Selling right to buy property. Dispute over % discount I need to pay back.

preggy2020

I purchased my house through Right To Buy, ownership started on 18/06/2017.

I want to sell as we need a bigger place. I worked out the following based on when I took ownership of the property...

18/06/2017 to 18/06/2018 is Year 1 of ownership
19/06/2018 to 18/06/2019 is year 2 of ownership
19/06/2019 to 18/06/2020 is year 3 of ownership
19/06/2020 to 18/06/2021 is year 4 of ownership
Which should mean from 19/06/2020 I am into my 4th year of ownership, so I have to pay back 40% of the discount. As per the official government guidance I have found which states this:

You’ll have to pay back some or all of the discount you got if you sell your Right to Buy home within 5 years of buying it.

You’ll have to pay back all of the discount if you sell within the first year. After that, the total amount you pay back reduces to:

• 80% of the discount in the second year
• 60% of the discount in the third year
• 40% of the discount in the fourth year
• 20% of the discount in the fifth year

The amount you pay back depends on the value of your home when you sell it.

However the housing association have come back to me and said the following....
=========================
I had to go into a meeting yesterday, sorry. Please find the below:-

• 80% of the discount in the second year 18.6.19 – 18.6.20
• 60% of the discount in the third year 18.6.21 – 18.6.22
• 40% of the discount in the fourth year 18.6.23 – 18.6.24
• 20% of the discount in the fifth year 18.6.25 – 18.6.26

So if you wanted to sell in June this year you will have to pay back 60%.
The amount you pay back depends on the value of your home when you sell it.
Hopefully, this gives you an easier understanding.
Regards,
=======================
I am almost 100% sure this is incorrect what they are saying. For one the dates are all over the place. Can anybody tell me who I need to go to for advice to get this cleared up?
Lee

AdrianC

I'd just reply to them, and say "Are you sure? Because your dates make no sense"...

You're right.

1st year of ownership = date of completion to 1yr later, 18/6/17 - 17/6/18
2nd year of ownership = 18/6/18 to 17/6/19
3rd year of ownership = 18/6/19 to 17/6/20
4th year of ownership = 18/6/20 to 17/6/21
5th year of ownership = 18/6/21 to 17/6/22

Their figures have the "fifth year" ending nine years after purchase...

HampshireH

Go back to them and politely point out they seem to have forgotten about the 1st 2 years of your ownership.

And that you look forward to receiving their revised figures.

oldbikebloke

also point out to them that one "year" would not end on the 18th as that is one year and one day 
you started on the 18th, so it ends on the 17th, and each new year starts on the day you started, the 18th, not the 19th

as for the error in year numbers, the clue is in the response you quote - their reply was clearly "hurried" whilst their mind was on other things having come out of a meeting. There is no point getting all confrontational over what is easily seen as a simple mistake 

Missy79

This is impressively bad with them missing out every other year! 

iampetesmith

Just point out the error with their dates, it looks like whoever wrote those out just incremented them by 1 without really thinking clearly. Ours was ex-council and the guy who sold it to us lived here for 6 years before selling it as I think that's what the Dudley council rules were, but it was on the market just before the 6 years was up so not sure if he had to pay a percentage back.