Crafty990
War Hero

Hi everyone, I am after some advice with regards to Council Tax liability and GDPR data sharing within a Borough council. I am wondering if anyone has had a similar issue?
I evicted a tenant from my sole rental property after court proceedings in July 2018. Refurbished and re-let in October. I was awaiting a council tax bill for the unoccupied period and when one didn't arrive the matter went off my radar.
Fast forward to two weeks ago and a letter arrives from a collection agency demanding the deficit + court costs + agent's fees taking it to more than double the original amount. This was the first correspondence I had received with regards to the debt. It turns out the Borough Council had been sending letters to my previous address which I moved out from nearly 3 years ago. Since moving I have been corresponding with the council on numerous other issues regarding the rental property including Environmental Health, Housing Benefit Direct Payments and even household waste collection. All in writing to my new address. I am also on the electoral register at my new address.
The council are now saying that because I didn't update my address with the council tax department in particular, I am liable for all costs. They state that because of GDPR, they cannot share data across multiple systems and departments within the same organisation.
My argument is that, although I admit the matter slipped my mind, it was reasonable to assume that because I had updated my address with other departments, all being related to the rental of this property, and because I was on the electoral register at my new address, I could assume that there was no need to update with every single department within the council. I Had a smashing conversation with a council employee who's argument was "that's just the way it works" when I questioned the inadequacy of having to update personal details with every department. I was winging it a bit when I said that data could quite happily be shared within the same organisation without breaching DP or GDPR and I have subsequently found no evidence to the contrary. I also cannot find any section of GDPR that states you cannot share data within one organisation. I believe the Council systems are at fault for not updating my details across the board.
Has anyone had any similar experience or are there any GDPR gurus out there that can say one way or the other?
I evicted a tenant from my sole rental property after court proceedings in July 2018. Refurbished and re-let in October. I was awaiting a council tax bill for the unoccupied period and when one didn't arrive the matter went off my radar.
Fast forward to two weeks ago and a letter arrives from a collection agency demanding the deficit + court costs + agent's fees taking it to more than double the original amount. This was the first correspondence I had received with regards to the debt. It turns out the Borough Council had been sending letters to my previous address which I moved out from nearly 3 years ago. Since moving I have been corresponding with the council on numerous other issues regarding the rental property including Environmental Health, Housing Benefit Direct Payments and even household waste collection. All in writing to my new address. I am also on the electoral register at my new address.
The council are now saying that because I didn't update my address with the council tax department in particular, I am liable for all costs. They state that because of GDPR, they cannot share data across multiple systems and departments within the same organisation.
My argument is that, although I admit the matter slipped my mind, it was reasonable to assume that because I had updated my address with other departments, all being related to the rental of this property, and because I was on the electoral register at my new address, I could assume that there was no need to update with every single department within the council. I Had a smashing conversation with a council employee who's argument was "that's just the way it works" when I questioned the inadequacy of having to update personal details with every department. I was winging it a bit when I said that data could quite happily be shared within the same organisation without breaching DP or GDPR and I have subsequently found no evidence to the contrary. I also cannot find any section of GDPR that states you cannot share data within one organisation. I believe the Council systems are at fault for not updating my details across the board.
Has anyone had any similar experience or are there any GDPR gurus out there that can say one way or the other?