WIRRAL Council took a man to court for unpaid Council Tax for a house he had sold ten years ago.

Sivasubramanian Ranjan said he was "quite shocked" when letters came through his door from the local authority threatening to take action.

Mr Ranjan, who lives in Moreton, said he sold his property at 34 Poulton Road in Seacombe in 2014 for both the shop and the flat above it. The Land Registry confirms a sale of the property for £65,000 took place that year.

However ten years later in 2024, he started getting letters from Wirral Council demanding he pay for council owed for the flat above.

In June 2024, he was told he owed £61.83 for unpaid Council Tax in May 2021 and £104.97 for money due between August and September 2022.

He said he had tried to tell the council he'd sold the property seven years before the unpaid Council Tax which meant he did not owe the money.

However he told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: "They didn't listen and said it's yours.

"I do not know why. I even asked them why they can’t check with the Land Registry.

"They said you are responsible but I sold it in 2014. They do not listen. The administration is very poor.

"I am quite shocked. It’s really funny because the council has the ability to contact the Land Registry."

In June 2024, Mr Ranjan was told he was being summoned for a hearing at Merseyside Magistrates’ Court. He was told by the Local Authority: "You will be asked to answer the complaint that you are the person who is legally responsible for paying the Council Tax."

The hearing took place on July 25 and the court issued a Liability Order bringing the total charge to £290.80. The letter demanded that money “must be made immediately.”

He told the LDRS it was "a bit of a shock" when the letters came through, adding that the letters have upset him and affected his health: adding "This shouldn’t happen to anyone. I have always kept on top of my Council Tax but it's not my property. I do not know what will happen."

A council spokesperson said: "Our teams have investigated and confirmed that Mr Ranjan is not liable, having sold the property in 2014.

"The case was initially pursued as we were not aware that Mr Ranjan was no longer the owner.

"The liability order and charge have been cancelled and we extend our apologies to the gentleman for any inconvenience or upset this has caused."