In July 2023 the Council introduced a new Former Tenant Debt Recovery Agency to assist with the collection of all former tenant debts. This triggered a review of all outstanding debts.

Following this review, a number of accounts had been identified as requiring write offs for debts where all avenues of recovery have been exhausted, the debt is statute barred (6 year old debt) rendering it unrecoverable for legal action or the debtor has passed away and there is no money in the estate to cover the debts.

The motion was MOVED by Cllr Kendall and SECONDED by Cllr Laplain.

A vote was taken by a show of hands and was RESOLVED UNANIMOUSLY

R1: To agree that the following debt amounts are approved for write off. A: Former Tenant Debt £66,663.87 B: Temporary Accommodation Debt £122,607.67 C: Miscellaneous Debt £13,056 Total: £202,327.54

REASON FOR RECOMMENDATION

Following a review of all former tenant debts. The below debts have been deemed to be unrecoverable for various reasons.

·         10 cases totalling £3691.33 are deemed statue barred. This means they are older that 6 years and officers have been unable to progress to the legal stage of collection.

·         275 temporary accommodation cases between 2004-2017 totalling £122,607.67 are deemed statue barred. This means they are older than 6 years and Officers have been unable to progress to the legal stage of collection.

·         18 cases totalling £12,329.16 are deceased residents where there is no money left in the estate to cover the rent debt left on the account.

·         50 cases totalling £50,643.38 are where all avenues of recovery and tracing of the person have failed by our specialist debt recovery agency and therefore are deemed uncollectable.

·         A single miscellaneous case of shared equity loan under recovery totalling £13,056.

·         The overall debt write off figure being proposed is £202,327.54

·         By writing these debts off officers can focus on the recovery of the debts we are able to redeem and work more efficiently.