Woman attacks council over 4p tax bill sent to dead Sparkhill gran

Nov 14 2009 by Jasbir Authi, Birmingham Mail

A BIRMINGHAM woman has blasted bungling clerks after they sent her a 4p council tax bill for her grandmother who died 18 months ago.

Carol Bradford, of Ward End, was sent the letter despite informing Birmingham City Council that her 98-year-old gran, Violet Foley, had died back in January 2008.

Mrs Bradford, aged 50, said the cost of rectifying the 4p mistake has probably already cost £30.

Mrs Bradford said: “I thought it was a sick joke at first in bad taste.

“It’s ridiculous, stupid and even though someone hadn’t logged it on the system, for that amount you would’ve thought, ‘is it worth it?’”

Mrs Foley had been living on Percy Road, Sparkhill, until she moved into a residential home in January 2007.

Mrs Bradford was appointed executor of her grandmother’s estate following her death on January 2008.

She said: “I’m very organised and keep a diary. I dealt with my father’s death in 2006 and knew there were lots of people to call.

“I rang the council on February 6, 2008, and told them that she had died and the gentleman said he would log it on the system, but I imagine he never did.

“He didn’t ask for a death certificate.