Licence fee

[Bluebeard20]

We are OAP's and are especially peeved by the current situation and STILL being expected to pay the CRT license fee. We are already paying to be in Calcutt marina and now they tell us that the virus situation will go on to Chirstmas. Since we are off the canal proper we really didn't expect to still have to pay the licence fee. The Coronavirus wasn't our fault so why should we be expected to pay the full cost of it and get nothing in return?? Doesn't anyone else feel like that??
Regards

[Graham Davis]

See post 2 in this thread:

 

[Nightwatch]

Sorry to say this, but it’s not CRT’s fault either. Frustrating to all I guess. Regardless of age. Is Calcutt a private water marina?

[BEngo]

No.  The canal still needs to be maintained, water moved and services supplied.

CRT has licence conditions which address this.

 

Sh,!t happens.  Deal with what is in front of you.  I too would rather be boating, but I cannot.

N

[Rob-M]

I purchased a brand new car just over a month ago which I've not driven for a few weeks, should I ask the garage for some money back?

[Alan de Enfield]

6 minutes ago, Bluebeard20 said:

We are OAP's and are especially peeved by the current situation and STILL being expected to pay the CRT license fee. We are already paying to be in Calcutt marina and now they tell us that the virus situation will go on to Chirstmas. Since we are off the canal proper we really didn't expect to still have to pay the licence fee. The Coronavirus wasn't our fault so why should we be expected to pay the full cost of it and get nothing in return?? Doesn't anyone else feel like that??
Regards

This is the 3rd thread, in the last few days, on this subject, do a search.

 

[MHS]

Just now, Rob-M said:

I purchased a brand new car just over a month ago which I've not driven for a few weeks, should I ask the garage for some money back?

And don’t forget to ask for a refund of your road licence and maybe the duty on the fuel in the tank. It’s not as if you’re using them! 

[The Welsh Cruiser]

I don't know about the licence fee but certainly there should be a discount given on council tax. First hint of trouble, my local council sent its tip and call centre workers on a nice long jolly. On full pay, I'd assume. So, us tax payers are paying for something that's not being provided. A partial refund would be in order. Rather than this, I expect my next council tax bill to increase, as ever, and perhaps have another 'precept' added to the existing two.

 

Problem is, these authorities are accountable to no one. 

[Ray T]

1 hour ago, MHS said:

And don’t forget to ask for a refund of your road licence and maybe the duty on the fuel in the tank. It’s not as if you’re using them! 

OP, also try for a refund on your boat insurance - good luck with that. The company I insure with isn't giving a refund. Although like most on here I am not using my boat but I wouldn't like it to be uninsured. Anyway it is one of the conditions of being in the marina we are in.

 

 

Edited April 23, 2020 by Ray T

[GUMPY]

52 minutes ago, Bluebeard20 said:

We are OAP's and are especially peeved by the current situation and STILL being expected to pay the CRT license fee. We are already paying to be in Calcutt marina and now they tell us that the virus situation will go on to Chirstmas. Since we are off the canal proper we really didn't expect to still have to pay the licence fee. The Coronavirus wasn't our fault so why should we be expected to pay the full cost of it and get nothing in return?? Doesn't anyone else feel like that??
Regards

Check with the marina my memory tells me that Calcutt is private water so you may not have to pay a cart licence.

Edited April 23, 2020 by Loddon

[frahkn]

33 minutes ago, The Welsh Cruiser said:

I don't know about the licence fee but certainly there should be a discount given on council tax. First hint of trouble, my local council sent its tip and call centre workers on a nice long jolly. On full pay, I'd assume. So, us tax payers are paying for something that's not being provided. A partial refund would be in order. Rather than this, I expect my next council tax bill to increase, as ever, and perhaps have another 'precept' added to the existing two.

 

Problem is, these authorities are accountable to no one. 

Where do you live? I get to vote for council.

