The six-year Liability Order rule
A Magistrates Court cannot grant a Liability Order more than six years after the debt became due. If the council did not obtain a Liability Order within that window, they may not be able to enforce the debt.
This is different from the debt disappearing — the debt still exists, but the council loses its ability to use enforcement powers.
This is a technical area. If you are being pursued for old council tax debts, ask a regulated debt help specialist or Citizens Advice to review the case.
Once a Liability Order exists, enforcement is not time-limited
If the council obtained a Liability Order in time, they can enforce it many years later. Some very old Liability Orders are still enforced by enforcement agents when councils rediscover old debts.
The visit from an enforcement agent for old council tax debt is usually valid if the underlying Liability Order was properly granted.
What to do when a bailiff visits for old debt
Ask the bailiff for evidence of the Liability Order and its date. Legitimate enforcement agents can produce this.
If the Liability Order is more than six years old (measured from the debt due date, not the Liability Order date), get advice — the enforcement may still be valid but is worth checking.
If the enforcement fees look wrong, or the process seems irregular, get help from a regulated debt help specialist.
DRO or bankruptcy clears all old council tax
If you are being pursued for multiple old council tax debts, a DRO, IVA or bankruptcy clears them all in one go.
For persistent council tax debt problems, this is often the cleanest solution.