Council Tax

[Budlet]

M daughter purchased a house last month and has not moved in yet. She rang her local council who told her to contact them again when she was in the house. She has now received a rather unpleasant letter from them demanding she pays the full amount of council tax from her purchase date until the end of March, plus an amount for previous unpaid tax on the property amounting to nearly £70.
Am I right in thinking this is incorrect and she is not responsible for any outstanding amounts?

[woofgang]

She needs to go back to the council.

[hc4361]

Which local authority is it? Different councils have different rules

[EDDIE51]

They can't make her pay for the time before she bought it that is down to the previous owner. While it is unoccupied the council tax is only 50% .Phone the council and explain, they need to amend their records and issue a corrected bill.

[hc4361]

Not all councils are the same, Eddie. Bradford for example gives no discount for unoccupied properties

[New Judge]

That's quite true, hc. But they cannot levy Council Tax owed by the previous tenant/owner on the new incumbent.

[hc4361]

No, they can't, but she is responsible for the council tax from purchase date.

Does the previously unpaid tax of £70 relate to the new property or a different one?

[Budlet]

It's Ryedale.

[Budlet]

Her tax is £127 a month but she has had a bill for £197 to cover the unpaid amount.

[hc4361]

Ryedale Council:

Empty and substantially unfurnished dwellings:
Properties that are empty and unfurnished will be entitled to a discount of 100% for a maximum period of 28 days from the date the circumstances first applied.

[ummmm]

You're not responsible for previous debt.

[chelle7272]

No she will not be responsible for outstanding amounts prior to the purchase date.

[Budlet]

hc4361 - can you post a link please?

[hc4361]

https://ryedale.gov.uk/services/council-tax-benefits/council-tax/council-tax-discount.html#Empty1

[Budlet]

Thank you so much for this hc4361. She is not able to move into the house until mid January as the boiler is unsafe and is being replaced after Christmas. The house is unfurnished too.

[hc4361]

Sadly it is only for 28 days. It's not so long since all vacant properties got a 50% discount for up to 2 years. Still, it's nearly January :)

[Peter Pedant]

she should first stop phoning and start writing

she should state that she is not responsible for someone else's unpaid CT
and state she is gonna pay what is payable after completion

she should be ready to prove ( = bit of paper ) the date of cpmpletion

if the ryedale site says the first four weeks is free ! then she should claim that

however it is worth finding out that if the house is uninhabitable ..... which hers is - whether it is exempt ( as of law not bye law )
https://www.gov.uk/council-tax/second-homes-and-empty-properties