That's fine then, they ain't got a chance!
Council Tax / Legal help please
- Thread starter ChrisD.
- Start date
That's fine then, they ain't got a chance!
I had a similar issue when I was sharing a house. 2 of us were paying the council tax as we worked and 2 weren't as they were students. However, when we first got the place we agreed to split the CT 4 ways. It almost cost me the friendship of 2 of my best mates trying to get money out of them so in the end I gave up as really, I couldn't do anything about it.
I feel for your girlfriend as I know how tight living as a student can be but I can understand why the guy would be annoyed, although in your girlfriends case it was agreed initially that she wouldn't pay.
It sounds like he's trying to pull a fast one on her to be honest.
I feel for your girlfriend as I know how tight living as a student can be but I can understand why the guy would be annoyed, although in your girlfriends case it was agreed initially that she wouldn't pay.
It sounds like he's trying to pull a fast one on her to be honest.
She definitely does not have to pay council tax so just stick to your guns. The guy is probably just blowing hot air and i doubt his companies legal department even give a toss. If he does ask them he will be told he is an idiot like everyone on here is saying.
I've lived in a house working with another fellow whilst two of my friends were still studying at uni in the same house and the 2 of us just paid it no questions asked we just took it for granted. If they had been a bit cleverer about the whole thing he could have claimed he was the only non student in the house and got the 25% discount but its a bit late now so screw him.
I've lived in a house working with another fellow whilst two of my friends were still studying at uni in the same house and the 2 of us just paid it no questions asked we just took it for granted. If they had been a bit cleverer about the whole thing he could have claimed he was the only non student in the house and got the 25% discount but its a bit late now so screw him.
so let me get this straight.
3 people live in this house
2 people pay council tax
1 person is exempt for being a jobless student (thats not a dig, some students work)
Lets say the council tax is £999 per year
To me the 2 people who should pay council tax should only pay £333 per year each.
The 1 exempt person's share is subsidised by the government to the sum of £333 (100%)
If the 2 people who have to pay council tax are paying £499.50 each then that is totally unfair on them and i would refuse to pay more than £333.
3 people live in this house
2 people pay council tax
1 person is exempt for being a jobless student (thats not a dig, some students work)
Lets say the council tax is £999 per year
To me the 2 people who should pay council tax should only pay £333 per year each.
The 1 exempt person's share is subsidised by the government to the sum of £333 (100%)
If the 2 people who have to pay council tax are paying £499.50 each then that is totally unfair on them and i would refuse to pay more than £333.
Then that is totally out of order i would not pay her share, although its not her fault at all. Both parties are right and its another way for the government to screw the working man out of more tax, whether he is an a-hole or not. This guy could be working for minimum wage and just making ends meet and then have to put up with paying someone elses share of council tax is taking the p*ss. The rest of the country should be paying for the students share as they are the well needed educated workers we need for this country to grow and prosper.
#Soap box kicked against the wall and smashed to pieces#
#Soap box kicked against the wall and smashed to pieces#
The council tax would not rise or fall if she moved out though. - she has no share to pay.
She is simply exempt, the tax is based on the property, not the people, unless you live alone and qualify for single occupancy discount.
Now if it were 3 good friends the decent thing to do would be to split the bill 3 ways regardless, but if its a shared house in a more non-personal sense then they are just trying to pay a bit less.
Her housemates, for better or worse, are wrong. End of story.
She is simply exempt, the tax is based on the property, not the people, unless you live alone and qualify for single occupancy discount.
Now if it were 3 good friends the decent thing to do would be to split the bill 3 ways regardless, but if its a shared house in a more non-personal sense then they are just trying to pay a bit less.
Her housemates, for better or worse, are wrong. End of story.
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What he said.
From http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Educati...Education/LifeAtUniversityOrCollege/DG_071488
So she is exempt, and has already agreed with her housemates that she's not contributing to the CT bill. Therefore that's where it should end. If the angry douche guy feels like he's paying too much CT then he should contact the council himself and see if they can get a discount.
Unfortunately from further down that page:
From what I gather there are 2 people in the house who aren't exempt, and the above text would imply that they are not eligible for a discount, however it can't hurt to try.
So she is exempt, and has already agreed with her housemates that she's not contributing to the CT bill. Therefore that's where it should end. If the angry douche guy feels like he's paying too much CT then he should contact the council himself and see if they can get a discount.
Unfortunately from further down that page:
From what I gather there are 2 people in the house who aren't exempt, and the above text would imply that they are not eligible for a discount, however it can't hurt to try.
edit: oops posted in the wrong thread!
Kinky666 how is it out of order that she does not have to pay? It's **** enough as a student now coming out of uni and struggling to find a job with a 20k debt to pay back which will eat your pay check for god knows how many years. There is no reason for them to pay council tax it is the least the goverment could do i reckon. If she was a phD student getting the same benefit then i would complain as phD students get so many tax reliefs and a semi decent salary whilst doing no work but as she is not i really cannot see the problem.
