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Council tax query


doratheexplorer

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20 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

Not completely true tho'.

 

The owner still has to pay council tax on an empty property, and if the property has been empty for 2 years then the council tax has a 50% premium added.

 

Empty properties

You’ll usually have to pay Council Tax on an empty home, but your council can decide to give you a discount - the amount is up to them. Contact your council to ask about a discount.

Your council can charge up to 50% extra Council Tax if your home has been empty for 2 years or more (unless it’s an annexe or you’re in the armed forces).

True. But still not Detling's problem as his house was occupied. 

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30 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

Not completely true tho'.

 

The owner still has to pay council tax on an empty property, and if the property has been empty for 2 years then the council tax has a 50% premium added.

 

As of 01/04/2019 its 100% premium or to put it another way double council tax

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2 hours ago, David Mack said:

Council tax is a tax on occupation, not ownership. So the issue of whether or not council tax was payable on your student let would be for the tenants to show (and if appropriate, pay), and nothing to do with you.

After graduating my daughter shared a house with 3 university mates, 2 of whom were still students. So although the rent was split 4 ways, the CT had to be covered by the two non-students - something she hadn't considered beforehand. 

No strictly true the landlord/owner is ultimately liable these days certainly with students, the council will pursue tenants through the court but at the end they will come after the owner. The same applies now to services i.e. electric, gas etc it is in their ts & cs of the supply contract. The place was let all inclusive which also would have muddied the waters, but in the end when proof was provided they dropped the bill.  We did have an issue with a live in girlfriend,but the council never knew she was working and not a student, officially we were told she had a flat elsewhere but didn't pursue it.

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5 hours ago, Detling said:

Are you registered there for a postal vote?  Unfortunately it is up to the single person to declare they live alone, and if required provide proof that they are the sole occupant. Not identical but similar we have a student let, and last year the council decided that one of the occupants was not a student, and sent us a bill. We had to get proof of registration and attendance from the university authorities (deans office) for all the students, before they would change their mind.

I think that is a crucial question. If, as a liveaboard, you chose to give up your voting rights, then the council probably wouldn't know that you were using it as a contact address (unless someone else decided to inform the council of this), but if you are registered there to vote, why wouldn't the council assume that you are resident there?

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I reckon that's getting towards the truth of the matter. If it were just a case that it was used as a correspondence address (and was made clear at the time), no issues. If the OP has "pretended" they are living there for certain authorities, and now wants to give the impression she is not living there for certain other authorities, then the problems will occur sooner or later.

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On 15/03/2019 at 18:07, Wanderer Vagabond said:

I think that is a crucial question. If, as a liveaboard, you chose to give up your voting rights, then the council probably wouldn't know that you were using it as a contact address (unless someone else decided to inform the council of this), but if you are registered there to vote, why wouldn't the council assume that you are resident there?

I'm registered to vote, but not there. 

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On 15/03/2019 at 19:24, Paul C said:

I reckon that's getting towards the truth of the matter. If it were just a case that it was used as a correspondence address (and was made clear at the time), no issues. If the OP has "pretended" they are living there for certain authorities, and now wants to give the impression she is not living there for certain other authorities, then the problems will occur sooner or later.

I haven't pretended anything.  In fact I've been completely open with all relevant authorities about this at all times.  I have been very clear about what my living arrangement are.  As far as I'm concerned having post delivered to an address does not necessarily imply occupation.  I could have  PO Box - it wouldn't mean I lived in the post office.  However, my initial question was not about that, it was about proving my living arrangements formally.  It's never occurred to me before, but by having my post sent to an address I don't live at, I've been left with no formal option I can think of.  I asked the forum if they could think of anything and nobody could.  So I have my answer.  With hindsight, I would have been better to have my post sent to a property with 2 occupants. 

 

Thanks for all the replies.

Edited by doratheexplorer
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Its always been a bit dicey though. The official position, I believe, is that if you actually do genuinely live on a boat which doesn't have a mooring then its "no fixed abode". And that everyone has a correspondence address.....

 

The issue is that because most people's correspondence address matches their place they live, then there is a real danger of it being assumed (rather than no fixed abode). If you don't make it clear that its merely a correspondence address....

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56 minutes ago, MartynG said:

The following link may be of interest but I don't think it helps in this case

https://www.yourvotematters.co.uk/can-i-vote/with-no-fixed-address#boat

 

Thanks.  From the link:

 

If you live on a boat, houseboat or similar residence which has a fixed or permanent mooring then you can register at that address.

You can register online at gov.uk/register-to-vote.

If you do not have a permanent mooring then you can register either at a place where you spend most of your time or have some connection. This could be the place where you were last permanently registered or, for example, a boatyard that you use for maintenance.

 

As usual, the implied assumption is that if you have a mooring, you spend most of your time there.  It seems inconceivable to most that someone might have a mooring that they hardly ever use but choose to keep anyway.  Some boaters who have moorings do more genuine cruising than those who have no mooring at all.

 

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6 minutes ago, doratheexplorer said:

Thanks.  From the link:

 

If you live on a boat, houseboat or similar residence which has a fixed or permanent mooring then you can register at that address.

You can register online at gov.uk/register-to-vote.

If you do not have a permanent mooring then you can register either at a place where you spend most of your time or have some connection. This could be the place where you were last permanently registered or, for example, a boatyard that you use for maintenance.

 

As usual, the implied assumption is that if you have a mooring, you spend most of your time there.  It seems inconceivable to most that someone might have a mooring that they hardly ever use but choose to keep anyway.  Some boaters who have moorings do more genuine cruising than those who have no mooring at all.

 

I don't think there is an implied assumption at all. The situation is an either/or - either you have a mooring, or you don't. If you have one, then they pin your location as that mooring because its marginally better than "no fixed abode" which is what a travelling (or anything which travels!) boat is. To allow people to have a mooring but then declare somewhere else to vote doesn't sit right at all. 

 

And if you don't have a mooring, then you get to choose a place. But you'd need to not have a mooring to use this option, which is fair enough.

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8 minutes ago, Paul C said:

I don't think there is an implied assumption at all. The situation is an either/or - either you have a mooring, or you don't. If you have one, then they pin your location as that mooring because its marginally better than "no fixed abode" which is what a travelling (or anything which travels!) boat is. To allow people to have a mooring but then declare somewhere else to vote doesn't sit right at all. 

 

And if you don't have a mooring, then you get to choose a place. But you'd need to not have a mooring to use this option, which is fair enough.

Maybe.  But what about this? https://www.yourvotematters.co.uk/can-i-vote/with-no-fixed-address

It is surely possible to have a mooring but still be of no fixed address.

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