Why are we now a Houseboat ?

[Hobbler]

We have an official residential mooring for our narrowboat and for which we pay council tax. Up till now all official correspondence has been addressed to us at Narrowboat G ..........., however the latest council tax bill has an amended address on it and we are now apparrently Houseboat G...........

 

We have not made an alterations to the boat and can virtually untie and go off cruising at a moments notice.My definition of a Houseboat is a craft that cannot move so I am wondering why the council has made this alteration . I am also now wondering if our Bw licence is correct (its a normal canal & river licence) or if we now need a Houseboat Licence for when we are not cruising.

 

Anyone in a similar situation ?

[GUMPY]

We have an official residential mooring for our narrowboat and for which we pay council tax. Up till now all official correspondence has been addressed to us at Narrowboat G ..........., however the latest council tax bill has an amended address on it and we are now apparrently Houseboat G...........

 

We have not made an alterations to the boat and can virtually untie and go off cruising at a moments notice.My definition of a Houseboat is a craft that cannot move so I am wondering why the council has made this alteration . I am also now wondering if our Bw licence is correct (its a normal canal & river licence) or if we now need a Houseboat Licence for when we are not cruising.

 

Anyone in a similar situation ?

 

Houseboat licences have been phased out I believe, only those that have them will get them renewed. They are about the same cost as a cruising licence.

Me, I wouldnt worry, just ignore it as yet another council coc up!

 

Julian

Edited January 21, 2008 by idleness

[Chris J W]

But there is a difference between the two in the eyes of the law - see Gary's recent post on Houseboats and VAT. However, I suspect in this case the local Council are just using the term incorrectly. Suggest you just contact them and correct the "address".

[denboy]

could be the fact that there is no banding cat for a narrowboat but there is for a house boat ?

[Chris J W]

could be the fact that there is no banding cat for a narrowboat but there is for a house boat ?

 

Now there's a thought.

[Yoda]

could be the fact that there is no banding cat for a narrowboat but there is for a house boat ?

 

Now there's a bit of VAT leverage.

[Hobbler]

could be the fact that there is no banding cat for a narrowboat but there is for a house boat ?

 

You may be right. Have queried it with the Council tax dept and they said the amendment came from the County Valuers office ( the people who decide which band your property is in)

[denboy]

You may be right. Have queried it with the Council tax dept and they said the amendment came from the County Valuers office ( the people who decide which band your property is in)

my concern would be they are classing you as something you aint bit like taxing you for a 5 bedroom detached house when you live in bedsit??

[Hobbler]

my concern would be they are classing you as something you aint bit like taxing you for a 5 bedroom detached house when you live in bedsit??

 

Apparently they put all boats in the lowest value band - thats fine for the average boat as most will be under the first threshold the way property prices are . Not sure how the owners of top of the range expensive new boats will feel about being lumped in with the rest though.

[debbifiggy]

Apparently they put all boats in the lowest value band - thats fine for the average boat as most will be under the first threshold the way property prices are . Not sure how the owners of top of the range expensive new boats will feel about being lumped in with the rest though.

There is a big difference between what most people think is a houseboat and what is actually a houseboat under the 1971 British Waterways Act. All the stuff is up on the BW website if you want to check it out but a bonafide houseboat is one which has no means of propulsion (as in no engine, no outboat, zlich, de nada) and is permanently moored on a mooring with full residential planning permission from the local authority. Very few boats qualify for this (as most proper residential moorings are like rocking horse poo). Therefore it's a terminology confusion thingy from the LA. The key thing will be checking with BW whether or not you have a proper houseboat certificate on the right mooring and are not paying VAT. If not you ain't a houseboat, just another boat on the cut that just happens to be residential. HTH D