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Council Tax and deceased property

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  • londonman42
    londonman42 Posts: 82 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10 Posts Combo Breaker
    xylophone wrote: »
    https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/75010829#Comment_75010829

    Did the £30,000 mentioned in the above belong to your late mother?

    If so, could part of that not be used to pay the CT bill (assuming that it has not been used up in funeral expenses and debts)?

    If it hadn't been used to pay other debts as you suggest then yes, it could have.
  • londonman42
    londonman42 Posts: 82 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10 Posts Combo Breaker
    csgohan4 wrote: »
    Brexit has mostly nothing to do with housing market, people will always need a house. You don't sell your house in Euros do you?

    I don't agree. Buying a house in Euros is a flippant comment. Consumer confidence and business confidence for that matter is very low at the moment. Some is down to the global economy but a lot is down to the uncertainty of Brexit.
    csgohan4 wrote: »
    The price is clearly not right with no offers is it? slow market or otherwise

    No the price is right. None of the other similar properties have sold either. Are you saying that they are all incorrectly priced ? Of course not. It's the market. Simple as that. Of course we could ask £5 for it.

    Anyway we are digressing. I didn't come here for a lecture in house selling !
  • xylophone
    xylophone Posts: 45,631 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    other debts

    If the flat is the only asset left in the estate, presumably the Council will enter into an agreement to defer payment until the property is sold.

    Have you tested the market at a lower price?
  • Rosieandjim
    Rosieandjim Posts: 254 Forumite
    I am sorry but I have to agree with Pasturesnew. Take a look at this article


    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/goodlife/11510002/Should-you-really-buy-a-retirement-property.html


    There are many others that also advise against this type of purchase
  • CIS
    CIS Posts: 12,260 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    xylophone wrote: »
    If the flat is the only asset left in the estate, presumably the Council will enter into an agreement to defer payment until the property is sold.
    Rarely will they do so.
    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.
  • xylophone
    xylophone Posts: 45,631 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    Rarely will they do so.

    If the debt is that of the estate, and there is no money in the estate and executors do not have to pay the debts of the estate from their own funds, what is to be done?

    Presumably the council could take a charge on the property?
  • lincroft1710
    lincroft1710 Posts: 18,937 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Photogenic Name Dropper
    londonman42 wrote: »
    No the price is right. None of the other similar properties have sold either. Are you saying that they are all incorrectly priced ? Of course not. It's the market. Simple as that. Of course we could ask £5 for it.

    Anyway we are digressing. I didn't come here for a lecture in house selling !

    If you have competition at the same price, then the obvious way to be one step ahead is LOWER THE PRICE! Because if none are selling that does suggest the prices are too high. You do not want to have the flat languishing unsold for 2 yrs or more.
    If you are querying your Council Tax band would you please state whether you are in England, Scotland or Wales
  • csgohan4
    csgohan4 Posts: 10,600 Forumite
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    lincroft1710 wrote: »
    If you have competition at the same price, then the obvious way to be one step ahead is LOWER THE PRICE! Because if none are selling that does suggest the prices are too high. You do not want to have the flat languishing unsold for 2 yrs or more.


    as a buyer, seeing a property on the market for more than 6 months, it's either over priced or something wrong with it, e.g subsidence, OP your choice if you choose to leave it at current price,

    Ask yourself why is it not selling, you can't control the market or what other's are selling, you can only control what you do to the house and price,
    "It is prudent when shopping for something important, not to limit yourself to Pound land/Estate Agents"

    G_M/ Bowlhead99 RIP
  • G_M
    G_M Posts: 51,977 Forumite
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    londonman42 wrote: »
    No the price is right. None of the other similar properties have sold either. Are you saying that they are all incorrectly priced ? Of course not. It's the market. Simple as that. Of course we could ask £5 for it.
    If buyers are unwilling to purchase a property at the price being asked for, then clearly it is over priced.

    This is clearly the case here since other similar properties are also not selling. The sellers, including yourself, have convinced themselves their properties are 'worth' £XK, but that is only true if a buyer is willing to pay £XK.

    Reduce the price and buyers will become more interested and you will find the true market value.

    6+ months relief from Council Tax seems fair. In most cases it is enough for a sale. Unfortunately there are always exceptions, but a line has to be drawn somewhere.

    The warning about double CT if a property is empty for a year is well-founded - councils are keen to incentivise owners (and executers!) not to leave properties empty.
  • CIS
    CIS Posts: 12,260 Forumite
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    If it's in England the premium (of up to 100%) only kicks in after 2 years, and only if the property meets the specified requirements.
    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.
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