go to which agency, so treat the name on your letter as the one that matters, and see our profiles for Marston and Bristow and Sutor for what each can do.

Cornwall's summons and liability order costs

Cornwall states its court costs plainly: £73 is added when a summons is issued, and another £25 if the magistrates grant a liability order. That makes the price of letting a case run to court easy to see, and it is a solid reason to respond to a summons quickly. Clearing the debt, or arranging it, before the hearing can keep the second charge off the account.

How to pay Cornwall, and the Exceptional Relief fund

Cornwall's recovery team can be reached on 0300 1234 171 during the week, and through an online form for arrears queries. For residents who are struggling, the council runs an Exceptional Relief fund that can reduce a council tax bill in hardship, giving, in its own words, particular attention to vulnerable people, alongside a Crisis and Resilience Fund for sudden emergencies. Neither is an automatic right, but both may be worth applying for before a case moves further. The standard Council Tax Support scheme can also help those on a low income.

Complaints about Cornwall, and help if you're struggling

Cornwall runs a two-stage feedback process and aims to answer a complaint at either stage within 12 weeks, after which the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman can be approached, normally within a year of the problem. A complaint about how one of the two firms behaved, rather than Cornwall's decision to refer, can go instead to the Enforcement Conduct Board, which oversees the private enforcement industry. If a case has already reached Marston or Bristow and Sutor, a plan agreed with Cornwall does not automatically stop the agent, so it usually helps to tell both.