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Advice needed for council tax dispute
YoGrg
Posts: 4 Newbie
Hello, I am new to this forum. If thread is in wrong category could the admin please move it to the correct place.
I received a council letter like three months back saying that I'm liable to pay council tax for the room I rented like three years back. I rented and shared this room in Feltham with a friend of mine and there was no rental agreement or any kind of agreement involved as I came to know about the room through word of mouth. I used to pay the rent by cash each month and moved out of the room by beginning of 2010. After that I have lived in another address for two years and finally moved to Surrey last year. Now the council is saying that I'm liable to pay £2000 as council tax as I was living in the Feltham property between 2011 to 2012. This is completely false. I went to the council to talk to one of the officer and they requested me to provide documented proof of leaving the property. I did explain to them that I was just renting a room " By renting just a room you are not liable to pay the council tax" there was no agreement between me and the owner. Just to prove that I even took copy of the tenancy agreement letter of the place that I lived after I moved out from Feltham. But the council is not convinced and wants to to produce tenancy leaving letter.
I've been to the council on three occasions and it's kind of getting frustrating as they act as if they understood the whole situation but after a week they've been sending me letter saying I'm still liable to pay the council tax. Now the funny thing is recently they send me a letter saying the same thing and enclosed with the letter was a copy of tenancy letter that the owner had given the council saying I was living in that property between 2011 to 2012. I was shocked to see that at the back of the agreement someone had signed on my behalf. Well, that was not my signature. I believe the owner himself randomly pick up names of the people that had rented his property and made the tenancy agreement himself and signed it himself.
I will be writing a handwritten letter back to the council with my signature on it. I will also send a copy of my SIA licence to prove how my signature looks like. This owner is definitely trying to get away with not having to pay the council tax. Could I please have suggestions of what else I can do to stop the letter coming for once and for all?
- I rented a room between 2008 to end of 2009.
- The disputed council tax shows that I'm liable to pay from 2011 to end of 2012.
- Council shows proof of tenancy agreement for 2011 to 2012 with my false/forged signature.
I received a council letter like three months back saying that I'm liable to pay council tax for the room I rented like three years back. I rented and shared this room in Feltham with a friend of mine and there was no rental agreement or any kind of agreement involved as I came to know about the room through word of mouth. I used to pay the rent by cash each month and moved out of the room by beginning of 2010. After that I have lived in another address for two years and finally moved to Surrey last year. Now the council is saying that I'm liable to pay £2000 as council tax as I was living in the Feltham property between 2011 to 2012. This is completely false. I went to the council to talk to one of the officer and they requested me to provide documented proof of leaving the property. I did explain to them that I was just renting a room " By renting just a room you are not liable to pay the council tax" there was no agreement between me and the owner. Just to prove that I even took copy of the tenancy agreement letter of the place that I lived after I moved out from Feltham. But the council is not convinced and wants to to produce tenancy leaving letter.
I've been to the council on three occasions and it's kind of getting frustrating as they act as if they understood the whole situation but after a week they've been sending me letter saying I'm still liable to pay the council tax. Now the funny thing is recently they send me a letter saying the same thing and enclosed with the letter was a copy of tenancy letter that the owner had given the council saying I was living in that property between 2011 to 2012. I was shocked to see that at the back of the agreement someone had signed on my behalf. Well, that was not my signature. I believe the owner himself randomly pick up names of the people that had rented his property and made the tenancy agreement himself and signed it himself.
I will be writing a handwritten letter back to the council with my signature on it. I will also send a copy of my SIA licence to prove how my signature looks like. This owner is definitely trying to get away with not having to pay the council tax. Could I please have suggestions of what else I can do to stop the letter coming for once and for all?
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Comments
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They need to prove you lived there, not the other way round!
You need to write a cease and desist letter to the council, outlining once and for all your position. Then if they want to pursue it, they have to go to court.0 -
If they wont listen to you let them take you to court, from what you say it looks like they will be laughed out of court in a heartbeat.Be Alert..........Britain needs lerts.0
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They need to prove you lived there, not the other way round!
You need to write a cease and desist letter to the council, outlining once and for all your position. Then if they want to pursue it, they have to go to court.
If the council believe you are liable for the council tax then they will make you so - any disputes over liability are not the remit of a court, it would have to be disputed by way of a Valuation Tribunal." By renting just a room you are not liable to pay the council tax" there was no agreement between me and the owner
An agreement doesn't matter - council tax liability can be determined without any formal agreement.
The key point would be to demonstrate you only rented a room, this would render the landlord liable in law for the council tax payments.I believe the owner himself randomly pick up names of the people that had rented his property and made the tenancy agreement himself and signed it himself.
I've certainly seen this happen on more than a few occasions.I no longer work in Council Tax Recovery but instead work as a specialist Council Tax paralegal assisting landlords and Council Tax payers with council tax disputes and valuation tribunals. My views are my own reading of the law and you should always check with the local authority in question.0 -
You need to make a formal dispute to the council and then to the Valuation Tribunal if you believe that the council is wrongly holding you liable.This owner is definitely trying to get away with not having to pay the council tax. Could I please have suggestions of what else I can do to stop the letter coming for once and for all?
http://www.valuationtribunal.gov.uk/Home.aspxI no longer work in Council Tax Recovery but instead work as a specialist Council Tax paralegal assisting landlords and Council Tax payers with council tax disputes and valuation tribunals. My views are my own reading of the law and you should always check with the local authority in question.0 -
Get a Councillor involved - they like to give LAs a good kick up the behind.
Would your old landlord - the one you produce a TA with - be willing to confirm you lived where you say you did?
Also what does the electoral roll say for the years concerned?0 -
isn't forging someone's signature a criminal offence ?
that would be more worrying to me than any amount of money the council say I owe them,
OP do as other posters have said , get the dates of were you have lived and any documentation to back it up , ask to speak to someone in the council arbitrator services or go to your CAB ,0 -
can't OP sue in this matter
for mental health and press charge on forgery and take landlord to small claims court for livelihood damage
Better Call Saul Goodman0 -
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