HELP! Council won't believe me about occupancy - what to do?

Fire_Fox

You are sounding paranoid! It's the council's legal responsibility to collect and spend council tax efficiently. Actually with the TV license issue, several people have reported that writing to the licensing bods and explaining the situation at the outset has meant no hassle. It's those who throw the letters in the bin that tend to get harrassed.

I'd be inclined to write to the council (copy in your ward councillors and MP) and reiterate the dates you lived at the property, the dates you informed the council of your presence or absence, your willingness to co-operate with any investigation, that you have been registered for (and paid) council tax regularly at your property during your occupation and at your girlfriend's flat the remainder of the time, and then throw the ball in their court ask exactly what evidence would be acceptable.

You can't prove a negative so don't try - let the council try to prove their case, but be seen to be as open as possible.

Debt_Free_Chick

mark567 wrote: »

I'm fully aware of the situation with the furniture, and there is very little to move, so this is no problem. I think what we are seeing here is me being persecuted, just because I'm a bit 'weird' and nobody else would do this.

Loads of people do it, but they pay the Council Tax as that's just the way it is.

The local Council have to provide certain services to those who live "in the vicinity". They collect the money to do this via the Council Tax.

You have to pay your share, irrespective of the services you actually use. If you didn't live in that property, someone else would and they would be liable for Council Tax too.

You are not being persecuted. You simply have to pay tax, which the Council are trying to collect from you.

littlemissmoney

90 units in 3 months is incredible low so I can see why they are querying it. Are you sure it is correct? Are you using actual readings?

I basically only use a energy saving bulb, laptop and fridge and I use 150 units a month.

simone83

I would say the best thing to do would be for you and your GF to go to the offices and make a joint statement confirming your dates of occupancy at both addressess, that was you have someone there to confirm what you are saying and then they can amend her account with the same information.

To confirm you were at your house when you say you are I would take all bank statements and paperwork from your internet provider with you and try and get proof from your Doctors , employer and bank to confirm when you changed your addresses over with them too.

The problem the council have is that if you occupied the property for a sufficent period over the summer you would then be entitled to claim the 12 month property exemption again for altered or repaired properties.

We have quite a few of these cases were people get 12 months free then say ' oh I live there now' then 2 months later they 'move out' and apply for exemption again, its a shame that the honest are tarred with the same brush as the dishonest - but thats the way it works!

Cozworth806

As a rough guide 90Kwh over 3 months is about the same as 1Kwh per day!!! So reckon that is about the same as a 40w light bulb left on.
So you had no fridge (at least 2Kwh pd), laptop turned off at mains? Modem turned off? Absolutely nothing left on when you are out? Hard to beleive which is why the issue you're having
If you weren't paying water rates either, and only had Virgin broadband (not TV or phone) then I can see that they would view as if you weren't living there (Within benefits the technical version of living together is likely to come down on the side of you being with your GF as well.)

poppysarah

Without meaning to be funny:
1. Get the house livable and live in it.
2. Pay council tax at full rate until you do.

You're wasting hours over 25% of your council tax bill when you should be doing up your house.

Trollfever

Sorry, but confused.



If a property is being renovated, wouldn't it be normal to use power tools?

mark567

poppysarah wrote: »

Without meaning to be funny:
1. Get the house livable and live in it.
2. Pay council tax at full rate until you do.

You're wasting hours over 25% of your council tax bill when you should be doing up your house.

You are missing the point. I have no criminal record and have never been in trouble with the council and now they are calling me a liar - sorry, but that's enough for me to want to fight to clear my name. If you don't understand that, then perhaps you are just fundamentally dishonest, in which case you wouldn't give a sh*t. Not everyone is like that.

mark567

Trollfever wrote: »

Sorry, but confused.



If a property is being renovated, wouldn't it be normal to use power tools?

The law in question does not relate to whether a property is being renovated. A period of 6 months non-occupancy followed by a period of 6 months occupancy entitles one to a discount over the year regardless of whether any works are being carried out, so my understanding is that the council do not *require* me to be using power tools when I stay at the property.

mark567

Cozworth806 wrote: »

As a rough guide 90Kwh over 3 months is about the same as 1Kwh per day!!! So reckon that is about the same as a 40w light bulb left on.
So you had no fridge (at least 2Kwh pd), laptop turned off at mains? Modem turned off?

OK, it was an energy saving bulb which is about 7 watts, and a Dell X1, the PSU is ~50W, and the modem was on 24/7. The fridge was off. I suppose there are plenty of idiots out there who'd just leave at least a bulb on when they are out for the hell of it, but I'm not one of them. I guess I believed that since I wasn't breaking the law I didn't have to 'leave anything on'....

Easy when you have the benefit of hindsight.