Council tax and tell us once

muchembe

This is more of a "Sheeesh!" than a question but wondering if this is common. Lost our father in March & did tell-us-once within about a week. Then this Friday 13th received a letter demanding £1.7k council tax for 2024 by tomorrow Monday 16th or face a court summons. So, I guess I have to email plus sit on their phone line from first thing tomorrow. The letter also says they've sent a previous reminder but we've seen nothing. Got probate last week and about to put Dad's empty home on market.

Sarahspangles

muchembe said:

This is more of a "Sheeesh!" than a question but wondering if this is common. Lost our father in March & did tell-us-once within about a week. Then this Friday 13th received a letter demanding £1.7k council tax for 2024 by tomorrow Monday 16th or face a court summons. So, I guess I have to email plus sit on their phone line from first thing tomorrow. The letter also says they've sent a previous reminder but we've seen nothing. Got probate last week and about to put Dad's empty home on market.

Has the six months exemption ended?

Rodders53

I seem to recall needing to go into the Council Offices with a copy death certificate to satisfy the council back in 2015 - despite doing the Tell Us Once (via the same Council's Registrar of Death).  DWP also did silly things wrt demanding monies and clawing same back via the Bank.

Odd that no letters for Council Tax were received but the original Bill could perhaps have been received early in March and filed away by Father?  Then the DDs failed due to closed bank accounts.  But why no paper reminder?

It'll be a simple error by the Council but I suggest:
Send copy death certificate and copy of Probate in stating you are claiming Class F Exemption from Council Tax from the date of death. 

Class F
Unoccupied because the owner has died. The exemption applies only whilst you are liable as the personal representative (executor or administrator) for the deceased. The exemption applies until probate or letters of administration are granted, and for up to 6 months afterwards - it will end earlier if the property becomes occupied, or is sold or transferred to someone else.

NB The 6 month clock starts ticking from date of Grant of probate.

We had the late in-Laws on market while awaiting the Grant.

muchembe

Thanks and yes, I thought the six months was from Probate, though not sure if councils might have discretion over that bit. One thing I didn't mention is that the final demand we got yesterday was addressed to 'the executors of..' so tell-us-once must have got through on some level.

It makes me sad to think about it but going through his records I did find my formerly meticulous Dad had got in a muddle with CT since moving up here 15 months ago and actually got a summons last year before settling the payment covering the period to 30th March this year. Anyway, that at least tells me he was up to date at the time of his death during that month, so fairly sure we shouldn't be charged anything else yet - let alone given a notification on Friday of court action on the following Monday.

Keep_pedalling

The tell us once service will not stop council tax as a death does not automatically mean the property is unoccupied. The executors / administrators have to apply for a class F exemption as in the following example. 

https://www.royalgreenwich.gov.uk/info/200257/council_tax_exemptions/382/exemption_class_f_-_dwellings_left_empty_by_a_deceased_person

muchembe

Ah, thanks, Keep_pedalling, maybe that explains it, in part at least.

Rodders53

Keep_pedalling said:

The tell us once service will not stop council tax as a death does not automatically mean the property is unoccupied. The executors / administrators have to apply for a class F exemption

That may be why we had to go in the offices.  To formally claim the exemption.  (Memory fail by me).

p00hsticks

Keep_pedalling said:

The tell us once service will not stop council tax as a death does not automatically mean the property is unoccupied. The executors / administrators have to apply for a class F exemption as in the following example. 

https://www.royalgreenwich.gov.uk/info/200257/council_tax_exemptions/382/exemption_class_f_-_dwellings_left_empty_by_a_deceased_person

Perhaps it varies from council to council but in the case of my late brothers death a few years ago I'm pretty sure I didn't have to apply for the exemption - it was granted automatically and I got a revised bill of zero straight away as executor. They were also quick off the mark in sending a bill as soon as the six months after probate had passed 

Again, when my dad died earlier this year, completing the tell us once form resulted in an amended bill addressed to my mother rather than my father (from the same council as above) along with a form to complete to apply for the single persons discount. I definitely didn't have to contact the council separately for that to happen. 

Sarahspangles

I picked up from friends that Council policy may be changing. I’m that age where all my friends are dealing with their parents’ estates

This link suggests that there is an open ended arrangement that switches to six months post probate. It’s what I’ve been blithely saying should happen.
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/paying-the-right-level-of-council-tax-a-plain-english-guide-to-council-tax/paying-the-right-level-of-council-tax-a-plain-english-guide-to-council-tax

But this seems to confirm that some authorities are choosing to interpret the six months differently. https://365propertybuyer.co.uk/council-tax-class-f-exemption-deceased-estate/

muchembe

Thanks again all. The outcome here was as several have suggested. I called the council and they straight away said there was nothing to pay until 6 months after probate, plus of course that court action threatened in their letter would not go ahead.