A SECOND woman who died more than a year ago has been sent a court summons for non-payment of council tax, it emerged yesterday.

Margaret Bailey, who died in 2003 aged 75, has been told by Darlington Borough Council she owes £515.79, dating from 2004 and 2005, and has been ordered to attend court on Tuesday.

In a further twist, shortly after the summons arrived, a cheque was also sent to Mrs Bailey's former home in Sanderson Road, Hurworth, refunding £64.50 of council tax.

The case comes days after The Northern Echo revealed that Alexandrina Stanton, who died last year aged 88, had been sent a demand for £122 - and her daughter planned to take her ashes to the court hearing.

Mrs Bailey's daughter-in-law, Mavis, 47, said she was shocked when she received the demands and was stunned to read about Mrs Stanton.

She said: "It's ridiculous, she wasn't even alive when this money dates from. Of course we have no intention of paying, it's money we don't owe.

"We sold my mum's house on by November 2003, so why they're asking us for tax after that date I don't know.

"The new occupants moved in in December that year, so it certainly doesn't have anything to do with us anymore.

"The demands are coming to our address, probably because my husband is the executor of the will, but that cheque took the biscuit.

"They're demanding money but then giving it back to us. I think they are barking mad, but my husband gets quite upset about it."

Darlington Borough Council said they sent a letter of apology on April 22, but Mrs Bailey insists she has not received it.

A council spokesman said: "As soon as we knew this woman had died, we stopped sending bills to her. We did not send bills to a dead woman. However, we did make a mistake when we sent bills to the executors thinking they still owned the property.

"When they pointed out that was no longer the case, we sent a letter of apology, and told them to expect a rebate cheque."