canalworld

Except that the point being made is that the boats in question aren't remaining in one place for more than 28 consecutive days (though there is a certain ambiguity over what exactly is meant by that), hence not liable whatever the status of the resident.

Aggregate CT which is based on the official residential moorings For an official residential mooring. You know exactly what the wording of the terms in the planning consent is? We're well into lots of grey areas here - it would be a courageous* council to resort to legal measures. *see Yes Minister

You'd better tell that to all the people on leisure moorings who leave the boat there for months at a time without visiting it. The whole thing just isn't that simple - if you're on a leisure mooring, then I'm not sure what mechanism there is for the council to send you a CT bill, however long you're spending on the boat. As far as they're concerned you're not officially living on the boat if you're not on a residential mooring. It's all about reality rather than theory - yes if you're living on your boat full time and spending most of that in the marina you should be liable for CT. However if you're not breaking the terms of your contract with the marina (which you aren't if you pop out every 28 days from a BWML marina) then the marina will let you do what you like with your mooring. Meanwhile it's worth remembering that council tax is liable on the mooring, not the boat, but only if the mooring is officially designated as being for residential use - it's just not quite the same as CT being charged on a house where it's all very simple. Oh and as I mentioned in my first comment, I'm contributing exactly the same amount towards CT now as I was when I was a lodger in a house.

Interesting concept for the boat to leave the marina whilst you stay there - though I guess they need to cover for the every possibility? That all depends on how convenient it is to get a residential mooring, and whether complying with the 28 day rule is actually any sort of inconvenience at all (in a way it's an interesting condition - it is inconvenient to those who just want somewhere cheap to live but aren't that interested in boating, it's not terribly inconvenient to those who need a base but like getting out).

Interesting - I wasn't quite sure what other people were doing. As I wrote at the start I'm complying with the terms of my leisure mooring - mostly by taking the boat out of the marina, but sometimes away camping or staying at friend's. All what I'm choosing to do, not in order to "cheat" the system (I've spent a few nights out of the marina just up the cut because that's what I wanted to do). Should I be keeping a log?

What about ones who live in marinas on residential moorings and don't even pay band A? Or those who live with their parents and don't even pay band A? Or those who live in a room in a shared house and don't even pay band A? Any of those people might be paying lots of income tax and NI and hence contributing towards education and mental health services etc. I think I've complied with that so far. Incidentally I looked up the planning application for residential moorings at my marina last night and there seems no particular reason given the arguments made why they wouldn't have been granted twice the number of residential berths if they'd asked for them - the basic argument being that it makes very little realistic difference to any neighbours or the council whether a boat is occupied part time or permanently. The question which came to my mind was are you getting good VFM for your marina fee (and could you legitimately have registered as a CCer instead)?

I understand, but I was using myself as an example of somebody in a situation where I wasn't on the council tax bill where I was living (nor was I related to those who were) - it doesn't make any difference how I now use the mooring, if I'd been living there longer and didn't have a council tax bill from my previous address I wouldn't have been able to get a leisure mooring (not at all easily - I didn't really have any proof that I was living there). Ah, so I was a benefit cheat when living at my previous address and legitimately making no difference to the council tax bill? Council tax being levied on properties not on people (ISTR they tried doing it the other way and it didn't turn out well...) I guess CCers are also benefit cheats? I'm quite happy to pay my way and have done for many, many years - I'd happily have a residential mooring and pay council tax (though I note that AFAIK residential moorings at most marinas pay composite council tax, with the marina as a whole being assessed for council tax and each berth holder paying their share - in the same way as a HMO). Of course if you're paying for a leisure mooring you're also contributing indirectly through the business rates. If you're paying income tax etc. you're also contributing (mental health services for example are funded through the NHS which is centrally funded, almost half of all school pupils attend centrally funded academies).

I'd like a residential mooring and happily pay for one, I have a leisure mooring as that's what was available, it appears that without a council tax bill I couldn't have got a mooring at all - clearly it's a planning issue, but there appears to be lots of demand for residential moorings and no particularly obvious reason why it shouldn't be a fairly simple planning decision to create more in the area I'm in where tens of thousands of new houses are being built to cope with demand (which I suspect is fairly similar to lots of other areas). I'm fairly sure I'm not the only person resident on a leisure mooring where I am - though there's a fair chance I might actually comply with the terms of the BWML agreement, I have so far by going out cruising or spending time away camping or nights round at friends (if I had a girlfriend and spent a night at hers once a week it seems that would appear to make me compliant!) Indeed - I had a copy of the council tax bill to show when I got my mooring, however that was from the previous address I lived at - where I was living at the time I wasn't on the bill. I currently have an "official" address where I'm not on the council tax bill either, at a friend's place just up the road where there are already 2 adults living (so it makes no difference to council tax payments - I can't see how it makes any difference to the council whether I live at that house or on the boat). Is there no other means of providing proof of residence to CaRT in the way that BWML allow alternative evidence (will be testing that one soon assuming they need something at renewal...) I appear to be the first person actually in this situation to have raised my head - already a member on here, but name changed (I find it amusing that my new name was available!) and being careful how much detail I give for reasons. Don't feel particularly guilty given I'm paying the same amount of council tax I was at my previous address (or if I lived at my "official" address), that I'd take a residential mooring if I could get one and that whilst the main reason for choosing to live on a boat was "a cheap flat" I've always been into boating and owning a narrowboat was something that appealed and I'd already discussed with friends - everybody seems to think it's something which suits me - and I do regularly go out cruising, I'm enjoying living on a boat for all the right reasons (I'd happily CC legitimately if circumstances where different).