Birmingham Council Tax

peter12345678910

I have a flat that has been empty for 10 months but now has clients. I got a letter Feb 2020 asking for about £500 + £75 Court summons. I phoned the council and said it was the first letter of the sort I had received.
Lie 1
They said we have sent letters before. 
Lie 2
They said you will pay 50% because flat is empty.

But I have gone through the bills more seriously it is band A and not paying 50% but 100%. And still paying by direct debit...
Any advice before I ring them. Can I send them the electricity bill readings to prove flat has been empty. 

Robin9

birmingham.gov.uk/info/20144/exemptions_and_discounts/807/empty_and_unoccupied_properties

birmingham.gov.uk/info/20005/council_tax/224/council_tax_bands_and_charges

peter12345678910

I did ring them up, they say 100% and 150% after 2 years. It does seem to be a tax on Landlords, using council tax as a business tax which the woman admitted due to a cut in government funds or grants. 

oldbikebloke

peter12345678910 said:

I did ring them up, they say 100% and 150% after 2 years. It does seem to be a tax on Landlords, using council tax as a business tax which the woman admitted due to a cut in government funds or grants. 

no, it is a tax on property owners who leave property empty whilst there are ex UK servicemen and women sleeping on the streets because they cannot find anywhere to live due to the housing shortage. That is not a "landlords tax", it is a tax on departed owners, where the tax is intended to drive social engineering - make them sell up and allow someone who needs it live there.

Note empty means empty - no furniture. 
If there is furniture, it is not empty, and cannot classed as an "empty property (which has a legal definition) and therefore incur the penalty charge after 2 years. A property with furniture in it is "merely" a second home and therefore, whilst the tax rate will also most certainly be the full rate (few council give a second home discount these days), it can never incur the penalty after 2 years and legalisation (currently!) does not allow council tax to be more than 100% if not empty.  

as for your claim about "lying" ,all that shows is you do not understand what you have been told and are simply looking to blame someone else as you cannot relate what they are telling you to the rules they are applying as you don't know them. 
- legally they are required to keep evidence a letter has been sent, not that it has been delivered/received by you in person 
- the % mentioned is explained in the link you have now been given. You would be wise to read up on the various "classes" of property and the associated discount (or penalty) that applies to certain ones.

peter12345678910

Refurbishment reasons flat was left empty. It is the most critical areas of a landlord, you realise I cannot enter the flat have not seen it for 10 years, it was a pig sty. Not fit for any human being, electrical problems concerning health and safety. No hot water, kitchen worktop has cracked. But the woman did say it is about councils having to struggle. 

KatrinaWaves

peter12345678910 said:

Refurbishment reasons flat was left empty. It is the most critical areas of a landlord, you realise I cannot enter the flat have not seen it for 10 years, it was a pig sty. Not fit for any human being, electrical problems concerning health and safety. No hot water, kitchen worktop has cracked. But the woman did say it is about councils having to struggle. 

Cost of business. Your business as a
landlord. You should have built in contingencies for these things in the business plan you made, and kept up to date on changes in council tax rules in your area
to keep your business viable. I’m sure as a businessman you did all this so not sure why it’s so surprising to you. 

greatcrested

All the replies above apply. J

ust to add: where was the letter you received sent to? And where do they say they sent the previous letters?

unkle

You're a Landlord, you won't get any symphony on here!
Unfortunately it looks due, just pay up and move on. It's common now with many councils to add additional amounts on empty properties for the very reasons stated above, 

Angela_D_3

peter12345678910 said:

Refurbishment reasons flat was left empty. It is the most critical areas of a landlord, you realise I cannot enter the flat have not seen it for 10 years, it was a pig sty. Not fit for any human being, electrical problems concerning health and safety. No hot water, kitchen worktop has cracked. But the woman did say it is about councils having to struggle. 

You rented out a flat with electrical problems and no hot water ?  How did that happen ?  

peter12345678910

Thanks for all the replies, the letter was sent to the flat with my name. No other letter was sent for 4 or 5 months when it became empty. There should have been a warning letter. I know there are homeless people, but this place was in a bad state. It needed a lot of work, the woman who lived there never cleaned it. I even worked on it on Christmas day. Oh about the electrics, standards have gone up in the last 10 years maybe it was just OK then. But the fuse box was very old and the flat has had no electricity for the last 4 months. 

Angela_D_3

But you’re meant to inspect it every year.  Ignorance is no legal defence.