Empty property council tax discount - proving it?!

icantbelieveitsnotbutter_2

Thank you in advance if you're able to assist please?

I am in between properties and so have an empty property which is legitimately entitled to 'empty dwelling discount' at 100% of CT rate for 6 months I believe.
I advised the council 2 months ago, almost to the day, of my departure and along with only a couple of incorrect bills since, a CT inspector has finally contacted me this week to say if I want to the discount they need to come and inspect in person.

Firstly, at the best of times, I'd be annoyed enough about this, wasting my time having to prove it - my argument would be I have stated my position, if you have evidence to the contrary then please present it! Isnt this enough? The property in question is sufficiently distant from my new home and so I really cannot make use of it regardless, especially in its empty state - all my furniture, funnily enough, is in the new home.

Secondly, the very council has shut just about everything from toilets to libraries and is providing a fraction of the services 'because of Covid'! Despite that, it is apparently extremely important they visit my previous home in person?!

Thirdly I am in the vulnerable category for a couple of issues and regardless of my disdain for this situation, I really don't feel like I should be putting myself at risk just to suit their nonsense regardless.

Any advice on this situation and any of the points I have mentioned please? Thanking you.

Speedbird676

Would they be able to ascertain the property is unoccupied and unfurnished from the outside?

lincroft1710

icantbelieveitsnotbutter_2 said:

Thank you in advance if you're able to assist please?

I am in between properties and so have an empty property which is legitimately entitled to 'empty dwelling discount' at 100% of CT rate for 6 months I believe.
I advised the council 2 months ago, almost to the day, of my departure and along with only a couple of incorrect bills since, a CT inspector has finally contacted me this week to say if I want to the discount they need to come and inspect in person.

Firstly, at the best of times, I'd be annoyed enough about this, wasting my time having to prove it - my argument would be I have stated my position, if you have evidence to the contrary then please present it! Isnt this enough? The property in question is sufficiently distant from my new home and so I really cannot make use of it regardless, especially in its empty state - all my furniture, funnily enough, is in the new home.

As you are  the one requesting the discount it is up to you to prove your entitlement, to the council's satisfaction. The council would not know that all your furniture had been removed to your new home, neither would they be aware of your current /intended usage of the old house. Councils tend to only inspect with good reason.

Secondly, the very council has shut just about everything from toilets to libraries and is providing a fraction of the services 'because of Covid'! 

Totally Irrelevant

Despite that, it is apparently extremely important they visit my previous home in person?!

People do not always tell the truth to councils

Thirdly I am in the vulnerable category for a couple of issues and regardless of my disdain for this situation, I really don't feel like I should be putting myself at risk just to suit their nonsense regardless.

How much "at risk" would you actually be? Can another family member be present? Is it possible to send the keys to the council, so they can inspect? As a previous poster suggested, would an external inspection satisfy the council?

Any advice on this situation and any of the points I have mentioned please? Thanking you.

...........

icantbelieveitsnotbutter_2

Speedbird676 said:

Would they be able to ascertain the property is unoccupied and unfurnished from the outside?

They would not be able to, in fairness. That said, a previous time I moved and was in a similar position, I advised them of the situation, they accepted it and later did check - incidentally simply by looking through the window, as a neighbour advised me had happened - no problem.

It's the 'upfront proof'/insinuation I'm lying before anything has even been done I find insulting, let alone the effort I am expected to go to now.

icantbelieveitsnotbutter_2

Lincroft, I appreciate your thoughts, thank you, but I think your opinion of how councils do/should work are somewhat different to mine... I did genuinely LOL about giving them the keys. Honestly?! 

They are there, ultimately, to serve the public - not the other way around.

If you have any hard information as to what is legitimately reasonable or even enforceable, at any time, and especially under the currently circumstances, that'd be much appreciated please.

Penguin_

So you're asking the council to discount your council tax but don't like that you're having to prove it?

If you're in the vulnerable category & are indeed at risk, give a friend or family member the key & ask them to meet the representative from the council at the property. Job done.

lincroft1710

icantbelieveitsnotbutter_2 said:

Lincroft, I appreciate your thoughts, thank you, but I think your opinion of how councils do/should work are somewhat different to mine... I did genuinely LOL about giving them the keys. Honestly?! 

They are there, ultimately, to serve the public - not the other way around.

If you have any hard information as to what is legitimately reasonable or even enforceable, at any time, and especially under the currently circumstances, that'd be much appreciated please.

I don't know why you "LOL" about giving them the keys, when I worked for the VOA, on several occasions house owners left the keys with us so we could inspect in their absence. The council aren't going to steal anything now, are they?

Councils inspecting properties to ascertain if they are empty is quite usual. What they are asking is not unreasonable and do remember they have every right to deny you the discount if they are not satisfied that the property is empty. They don't have to enforce anything, they won't suffer if they can't satisfy themselves the property is eligible for a discount.

Mojisola

icantbelieveitsnotbutter_2 said:

They are there, ultimately, to serve the public - not the other way around.

Which is what they are doing by checking that a claim that you are entitled to be let off paying CT is legitimate.

etienneg

So, let me see if I've understood. Around 2 months ago (that is, during COVID) you moved house, including moving all your furniture, out of choice (because you still have the previous property available). But now you say it's too dangerous for you to travel back to the previous property to let the assessor in! I think you mean it's inconvenient and you wish the council would just take your word for it.

Well, life's not like that. You can either choose a way to satisfy the council's very reasonable requirement (several suggestions have been made by others) or not bother pursuing your claim. Personally, as a council tax payer, I'm glad councils ask for proof in such cases.

xylophone

I am assuming the property has "empty home insurance" and must therefore be checked every  few weeks to comply with the policy?
Could your checker not let the council official in?

icantbelieveitsnotbutter_2

Loving the hate from some for merely the predicament I find myself in, let alone the astounding ignorance, but thanks.

The council cannot trust me but I must trust them with my keys. Cute.

Two months ago we were on the way to eradicating Covid, supposedly - two months on, apparently not, or we'd have not had a lockdown or a tier system implemented, but ignore that to make a point?

If anyone has any useful advice, over debate on how they feel their taxes are collected, I'm all ears please.

What I will add is, despite being in the same situation previously, never has it been an issue and so hence the simple and genuine question of managing this without the unreasonable demands of this council which no other council has felt the need to implement such demands at all, let along in the middle of a pandemic. And no, I don't want to bend over backwards when it's absolutely unnecessary, as per referenced previous experience.

Thanks, I hope.