Government considers doubling council tax on second homes

chucky

phil_b wrote: »

Trust me, this will never happen.

but it at least it will fill up 12 pages of posts on this forum

Sapphire

Jonbvn wrote: »

I've lived in two. IMHO, they were both more capitalist and less controlling than the UK.

You should have tried living in Poland or any of the other central European countries under Russian communist domination, from the Stalinist period onwards (as a national of those countries, not as a foreigner). I'm sure you would change your mind very quickly. The hardship people endured both in economic terms and in political repression was unbelievable. :cool:

Rampantlion

Ok so this it how it pans out.

I own a house in one council tax area. I meet a girl with her own house in another council tax area. Both of us were claiming 25% council tax discount due to single occupancy in our respective homes.

We put my house up for sale first and intend to eventually sell her house after selling mine so we have enough to put towards a mortgage on a bigger home in the area she lives in.

We get engaged. We have a baby together. We get married. (All planned!!)

I (officially) move in to my wife’s home and we inform the respective council tax departments. Council Tax on her home is now payable at 100%, no issue there.
However my house is still for sale one year later (no surprise in these times) and as I don’t have anywhere to put my furniture until we get a bigger house I now get charged 90% council tax rate which is the second home rate even though I’m never there, instead of the 75% I was paying when I was there!

Can someone explain why I need to pay more to Hambleton Council for a service they don’t provide me? :mad: I don’t want a “second home”, I want to sell the place! Councils are better than that Real Hustle gang!

I might be happier married but I’m not richer !

Ron2256

Rampantlion wrote: »

Ok so this it how it pans out.

I own a house in one council tax area. I meet a girl with her own house in another council tax area. Both of us were claiming 25% council tax discount due to single occupancy in our respective homes.

We put my house up for sale first and intend to eventually sell her house after selling mine so we have enough to put towards a mortgage on a bigger home in the area she lives in.

We get engaged. We have a baby together. We get married. (All planned!!)

I (officially) move in to my wife’s home and we inform the respective council tax departments. Council Tax on her home is now payable at 100%, no issue there.
However my house is still for sale one year later (no surprise in these times) and as I don’t have anywhere to put my furniture until we get a bigger house I now get charged 90% council tax rate which is the second home rate even though I’m never there, instead of the 75% I was paying when I was there!

Can someone explain why I need to pay more to Hambleton Council for a service they don’t provide me? :mad: I don’t want a “second home”, I want to sell the place! Councils are better than that Real Hustle gang!

I might be happier married but I’m not richer !

Well, Hambleton Council wants a "hard working" family to move in your house so the council tax is there to give you an incentive to get moving . Simple really. It's not fair for you to keep a house empty because you want to sell it for top £.
Obviously it's not fair on you but it's fair to the people who want to buy your house. There is always two sides to a coin.
It's a tough life but on the plus side you are getting married and you own two houses. Could be worse surely?