Herefordshire Council Tax Bailiffs: Two Firms, Two Debts

What happens if you don't pay Herefordshire council tax

Herefordshire follows the same national route as every council, with its own stated notice periods along the way. Herefordshire's own page describes three separate missed-payment stages before court action: a reminder giving seven days to pay, a further request if that is missed, then a final notice that removes your right to pay by instalments and demands the full year's balance. A summons usually follows if that is unpaid, adding costs to the account, and a liability order from the magistrates then opens up enforcement unless a payment arrangement is agreed first. The fee stages and entry rules that apply once a case reaches an enforcement agent are set out in our council tax bailiffs guide, not repeated here.

One council, two firms, split by debt type

Herefordshire is a genuine two-firm case, and its own council decision record is the source rather than a guess. A published contract-award decision shows Bristow and Sutor holds the enforcement contract for council tax and business rates debt, running for up to five years from June 2025, continuing a relationship in place since 2019. A separate decision record from the same source shows Jacobs holds the contract for traffic management warrants, a different debt type entirely and not something a council tax case would ever reach. If your letter concerns council tax, it should be Bristow and Sutor; if it concerns a traffic penalty warrant, it should be Jacobs. See our profiles for Bristow and Sutor and Jacobs Enforcement for what either firm can and cannot do once it has a case.

What a summons costs in Herefordshire specifically

Herefordshire's own page states a summons adds a cost of £82.50 to the account, a figure specific to Herefordshire rather than the generic national scale, and repeats this at both the second and third missed-payment stages if a summons is issued at either point. This is separate from the enforcement agent's own fees, which follow the national scale set out in our guide once a case actually reaches an agent.

How to pay Herefordshire directly

Herefordshire's own My Account service at my.herefordshire.gov.uk lets you manage and pay your account online, and its council tax team can be reached by phone on set days, Monday, Thursday and Friday from 10am to 4pm, and Tuesday and Wednesday from 1pm to 4pm, or by email. Herefordshire also runs both a Council Tax Reduction scheme for low-income households and a separate Council Tax Discretionary Hardship Payment for cases the standard scheme does not fully cover.

Complaints about Herefordshire, and help if you're struggling

Herefordshire's own corporate complaints policy covers dissatisfaction with the council's own service, action or lack of action, and generally needs to be raised within 12 months of the issue. The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman is available once that process has finished. A complaint about Bristow and Sutor's or Jacobs' own conduct, rather than Herefordshire's recovery decision, can go to the Enforcement Conduct Board instead, which oversees the private enforcement industry.