Council Tax Increase For Home Improvements

[happyolddog]

How dare the Government even think of allowing councils the right to raise the amount of council tax we pay; if we have done home improvements?

This is the new suggestion by the government. It has happened in Northern Ireland next the midlands then the whole country. If this happens I shall first knock down the extension, reverse the loft conversion, Rip out the fitted kitchen. I could go on. But this is the truth they are planning this tax. I have already sent my letter of disapproval to my MP. I urge others to do the same. If it did come in people who could not afford the tax would be forced to let their street fall into disrepair. Our estates will become slums.

[Guest Battleaxe]

The Council tax over here is inequitable. They say the tax is pay for local services. if you are like us, we are not a drain (pardon the pun) on the council resources. We live on an unadopted estate, so the part of tax we pay for street maintentance lighting etc, as on the area which is adopted, an area we might use once a week. Even for Kent to go to work, he drives on an unadopted road, he works over the back fence. We have never had children go to school in England, so why should I pay for someone else's children (very selfish of me). there is a very poor bus service, but to use it I would have to walk over a mile to an adopted road.

 

Oh I forgot we pay service fee for the maintenance of our roads, lighting, drains and parks to a management company.

 

The Parish council levy does not apply to us, but we have to pay it. The parish council doesn't want to know us. Their interest is down the hill.

 

The solution user pays. The only value I get for my money is police hahaha, The service police are three streets away, they patrol the area.

The fire service..hmmm, can't ever remeber seeing a fire tender up here, oh yes we did use the fire service, when they came to untangle the car on the A1 when we had our accident, but I think a component of our insurance covered that (I could be wrong).

 

Social services - really? Well we wont be a drain on that either or in need of it,

 

The value of our house? It was revalued two and half years ago. Still in Band A, we have added a 10x10 conservatory, redecorated the inside.

 

The government minister concerned with this matter, said the government have no plans at present regarding the raising of the council tax because of home improvements. he reckons the spies in the sky are nonsense. They are waiting for the Lyons review to come out.

 

Bet our council taxes go up this year AGAIN, for what? In practice two wheelie bins being emptied week about. We can argue the wider picture, but how much wider? I can take my rubbish to the tip and get rid of it far more cheaply that £1000.00 I pay for the service at present.

 

I know I am going to be howled down using this arguement, but if they want to increase the tax, they need to make their services more appealing to me. Oh oh, I forgot, they are building a new Taj Mahal for themselves in town, guess that is what I am contributing towards.

 

Ok I am now ready for the stones to be thrown.

[Guest ian cognito]

As the council tax bandings are based on the value of homes then it is safe to assume if you extend it to twice its original size you will probably move up a band or two, however I remember hearing last year that a plan to re evaluate the house prices had been 'delayed'.

 

It will be interesting, given the house price boom, to see what they do with this one, given that all house prices have risen, the more expensive ones by a greater extent, one would assume the bands would start at a much higher level and a house that was originally a 'Band A' would remain so, albeit the band would have higher values! - sorry is this just women's logic again?

 

Battleaxe, I think you are in the same position as us where developrs have built several million new homes in the area, a couple of new roads that will need no maintenance for a good while, have a few extra bins to empty (but in our case only do it half the number of times) and still charge the same extortionate rate for those extra several million houses, and no they haven't increased school places (they've closed two down), police, fire or any other essential services you would expect when you have several more million families in the area.

[happyolddog]

Great rantings Jan and Battleaxe. The Telegraph this week reported on the Governments intentions to trial this taxation in the north east from next year [excuse me for reading such a tory led paper] and then to extend it across the whole country. They will give power of entry to your property to asses any improvements and tax you on that. I have written to my MP and would urge everybody who has a home to do the same. If they think that they can enter my home without my permission they will have a hard time.GRRRRR

[Guest ian cognito]

And if the state of your home has chronically declined - will they reduce the bill?

[buzby]

In Scotland we had a year's start on the 'Poll Tax' where the cost was based on individual's liability, notr their property. We loved it, our bills came down and we could see that those making uise of the services were having to pay for it. Of course, we all know what happened next, and the old scheme was reinstanted (as if this wasn;t unfair already)!

 

I just had valuation inspectors at my house, wanting to inspect my newly replaced garage, saying that IF there was a tax-band change, it wouldn;t affect me, only if I sold the house to someone else. I explained that my understnading of the rules was they could only take an 'average' and I was under no obligation to provide them access to measure the garage and amend the value of my liability. The woman said that if I didn't they would no when I sold (they have access to the Land Register) and would pounce then. I explained that suited me, as by the time it appeared in the register I it would be 3 months or so since I moved, and the new proprietor could negotiate with them, but there was no way I would be making my property have tax band higher than my neighbours, making it less attrractive to sell. I've heard no more.

[Guest Battleaxe]

Wasn't the original poll tax in England based on the number of windows a house had? This is why you see so many bricked up windows in the house built around the 1800's.

 

I hate it, everytime I flush the loo, I get slapped with water rates and sewerage rates, which reminds the drains under our unadopted roads are backing up because the river has broken it's banks and the pumping station is not working properly, will I get a refund from Anglian water? Not on your nellie. Guess I shouldn't have two toilets in the house, at least it is bit further for it to drain on the upstairs toilet. Help, I have to get my head out of the gutter.

 

I am waiting for the fallout or should that be recommendations regarding the Lyons Report on local government funding. In OZ we pay council tax (rates) on the unimproved value of your land, not on the value of your house and it is not a criminal if you don't pay, they just seize your house after three years of unpaid taxes and sell it for the taxes owed.

 

Why is everything over here a criminal offence and not a civil offence? After all the Council provides a CIVIC service not a criminal service. The purists will now be after me. Traffic offences are also criminal. This country runs on punitive restrictions. No wonder three of my ancestors got the fully paid ocean voyage to the tropics. Then again Mary was a very naughty lady, she did steal three bushells of corn on her own. She was one strong lady. James was lucky he had his sentence of death commuted to transporation, they needed carpenters to build houses, I wonder if John prescotts has any relation who was out in the colony. Oops I digress again. If any jobsworth from the council tries to get in my door to value my home, well it could get interesting. A new growth industry for CAG is in the offing. I think I need food, my brain is hurting.

[buzby]

That was the Window Tax, it predated the poll tax by a few centuries, and iut was UK wide, as we have these 'fake' windows in many buildings too - some are even painted!

 

Probably because folk wouldn't pay it voluntarily it became a 'tax' so that easier collection methods could be employed (guilty until proven innocent)!

[Guest ian cognito]

the Council provides a CIVIC service not a criminal service

 

No comment

[happyolddog]

Hi,

I got a letter this morning from my local MP,regarding the proposed council tax re evaluation. It say that the re evaluation will not affect the tax band for the current owners, it will affect the tax band only after the property is sold. Surely though this is going to effect the asking price of the property. Making it harder to sell, especially if other properties in the same street are on a lower tax band. It seems mad to me. We are already taxed to the hilt by this incompatant government. What next a meter on our bottoms, so everytime we break wind we pay a fee? I hope nobody from the government reads this and implements it, I would be paying a fortune.

[buzby]

No - it won;t affect hte asking price, the Council Tax band may have to be disclosed, but most folk ignore this assuming it will be the same as the neighbours. Anyway, the sale will have been completed long before the Council get round to sneding their first bill, which they do taking reference from the online land registers.