Kinky666 how is it out of order that she does not have to pay? It's **** enough as a student now coming out of uni and struggling to find a job with a 20k debt to pay back which will eat your pay check for god knows how many years. There is no reason for them to pay council tax it is the least the goverment could do i reckon. If she was a phD student getting the same benefit then i would complain as phD students get so many tax reliefs and a semi decent salary whilst doing no work but as she is not i really cannot see the problem.
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This is an email that he sent to her.
He mentions two weeks of rent in November. The initial verbal agreement was that she wouldn't pay rent till she moved in, which was around 2 weeks after she signed the contract.
You do not have to pay the council your tax by law that is correct. But as you were living in a shared house where everything is split 3 ways you have to pay a third of all bills. This includes a third of the council tax bill which you are required to pay {name removed} and myself which covers the cost of you (a student) living there.
You will also see that on the letter in the post it states that half a months rent is still outstanding (£xxx). This is the amount i helped you pay when you moved in. It is still outstanding as being unpaid by you. I was going to let this one pass by but as you have now forced my hand to take legal action I will be claiming that back as well as it to is an unpaid bill that you are still required to pay.
So in total the bills (excluding rent) you owe us are £xxx.xx for the council tax of you living with {name removed} and myself for the dates of {dates removed}. This is not paid directly to the council as you are exempt from paying them, however you are not exempt from paying {name removed} and myself.
Myself and {name removed} will be represented by the legal department of my company. I was incorrect in saying you have 14 days to settle the outstanding balance, you have 14 days from the date of receiving the letter to settle the outstanding balance.
So just to clear things up, the total amount owed is - £xxx.xx
The payment I received on {date removed} of £xx.xx (MilanoChris - bills only which was owed) has already been deducted.
As all future documentation will be required by the legal team at work, all correspondence from me will be sent by signed for recorded delivery.
He mentions two weeks of rent in November. The initial verbal agreement was that she wouldn't pay rent till she moved in, which was around 2 weeks after she signed the contract.
You do not have to pay the council your tax by law that is correct. But as you were living in a shared house where everything is split 3 ways you have to pay a third of all bills. This includes a third of the council tax bill which you are required to pay {name removed} and myself which covers the cost of you (a student) living there.
You will also see that on the letter in the post it states that half a months rent is still outstanding (£xxx). This is the amount i helped you pay when you moved in. It is still outstanding as being unpaid by you. I was going to let this one pass by but as you have now forced my hand to take legal action I will be claiming that back as well as it to is an unpaid bill that you are still required to pay.
So in total the bills (excluding rent) you owe us are £xxx.xx for the council tax of you living with {name removed} and myself for the dates of {dates removed}. This is not paid directly to the council as you are exempt from paying them, however you are not exempt from paying {name removed} and myself.
Myself and {name removed} will be represented by the legal department of my company. I was incorrect in saying you have 14 days to settle the outstanding balance, you have 14 days from the date of receiving the letter to settle the outstanding balance.
So just to clear things up, the total amount owed is - £xxx.xx
The payment I received on {date removed} of £xx.xx (MilanoChris - bills only which was owed) has already been deducted.
As all future documentation will be required by the legal team at work, all correspondence from me will be sent by signed for recorded delivery.
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The only legal document which he has that I can think of is the tenancy agreement, details of which are in a post by me on page one.
Tell him to **** off he has no legal basis to claim a third of the council tax unless your GF signed something to that effect. And that would have had to have been surely a formal contract drawn up between three of you, not just based on assumption etc.
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Can you give more context on point 4?
That's an agreement between you and the landlords/estat agent? Plus as has been mentioned, being exempt it is not applicable to her.
He hasn't got a leg to stand on, and I think he probably knows it - from the information that you've given us. If the contract says differently then she may be in trouble.
I doubt that his legal department are actually doing anything and he's just getting his knickers in a twist and quoting them to try and scare her into doing it.
In an ideal world, the contract should stipulate who pays for what but this probably isn't the case. A gentlemens agreement is the norm, but of course they aren't great as this situation has shown.
If this was two boys living together, it would just end up in fisticuffs.
Nonetheless, this isn't going to end well - It's about time your girlfriend started finding somewhere else to live. Not entirely sure on the grounds of breaking a contract under these reasons (I don't do property law) but I'm sure there'll be someway to cancel it.
I doubt that his legal department are actually doing anything and he's just getting his knickers in a twist and quoting them to try and scare her into doing it.
In an ideal world, the contract should stipulate who pays for what but this probably isn't the case. A gentlemens agreement is the norm, but of course they aren't great as this situation has shown.
If this was two boys living together, it would just end up in fisticuffs.
Nonetheless, this isn't going to end well - It's about time your girlfriend started finding somewhere else to live. Not entirely sure on the grounds of breaking a contract under these reasons (I don't do property law) but I'm sure there'll be someway to cancel it.