What is magistrates court like?

If magistrates say it shouldn't be in court and then award £70 liability orders?

• do you consider this appropriate or maybe oppressive? I get paid 5 weeks in arrears, our local council ask for council tax in advance: I went before the magistrates in Court 5 at mansfield this morning and they awarded a £70 liability order against me AFTER explaining to the council representative that this matter should not have made it to court as its a simple lack of communication. I had paid each month as soon as I was paid and then received a letter stating I had already been charged £46 because I had failed to pay on the 1st of the month (in advance), I would be charged an extra £24 if I elected to attend court. I find this personally oppressive and saw no need for my council in Mansfield Notts to take this stance as all they do is make an enemy and don't actually encourage any empathy for any future predicament they might find themselves in. I begin to understand why so many go down the route of criminality and why there is so much hatred in the area- why are stealth taxes like this being brought into play- its £70 i cannot afford without anguish and totally unnecessary. Do any of you find that when a person pays each month and then gets told they need to pay before they actually receive their wages - that this is 'oppression'? When the magistrates said "this shouldn't have reached court and is a simple lack of communication" - when they award the council £70 in liability order charges- that the magistartes may be themselves- hypocrites that eat from the same trough -so to speak? I personally find our system oppressive and really do want your honest opinion as I see this behaviour as being one cause of people electing to be unemployed.

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  Good Question