[Tracy D'arth]

1 hour ago, Bluebeard20 said:

We are OAP's and are especially peeved by the current situation and STILL being expected to pay the CRT license fee. We are already paying to be in Calcutt marina and now they tell us that the virus situation will go on to Chirstmas. Since we are off the canal proper we really didn't expect to still have to pay the licence fee. The Coronavirus wasn't our fault so why should we be expected to pay the full cost of it and get nothing in return?? Doesn't anyone else feel like that??
Regards

Is this the blame culture gone to the extreme?

Welcome to the world, we are all in the same boat, the  world has to go on, water kept in the canal, businesses kept afloat.

We are all being restricted in our everyday lives through no fault of our own. If you want to blame try suing China.

Why do you think that you as a boat owner are entitled to anything out of the ordinary when you were happy to pay the licence fee in the first place?

Do you want a discount on your living expenses too as you can't do the things we used to do?

A discount on your taxes and VAT too? Then the NHS would not have any funding, where would that lead?

 

[Machpoint005]

1 hour ago, The Welsh Cruiser said:

On full pay, I'd assume. So, us tax payers are paying for something that's not being provided.

 

No, you are assuming that they are. Local councils are still providing umpteen other vital servces to people that need them. If you are lucky enough not to need the assistance of your council in housing or social care, thank your lucky stars. You are also getting all the other services that are usually invisible, such as public health matters in general, managed according to the resources the council has at its disposal.

 

Nobody likes it, and nobody knows how long this is going to last. The OP should do what the great majority of responsible citizens are doing: grow up, put up with it, shut up, and wait and see what transpires.  

 

 

 

 

[mrsmelly]

1 hour ago, Bluebeard20 said:

We are OAP's and are especially peeved by the current situation and STILL being expected to pay the CRT license fee. We are already paying to be in Calcutt marina and now they tell us that the virus situation will go on to Chirstmas. Since we are off the canal proper we really didn't expect to still have to pay the licence fee. The Coronavirus wasn't our fault so why should we be expected to pay the full cost of it and get nothing in return?? Doesn't anyone else feel like that??
Regards

No. I too live on a small pension. After 31 years living onboard I fully understand it aint cheap and never has been. 

[WotEver]

6 minutes ago, Machpoint005 said:

The OP should do what the great majority of responsible citizens are doing: grow up, put up with it, shut up, and wait and see what transpires.  

Or fly over to the US and join in with all the other rednecks protesting against the lockdown. 

[mrsmelly]

Pretty conclusive reply to a first post then ?

[Machpoint005]

Just now, WotEver said:

Or fly over to the US and join in with all the other rednecks protesting against the lockdown. 

 

They won't get in - the USA only wants only a Murcan self-entitled ignorance. 

[Phil.]

1 hour ago, Bluebeard20 said:

We are OAP's and are especially peeved by the current situation and STILL being expected to pay the CRT license fee. We are already paying to be in Calcutt marina and now they tell us that the virus situation will go on to Chirstmas. Since we are off the canal proper we really didn't expect to still have to pay the licence fee. The Coronavirus wasn't our fault so why should we be expected to pay the full cost of it and get nothing in return?? Doesn't anyone else feel like that??
Regards

No, just had a renewal for our RCR cover, not expecting to need it, but if I and others don’t pay them, they probably won’t be around next year when we may do.

[junior]

So if everyone stops paying their license and CRT runs out of money/goes bust...and nobody fixes the locks or maintains the water level, you won't be able to go cruising when this all finishes whenever that may be.

 

Interesting that Calcutt know this is going on until Christmas. I wonder how they found that out.

[David Mack]

9 hours ago, Machpoint005 said:

 

No, you are assuming that they are. Local councils are still providing umpteen other vital servces to people that need them. If you are lucky enough not to need the assistance of your council in housing or social care, thank your lucky stars. You are also getting all the other services that are usually invisible, such as public health matters in general, managed according to the resources the council has at its disposal.

