Council tax problem - help

credit_crunch_dad

Hi,
A chap from the council came to our house yesterday and said it was registered as an empty house. I do not actually remember registering it as an empty house. :mad:

We did a lot of repairs when we bought our house and registered it as empty - the council actually said they only give exemptions for 6 months because we had bought furniture etc. So, i thought they were charging me full council tax all this while. There was a strange code on one council tax letter and i wondered what it was but did not have the time to check it (with kids, redundancy etc). I did not know our house was registered as empty for council tax.

Will the council fine us? Just made redundant and worried. What should i ring up and tell the council? If anyone has some good advise please.

dmg24

How you been paying any CT? If not, why did you not query this?

Sam____2

credit_crunch_dad wrote: »

Hi,
A chap from the council came to our house yesterday and said it was registered as an empty house. I do not actually remember registering it as an empty house. :mad:

We did a lot of repairs when we bought our house and registered it as empty - the council actually said they only give exemptions for 6 months because we had bought furniture etc. So, i thought they were charging me full council tax all this while. There was a strange code on one council tax letter and i wondered what it was but did not have the time to check it (with kids, redundancy etc). I did not know our house was registered as empty for council tax.

Will the council fine us? Just made redundant and worried. What should i ring up and tell the council? If anyone has some good advise please.

Your kind of contradicting what your saying here, first you say you don't remember registering it as empty then you say you did register it as empty when you bought it?!?

They would have given you some kind of exemption if the house was uninhabitable, but this would not go on indefinately, if you've been living there you are liable for the council tax from the first day you actualy started living in the property. A lot of property developers use this exemption on houses they are renovating, but as soon as the house becomes habitable they are liable for the council tax from then on until the property is sold.

Jowo_2

So did you confirm with the council worker the date when you moved in and did he say that the council would raise a bill from that date? I'm not aware that local councils are in a habit of levvying fines for not paying CT but would expect you to pay the sum owed.

When did you actually move in the property?

I wasn't aware that there was any exemption permitted when the property is occupied relating to refurbishment. The exemption classes published on my local council website say

Unoccupied, substantially unfurnished and either uninhabitable or undergoing major repairs. Exempt for up to 12 months.

Unoccupied and substantially unfurnished properties. Exempt for up to six months.

CIS

A council tax exemption is not applicable for either Class A or Class C (the two given above by jowo) if the property is occupied.

How long have you been resident in the property and how long have you been the owner/tenant.

Most authorities will review any properties that have an exemption on a 6month or annual basis to pick up on cases such as yours.

credit_crunch_dad

Hi (to all the kind repliers above),
Thanks. I have been paying council tax since occupying the house 3 years back. We did a lot of refurbishment initially but not knowing about exemptions, I rang the council about 2 months after starting the work (during which time it was unoccupied). The council looked at the details and said they only give partial exemption as the house was inhabitable. They said the exemption "FALLS OFF AFTER 6 months" - so I am surprised how 3 years later they are saying that the house is recorded as empty.

I do not know whether the council employee told me something wrong or whether someone mistakenly gave our house number as empty. There was a strange code in one council letter and i did not follow up on it as to what the code was. Now the chap says our house is recorded as empty - but I have been paying a lot of council tax. Will they fine me - if there is any discount they gave me thinking it was empty?

dmg24

Are you paying the full amount of CT for your property?

woozywendy

Why would they fine you if you have been paying your CT ? Have you got your previous years CT letters to prove you have paid ?