Council tax - will they get me?

tbs624

pinkshoes wrote: »

Really? Well her "gap year" was nothing to do with the university. It was her idea to take the year out, so she wasn't a student. I did the same inbetween my 2nd and 3rd year, and was liable for council tax! So does that mean I can claim it all back?!?! (or does it depend on different local authorities???)

It's highly unlikely that a University ( French or UK) would have confirmed a student's status if s/he didn't fulfill the necessary requirements for that status, regardless of your personal view on the situation.

pinkshoes

tbs624 wrote: »

It's highly unlikely that a University ( French or UK) would have confirmed a student's status if s/he didn't fulfill the necessary requirements for that status, regardless of your personal view on the situation.

lol well the council rejected her student claim and documents TWICE (first time as it was in french, second time as when it got translated, they didn't accept it as the gap year was nothing to do with the course), and then this other document appeared... not sure how genuine it was (or more likely wasn't), but the council accepted it! I wasn't best pleased, as she'd signed a non-student form at the letting agency (as anyone who was a student required a guarantor), so if she'd said she was a student from the beginning, then we wouldn't have let her live with us!

Ah well, I moved out after 6 months as this girl was a psychopathic nutter! One minute she was nice as pie, chatting, asking favours, then minutes later she'd be completely psychotic, screaming at us for leaving a tiny crumb on the floor, and then 10 minutes later it's as if it had never happened, and she' be back to normal. very bizarre... the joys of housesharing!

crispsandwich

"I'd also move out. I used to live with someone who wouldn't pay council tax. She was doing a gap year in the middle of her course to learn english and get some work experience. She was paid the same as the rest of us, but didn't think council tax was fair, so refused to pay it, and then when they said she was liable, she somehow got her french uni to write a letter saying she was a student here!"

I can't move out, and I hope that wasn't a suggestion that I am trying to live off my housemates. I pay the same (more in some cases) on bills than everyone else. I am on a 12 month AST which runs until September. I'm stuck where I am. I'm not trying to make anyone pay my share, I am happy (well, not happy) to pay it, I'm just not sure if I'm liable, because I'm unsure as to whether I'm still classed as a student.

barnaby-bear

crispsandwich wrote: »

"I'd also move out. I used to live with someone who wouldn't pay council tax. She was doing a gap year in the middle of her course to learn english and get some work experience. She was paid the same as the rest of us, but didn't think council tax was fair, so refused to pay it, and then when they said she was liable, she somehow got her french uni to write a letter saying she was a student here!"

I can't move out, and I hope that wasn't a suggestion that I am trying to live off my housemates. I pay the same (more in some cases) on bills than everyone else. I am on a 12 month AST which runs until September. I'm stuck where I am. I'm not trying to make anyone pay my share, I am happy (well, not happy) to pay it, I'm just not sure if I'm liable, because I'm unsure as to whether I'm still classed as a student.

Do you have an exemption certificate from your uni. - if you ask them for one will they issue it - that should answer the question.

tbs624

pinkshoes wrote: »

lol well the council rejected her student claim and documents TWICE (first time as it was in french, second time as when it got translated, they didn't accept it as the gap year was nothing to do with the course), and then this other document appeared... not sure how genuine it was (or more likely wasn't), but the council accepted it!

That could of course be down to the Council Tax depts own incompetence. As I said in a previous post, my experience has been that some of the staff are not fully versed in the rules relating to their own sphere of work

pinkshoes wrote: »

I wasn't best pleased, as she'd signed a non-student form at the letting agency (as anyone who was a student required a guarantor), so if she'd said she was a student from the beginning, then we wouldn't have let her live with us!

I'd agree that wasn't entirely fair on the rest of you, but it may have been that she just hadn't realised until later on that she could claim exemption?

pinkshoes wrote: »

l Ah well, I moved out after 6 months as this girl was a psychopathic nutter! One minute she was nice as pie, chatting, asking favours, then minutes later she'd be completely psychotic, screaming at us for leaving a tiny crumb on the floor, and then 10 minutes later it's as if it had never happened, and she' be back to normal. very bizarre... the joys of housesharing!

and you can get those type of house-sharers even amongst those who do pay a full share of everything but I guess it probably wouldn't grate on you quite so much