The Community Charges (Administration and Enforcement) Regulations 1989

Responsible individuals

4.—(1) The registration officer for a charging authority may, with the object of enabling him to form a view whether the responsible individual or any other person is, has been or is about to become subject to a community charge of the authority by virtue of any relevant property, request (by notice given in writing) a responsible individual as regards that property to supply to him such information as is specified in the notice.

(2) Each of the following is a responsible individual as regards any relevant property for the purposes of this regulation (so that one or more individuals may be responsible individuals with respect to the same property)–

(a) every individual aged 18 or over who is in occupation of the property,

(b) every individual aged 18 or over who holds a lease or underlease of the property, or who owns the property, and

(c) such other individual aged 18 or over whom the registration officer considers it appropriate to designate from time to time as a responsible individual with respect to the property.

(3) Information requested under paragraph (1) shall be supplied by the person requested to supply it if it is in his possession or control, and shall be so supplied within 21 days of the day on which the request is made.

(4) Without prejudice to section 233 of the Local Government Act 1972, a notice given under paragraph (1) in respect of persons falling within paragraph (2)(a) may be served by addressing it by the description of “occupier” of the relevant property (naming the relevant property) and by leaving it at, or (if the property has a postal address) by sending it by post to, the relevant property.

(5) If more than one person falls within the description in paragraph (2)(a) in respect of any relevant property and a notice given under paragraph (1) is served in the manner described in paragraph (4), their duty to supply the information is satisfied if one of the occupiers supplies it on behalf of all of them.

(6) A registration officer may revoke a designation under paragraph (2)(c).

(7) If any relevant property is a building or part of a building, an individual owns it for the purposes of paragraph (2)(b) only if he owns a freehold estate in it.

(8) In this regulation “relevant property” means a building, a part of a building, a caravan or a houseboat.