The Trooper 1815

iTrader: (31)

Right, rant head on.

Wifey is selling a house she bought and informed the council that she is now longer living there and is applying to stop the council tax. We are living in our own house in another council area and paying council tax there already.

The council in the "selling" house area have just rang to say that they have been to the property and are not happy. They have "gained access"??????? to the property and believe that we are still living there and will not accept our request.

I have a meeting face to face with them on Wednesday

And relax!!!!

T4molie

Breathe man Breathe

Midlife......

iTrader: (2)

AFAIK when the govenment announced that they were going to revalue all housing stock for council tax purposes, local councils were give more powers to enter properties for council tax reasons !!!!


Shaun

Tart Man

So presumably, some council nimby has been to that house, looked through a window and seen furniture and declared it as being lived in. A car parked on the drive would not help either. Of course, you call that temporary storage until the house is sold

Also having personal mail sent there is a nono. Also you should not be on the electoral roll in that area at that address anymore.

Having any of the above is not proof of being lived in, but a council worker would use that to jump to a conclusion; So bascically you want to tell them that this is not the case, and ask them what irrifutable evidence they have that your living there, because if there isn't any. They won't be able to provide any. And the other loose ends you can put down to storage or delays in getting paperwork sorted in re-directing the mail etc.

I have a empty house, and every two weeks or so I got a letter from my council asking why the property has not had any council tax paid on it, Initially it was demands to pay, warnings etc, and I had to phone a number times to get them to back down (same with TV licence ), as the system "automatically" enquires to why tax has not been paid. Funny how they backed down when I said the only occupant was dead and it was a deceased matter and sent them a death certificate...all I get now is a letter every month to confirm that is still the case.

Dracoro

Well, it's simple. You are either living at property A or property B so tell them they can charge you tax on property B so they can not charge you on property A You can't be in 2 places at once after all

ChrisB

My understanding from dealing with my house...

If a property is empty (which I understood to be no furniture), then you can not pay any council tax for up to 6 months (IIRC).

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

ChrisB is right. After my dad's death in December, my sister now owns his house free and clear.

Dispite paying a humongous tax on the property she lives in, and dispite NO-ONE living at my dad's old house, she still has to pay a c/t on it, as it's still furnished.

Even if we remove all the furniture, she only gets 6 months, then it's back to full c/t

And to cap it all, we are trying to get rid of years of his clutter, but the council will NOT empty the bins unless one of us drives 15 miles to the house to put the bin out no earlier than the night before collection, then drives across again on the collection day to put it back.

They would collect from the rear of the property when my dad was alive as he was 92, but WON'T do it now.

Bunch of thieving b@stards!

Alcazar

mannyo

I believe the house must be empty, eg. no furniture or other belongings otherwise there is still the possibility that you could return. Leaving furniture etc. in the property means its habbitable and maybe lived in.

The Trooper 1815

iTrader: (31)

No car on the drive and a bin bag of clothes and a settee!!!!! face to face on Wednesday.....can't wait!!!!!

Breathing now

RichardS2005

Get rid of the setee - any furniture and its livable....

RichardS2005

Also - might not make any difference, but if it was me I'd remove all lightbulbs, curtains etc. (can always put them back for after the visit).

The Trooper 1815

iTrader: (31)

Is Council Tax paid on show homes???

spuddy

I am a lettings manager - we ask for c/tax exemptions all the time for our empty properties- as long as there is no furniture/ curtains/ food / clothing etc in the property- this would then be classed as unfurmished - and you can claim an empty exemption on the property -
as far as them entering your house( if you own it) they can not do this unless they have a court order. How did they gain access?? and how do you know they gained access?
You will have to probalby provide proof that you both are living at the other address from a certain date
good luck

ZippyLane

Take a tank Ian... bet they'll listen then.

The Trooper 1815

iTrader: (31)

They called my wife and told her they had gained access, probably into the garden. We have also got our new Council Tax statement for our new address which they are aware of. Eyeball to eyeball 9am Wednesday. Can't wait

gpssti4

iTrader: (6)

If you don't have any storage available for the furniture, move it all upstair. If they can only gain access through the front garden, then clear the room which they can look into. As been said before, remove curtains etc. Let the grass grow long, etc