 

Exactly. And in the case of Calderdale, my local Council, just before all the Covid 19 stuff hit the fan they had to deal with extensive flooding in the Upper Calder Valley in Febrary this year. During and after the flood there were a lot of council staff putting in the extra hours to prepare for the flooding, erecting temporary flood defences etc, and afterwards clearing up the mess. A lot of praise locally for the Council's response, (and that of the emergency services, utilities and other statutory and voluntary organisations), but it will have made an unexpected dent in council finances. Now they are trying to maintain essential services during a lockdown when everything is very different from normal. And all some people can do is moan!

[john6767]

10 hours ago, junior said:

So if everyone stops paying their license and CRT runs out of money/goes bust...and nobody fixes the locks or maintains the water level, you won't be able to go cruising when this all finishes whenever that may be.

 

Interesting that Calcutt know this is going on until Christmas. I wonder how they found that out.

I think he was referring to the fact that the government has said it will go on until at least the end of the year, they are just starting to set expectations.

 

Our boat just happens to be in Calcutt as well, and at this point is booked in until the end of next March,  suspect I will be extending that.

[BilgePump]

So a boat in a marina, where CaRT will be in receipt of 9% via access/connection fee if applicable but it should be exempt from the licence because??? Is the water it sits in magically different and come from a different place from the water in the canal? Compare that to those who have boats on CaRT moorings where the trust will be in receipt of both licence & mooring fee for a boat going nowhere, yet where the owners are reconciled to the fact that this thing is bigger than you, me, CaRT or indeed our national governments. It really smacks of an insult to expect exemptions for marinas but for online moorers to stump up as normal. Nobody should be going anywhere, regardless of their mooring or CC status at this present time so nobody is getting the use from their licence fee. We don't see DVLA rushing to refund road tax for those who maybe haven't driven their car during the lockdown.

 

I'm not retirement age but I might as well be retired the amount of work I can get done at the moment so it's not as though this only has a limited impact on me. None of us has a crystal ball to see how this will play out and how restrictions will be modified but I suggest that if after a month someone is already focussing in on the licence fee as being a grievance, it won't get better soon as our freedom to use our boats will be severely limited for some time to come.

[pearley]

Glad we changed our licence to River only last November. Was considering s Gold Licence this year but decided at end of December to continue with River Licence, expecting to change back to Standard Licence on 1 April.

 

Re Calcutt. They have 2 marinas. The older one might have Grandfather Rights so moorers don't need licence but the newer one won't.

 

More to the point, if over 60/70s are told to continue staying at home whilst younger can start a slow return to normal life. And CRT lift the restrictions on movement, why shouldn't us older liveaboards move, provided we still social distance, avoid crowds, don't go to the pub, don't use public transport. Would we be any more at risk,?

Edited April 24, 2020 by pearley

[Alan de Enfield]

13 minutes ago, pearley said:

Glad we changed our licence to River only last November. Was considering s Gold Licence this year but decided at end of December to continue with River Licence, expecting to change back to Standard Licence on 1 April.

 

Re Calcutt. They have 2 marinas. The older one might have Grandfather Rights so moorers don't need licence but the newer one won't.

 

More to the point, if over 60/70s are told to continue staying at home whilst younger can start a slow return to normal life. And CRT lift the restrictions on movement, why shouldn't us older liveaboards move, provided we still social distance, avoid crowds, don't go to the pub, don't use public transport. Would we be any more at risk,?

That is the problem with 'partly lifting the restrictions', some one will always suggest if it doesn't apply to 'him' then it doesn't apply to 'me'.

 

You could liken it to a child of 15 years, 11 months and 30 days getting half-price admission, but the next day because they are now 16, they don't.

 

Why liveaboards ?

We are 'high volume' users (4-6 months) but are not classed as liveaboards, we would be no more risk moving around in the boat than a full time liveaboard would be.

 

 

 

Thee is always some one who is 'special'.

[Tacet]

When I have my CRT licence fee refund, am I required to pay it to my landlord and/or council?

 

After all, I will be living in the rented house and using local services more than usual, as I won't be out and about on the boat.