Bolton motor trader hounded by council for rent on land it doesn't own

Ian Walker says despite frequent phone calls to the local authority, he keeps getting chased for cash.

Mr Walker used to rent a garage on a plot of land off Whitecroft Road, Bolton.

The land was sold by Bolton Council in 2019 and now belongs to Mr Walker’s neighbour.

But he is still being sent invoices for £64.

The letters for payment have been sent almost every month since last year and Mr Walker says he is even being threatened with a court summons.

Mr Walker, who owns a car business in Chorley Old Road, told The Bolton News: “The council keep sending me a bill to pay on the garage for £64 and follows it up with a summons to take me to court and sue me.

“They send it every couple of months, but the council sold the land in 2019. They’re so stupid, they didn’t even know when I rang them that it had been sold.

“I’ve told them about it but still get letters. I’ve had 22 letters of these invoices with six demands from debt collections threatening me with court.”

Paul and Ruth Whitehead bought the land off the council in 2019.

Mr Whitehead said: “Even I’m getting letters asking me to pay the garage fee – and I own it.”

The site was a garage colony, where people put garages up and paid the council a yearly fee.

A spokesman for the council said: “This looks like an administrative error on our part and we’re getting it fixed.”

Ian said: “I said to the council, please take me to court, because I can then show you up for what you are.

“They gave us notice that were selling it in 2019 and said we had to clear out our garages and so we pulled them down.

“Coincidentally, my neighbour bought it. I told the council but I’m not going to keep telling them, that’s not my job.

“I told my neighbour too and he laughed about it.

“It’s ridiculous and shows their incompetence. They need showing up for it, because clearly there is some lack of communication going on.”