New house, for school

maka12

Hi all

i just found out that my daughter might not get into secondary school, because i live on the border of catchment area, they tell me its 50/50 chance, my daughter is 10 yrs old and been to the feeder school since nursery, she suffers from social anxiety, and has other issues,its is impossible for her to go to another school she wont cope.
as she is used to her class mates and its still a struggle for my wife to get her to go.
questions for anyone that can help.
Can my wife buy a house next to school in her name (i pay for it) and me and family live there monday to friday,and move back to our current house on weekends.? will council pull me up on this?,
my plan is to keep both houses wife has one i have other.
she pays council tax on new one i pay tax on old , how will this work ?
i plan to live like this for a year and see how we get on, then i could rent the new property out and move back to old house, how will council, accept this, if they found out would they kick her out of school?
is there any where i could contact for advice?
as i want to keep everything legit..
thanks
maka

lincroft1710

You may find you pay full Council Tax on both, but if you can afford to buy and maintain 2 houses, this will hardly be a financial burden.

It would make more sense to buy a suitable house the family want to live in, within the catchment area and sell the existing house.

Alternatively try making a special case for your daughter, perhaps the feeder school could help.

NutWorld

maka12 wrote: »

Hi all

i just found out that my daughter might not get into secondary school, because i live on the border of catchment area, they tell me its 50/50 chance, my daughter is 10 yrs old and been to the feeder school since nursery, she suffers from social anxiety, and has other issues,its is impossible for her to go to another school she wont cope.
as she is used to her class mates and its still a struggle for my wife to get her to go.
questions for anyone that can help.
Can my wife buy a house next to school in her name (i pay for it) and me and family live there monday to friday,and move back to our current house on weekends.? will council pull me up on this?,
my plan is to keep both houses wife has one i have other.
she pays council tax on new one i pay tax on old , how will this work ?
i plan to live like this for a year and see how we get on, then i could rent the new property out and move back to old house, how will council, accept this, if they found out would they kick her out of school?
is there any where i could contact for advice?
as i want to keep everything legit..
thanks
maka

If you have the cash in the bank to buy a house outright and give it to your wife, then she is a very lucky lady :cool:

If you want to do that, no one will stop you.
As regards council tax, and the proposed usage of the homes, you cannot be registered at 2 addresses.
It depends on the approach of the council as to the best approach, but you could either each be registered at each address (1 per address) and get 25% discount each for single occupancy (the kids don't count for council tax purposes), or you elect one property as your second home. (some councils still allow a small discount for a fully furnished second home)
If your wife is to register as the sole occupant (for council tax purposes) at the new house, she will probably need to put some bank statements etc in her name at that address to prove she is living there alone (except for the kids) on a permanent basis.
Similarly, you may need to ensure there is no evidence to suggest she (or anyone other than you eligible to pay council tax) is living permantently at the existing property.
So maybe the second home approach would be the simplest, depending on future plans,

But then you say you want to let out the new house after 1 year.
As long as it's not let as a HMO, then the tenant will usually be responsible for council tax at that address whilst it is let, you will be responsible when it is not let. Most councils are particularly heavy handed about empty properties when it comes to council tax (but you usually get up to 6 months to let)

In the meantime, regulary leaving each house empty (one Mon-Fri, the other every weekend, if I understand you correctly) may cause insurance issues for both, but nothing that cannot be resolved by thowing money at it.

Nothing illegal about this, but it won't get your kid into a specific school.
Are you really looking to start a business as a landlord?
If you have that amount of spare cash sitting in the bank, and you are so concerned about the education of your daughter, why not consider privately eduacating her?
(and perhaps with any spare cash, use that to get private medical support & treatment for her "social anxiety, and has other issues" she suffers from)

:cool:

maka12

thanks for quick replys
was looking at private schools , but you need to sit a test before they accept you, and unfortunately she would fail,
as we would be using both homes, could we not just pay full council tax on both, or is it simpler doing second home approach, using old house a second,
i am wanting the new house in wifes name as she is first time buyer and saves paying stamp duty.
thanks

CIS

It depends on the approach of the council as to the best approach, but you could either each be registered at each address (1 per address) and get 25% discount each for single occupancy (the kids don't count for council tax purposes), or you elect one property as your second home.

Nothing to stop a person being liable on two different addresses, quite common under council tax legislation.

Were this plan will likely fall over is the 'sole or main residence' issue, you don't elect one property as your second home as it's a matter of fact. The fact that it is quite clear that the other property is still be maintained as the main home that will be returned to would prevent the single person discount being claimed on the second home - simply having bank statements etc there doesn't mean it is a person's main or sole residence.

i plan to live like this for a year and see how we get on, then i could rent the new property out and move back to old house, how will council, accept this

This alone suggests that there is no intention for the property to become the 'sole or main residence' for council tax.
The council will likely be alert to issues regarding school placements and where parties homes actually are.

NutWorld

CIS wrote: »

Nothing to stop a person being liable on two different addresses, quite common under council tax legislation.

Were this plan will likely fall over is the 'sole or main residence' issue,

Sorry, that is what I meant. I know many people pay council tax on more than one property; I am one of them. But only one is the main residence.

CIS wrote: »

you don't elect one property as your second home as it's a matter of fact. ...

I had to; it certainly wasn't automatically decided 'as a matter of fact'.
The council needed to understand why I was liable for council tax on more than one property, so that they could charge correctly on the property that was not my 'main residence'

LilElvis

If she's already 10 then presumably you're looking at an admission to secondary school for next September. If this is the case then you probably won't have time to purchase a new property - the deadline in my area for applications is the end of this month.

NutWorld

maka12 wrote: »

...,
as we would be using both homes, could we not just pay full council tax on both, or is it simpler doing second home approach, using old house a second,
..

As I said, you cannot be registered at 2 addresses. (as you main residence, as clarified by CIS)

You may well end up paying full rate council tax on both properties, but as a moneysaving website, why not take advantage of the options I gave? :huh:
A second home is probably the best way forward, and councils can offer up to 50% discount for such. I don't know any that do, but some do still offer a smaller discount, but some offer no discount at all (especially in areas where second homes are an issue, such as some favoured coastal locations, or possibly some areas of London, etc)

ska_lover

My thinking being that you are planning to do something very expensive and extreme, in order to keep your daughter from having go to a different school and I understand why

However, in doing so, it is in some ways, enabling and concreting her issues IMO, as what happens six years later, for sixth form, or for Uni, or for a job?

Life brings about change, and instead of protecting her from that - I feel you would be best placed spending the money, on some serious intensive therapy for her

Otherwise, you are just storing issues up for yourselves, and her, for the future

You cannot prevent her becoming anxious, she needs to have the coping skills to deal with it

I realise this all may sound like I am having a pop at you but genuinely I am not, what you are proposing is like popping a sticking plaster over a dam - at some point the sticking plaster will not be enough

NutWorld

LilElvis wrote: »

If she's already 10 then presumably you're looking at an admission to secondary school for next September. If this is the case then you probably won't have time to purchase a new property - the deadline in my area for applications is the end of this month.

... and even if there were time, schools are alive to people suddenly moving into a catchment area shortly prior to the child becoming a priority candidate for that school.
The whole situiation will be carefully assessed, hence why I said "it won't get your kid into a specific school"

00ec25

maka12 wrote: »

i am wanting the new house in wifes name as she is first time buyer and saves paying stamp duty.
thanks

complete rubbish
you are married to your wife. She is NOT entitled to FTB relief for SDLT as it will not be occupied by her as her sole / main residence since, by definition, that is the one you occupy as a married couple.