Learn how a Notice of Discontinuance impacts your credit.
Understanding Notices of Discontinuance
If the City lodges a Minor Case Claim or General Procedure Claim at the Magistrates Court in respect of unpaid rates and charges on your property, it becomes a public record and is likely to appear on your credit file for five years. A Notice of Discontinuance ensures that your credit file correctly reflects settlement of the debt and discontinuance of debt recovery proceedings.
When a Notice of Discontinuance cannot be issued?
A Notice of Discontinuance can't be issued if an Admission of Claim form has been lodged at the Magistrates Court or if a Property Seizure and Sale Order has been issued by the City in respect of the particular claim number. In such cases, a Memorandum of Consent Order is required. Please contact Rating Services at 9400 4000 in this regard.
A separate Notice of Discontinuance is required for each claim number to be discontinued.
How to request a Notice of Discontinuance
- Pay the claim: Settle the claim in full with the City.
- Complete the form: Download and complete the Notice of Discontinuance Request Form below. Note, if you require more than one claim to be discontinued, the fee will be payable for each Notice of Discontinuance you request.
- Pay the application fee: The fee is $44 (inc GST), payable by credit card. You can pay the fee in person at the City’s Customer Care Centre, or by mailing a cheque to the City with your completed form.
After submitting your request
Once received, we will lodge the Notice of Discontinuance at the Magistrates Court. The court places a copy of the Notice in the Minor Case Claim/General Procedure Claim file to indicate the claim has been closed and then notifies Equifax to update your credit file status to show the claim as “Discontinued.”
While the claim will remain visible on your credit file, it will indicate that the debt has been settled and the claim discontinued. This record will no longer be visible on your credit file after five years from the date of lodgement of the claim.
A copy of the Notice of Discontinuance and a confirmation letter will be mailed to the requester on the day this is lodged with the court.
More information and contact
For assistance, please contact the City on 9400 4000 and ask for the Rating Services Team, or via rates@joondalup.wa.gov.au.