Council Tax court summons

Below is a visual example of a court summons for non-payment of Council Tax to Sunderland City Council. There is a key further down the page, numbered from 1 - 12 that explains each part of the summons.

Key

1. Name and address of the person responsible for paying the costs. The address shown here may be different to the property address. 
2. Your Council Tax account number- you will need this when you attend court.
3. Your summons reference & court reference.
4. Date the summons was issued.
5. Address of the property which the summons relates to.
6. The financial year that the summons relates to.
7. Date charge set- this date shows when the Council Tax charge was set for that year. Each local authority reviews and sets its Council Tax rates annually. These rates are usually confirmed and published in March, following budget approvals and consideration of government guidance.
8. Amount of Council Tax outstanding- this is the amount you owe for this summons.
9. Summons costs - this is the amount you have been charged because you have been issued with a court summons for non-payment of Council Tax.
10. Total amount to be paid, including the outstanding Council Tax and the summons charge. 
11. Location, date and time of the hearing. To avoid court, pay the full amount (including costs) at least one day before the hearing. You can pay online or over the telephone, see details of how to pay on the reverse of your court summons or on the How to pay your Council Tax page.
12. Notes overleaf - it is essential that you read the reverse side of your summons letter, where you will find important information outlining the consequences of ignoring the summons, along with the available options.