can i appeal council tax - living in horrendous conditions?

RobertoMoir

verve wrote: »

the owner of my flat is useless. i've asked many times and his reply is simply NO. I DONT KNOW...


why not move? because I love my flat, I pay very low rent compared to others, and I dont believe that in the 21st century, living in one of the leading economic countries in the world, a man should have to run away because the way the system is run in his country is so appalling that even a 3rd world country can laugh at it! you're asking a question that goes a lot deeper than this discussion and is simply another example of broken england and the mess in which this country is run. The reasons why this country is messed up on so many fronts is because people just 'get up and leave' every time something goes wrong rather than stay there and soldier through and try to change the system to make it better for everyone.

IM SIMPLY NOT LETTING GO ON THIS ONE. NOT WHEN I WASTED SO MUCH MONEY IN COUNCIL TAX FOR NOTHING...

As I've already said, your issues with what appears to be drainage a private street are very probably nothing to do with the council, the "system" (which I assume means the council again) and certainly nothing to do with your council tax. Tell me that you've "wasted" council tax in all caps isn't going to solve your problem, though it may make me stop taking an interest in trying to help you.

If you want to rant about the cost of council tax then go ahead but if you want to solve your problem then you need to look beyond that. This issue is precisely zero point nothing to do with the amount of council tax you pay.

Your issue with the bins and so on is something the council should be involved with, your councillor should be involved to make that happen for you (and might.. *might* be able to help with some ideas on the drainage) but you need to have your LL on board with this. Don't let them stop at saying "I don't know". They need to find out! One way you put pressure on your LL is by telling them you might look to move because you're sick of the situation.

I'm trying to give you ideas on where to go to get this issue solved even if I'm not telling it in the way you would like.

Owain_Moneysaver

If you live in Barnet, Council Website Here

We deal with:
Complaints from residents in private sector housing relating to disrepair, health and safety issues, statutory nuisances and noise
Rats, mice, cockroaches, bedbugs (PDF: 154 KB) and filthy and verminous premises
Defective drainage
Accumulations of refuse on private land

Owain_Moneysaver

verve wrote: »

why not move? because I love my flat, I pay very low rent compared to others,

I'm afraid that's probably why. If the entrance is as you describe then many prospective tenants will be put off renting the flat.

noh

You can find the name of your councillor here:-
http://committeepapers.barnet.gov.uk/democracy/council/listcouncillorname.asp?intSubSectionID=13&intSectionID=9

John_Pierpoint

I had a similar problem with lorry loads of fly tipping and originally got a similar response from the local council:
1. It is private land so it cannot be our responsibility - Oh yes it is the local authority is the "litter authority" under act of parliament xxxxx,
2. It is not our land ! oh yes it it is this 8 quids worth of on-line Land Registry investigation proves it is your land!!!!!!!!!
3. How long is it going to take you to pay me the £100 award from the Local Authority Ombudsman for mal administration? !?!@u

Obviously your situation is a bit different as you may well be on private land and the litter authority does try to clear the litter regularly but the attitude of "Public Health" sounds like mal-administration.

So find out who owns your ground (I assume the flats & shops are leasehold) and give them grief as failure to observe the lease can be grounds for repossession.

You first have to complain to your local councillor about mal administration and there is then a dead line of 6 months (if I remember correctly) in which to resolve matters or you must complain to the ombudsman. [You have let this go on for far too long already]

You don't yet live in a third world country, so make sure your elected representatives and their servants don't allow your neighbours to turn it into one.

John.

PS We are on the edge of a transfer of responsibilities for private sewers to the water companies, your local health department may be sitting on their hands waiting for this to happen, rather than chase your current landlord.
Check it out, it is a bit complicated - let Google be your friend.

You have a problem enforcing your private rights of access to your home BUT if that access is just a right of way for any users a right of way does NOT extends anyone with just the right to use it to obstruct it by "parking" Euro wheely bins on it. You might well legally have the right to demand their removal and if you stick together I cannot see your landlord evicting all of you. Here again check out the legal rights at the Land Registry - London has had compulsory registration for generations. The title chase may cost you a bit more than £8.

Where I live plastic wheely bins are a fire hazard, they tend to become a blob of plastic and 4 wheels - can I send you some of our feral teenagers?.

mart.vader

Hi Verve,

It would be a big mistake to withhold your council tax as the council will simply take you to court for it. and add the court costs to the bill.

Barnet Council are incompetent to the MAX, and will duck and dive, and lie and break the law, to evade their responsibilities. I live in Barnet too, and have lots of experience with them.

I think the environmental health dept should be involved about the overflowing sewage in your alley, whether or not it is private land, purely from a health perspective.

Your councillor ought to make representations on your behalf, or at least, tell you how to get your landlord or freeholder to sort the problem with the rubbish out. The problem is the councillors have little real power.

With respect to John Pierpoint, I have never managed to get the Local Government Ombudsman interested in doing anything. (Why take on more work when you get paid exactly the same, whether you do or not?) They are (allegedly) mainly staffed by ex-council officers, and will not take on any case where you could have used "an alternative remedy" i.e. 99.9% of cases.

Here is a link for Barnet environmental health>> : http://www.barnet.gov.uk/index/transport-streets/street-care-and-cleaning/public-health-drainage.htm

Good Luck, you'll need it !

John_Pierpoint

I have had two out of two judgements in my favour from the Ombudsman.

Just having to churn out all the paperwork for the ombudsman, probably encourages the obdurate official to do a GOYA and do something about the problem.

Presumably it does not do much for your career and pension prospects, if you are caught lying to the ombudsman and he says so in his report.:rotfl:

Not a completely toothless tiger.

macman

The freeholder, the local water utility, the Environmental Health dept of your LA, and your own local councillor are the obvious points of contact in this case.
Council tax is a property tax, it's not a tax for services, and you can't wholly or partially withold it on the grounds that you are not getting all the council services that should be provided.

verve

thanks everyone for all the help. i've got just about enough information to get me going in the right direction so thank you!

mart you are absolutely right at what useless degenerates Barnet council are. i've been lied to, made empty promises, and ignored for over 4 years now. I dont think any of this will result in a 'win' situation for me but its worth the try... the more I look into this the more I realize how substandard the living standards of a working tax-paying man are in the UK. its pathetic. I've lived in 3 countries in europe and the conditions that people are put through in this country (whilst paying such extortionate amounts of tax) are ridiculous!!


thanks again everyone.


David

le_loup

Looks to me that you have a choice.
Most of us are real happy to be here.