Council tax rant

narked · 03 September 2004, 13:13

Just had a lovely letter informing me that next year my house is being moved up 3 bands for council tax, from band A (value under £30,000) to band D (value between £91,000 and £123,000). I am not happy. There is no way this house is worth that much, and I'm currently sick of paying the band A rate of £44 per month considering what services we actually get up here in the middle of nowhere. And I really cannot see how this house is worth over £90k. The b*stards won't even let me appeal until next bloody April.
All they do is pick up my rubbish once a week, and "improve" the road by resurfacing it, but it's now worse than it was to start with. We're not on mains sewerage, if we do need the emergency services we've got a hell of a long wait. If I want to use the (council subsidised) buses, I have to walk 3 miles to the nearest bus stop and wait up to 2 hours for a bus, unless it's sunday in which case there are no buses. I hate Ceredigion County Council and whoever is responsible for banding houses.

Rant over!

Matt · 03 September 2004, 13:32

Have you only just bought it? It was my impression they cannot change the band it's in, regardless of work & improvements you do to it, until it gets sold again. So unless it was flagged for review prior to you purchasing it, they can't change it now.

Matt · 03 September 2004, 13:36

Have a look here. http://www.voa.gov.uk/council_tax/index.htm

jwalker · 03 September 2004, 14:33

You're lucky, I pay more than 3 times that and they don't look after the road. A dustbin collection is all I get.

Roll on a system where you pay for what you get. It was done once before but, of course, all the bu**ers who get a lot where asked to pay a lot and they objected on mass and it brought about the current system where everyone pays a lot. Fools.

Scary Des · 03 September 2004, 14:50

Quote:

Originally Posted by narked

................... moved up 3 bands for council tax, from band A (value under £30,000) to band D (value between £91,000 and £123,000). ......................

If that’s not enough to **ss you off look where they spend our money

Among other stupid ideas our council spends a fortune on visitor facilities, Ok I know I live in a nice part of the world but why should I pay for other people to come and visit it? They block the roads, they stop me to tell me that there are horse loose on the road (it’s the New Forest they are supposed to be there) they then feed them and get kicked and then I pay for the special Paramedic to take them to hospital.

I pay for street lights, there are only in two the whole village.

We get two buses a day.

Still, could be worse, I could live in Portsmouth where the council is spending millions on a concrete replica of an oil drilling rig which is already crumbling.
I am glade that Portsmouth City Council have everything in such good order that they can spend there spare money on a folly.
Didn’t I read some where that parts of Portsmouth were among the most deprived area in the UK?
Southern rant over.

Des

Keith Hart · 03 September 2004, 15:15

Matt,

Stop moaning and buy a boat...you'll feel MUCH better then...

Keith Hart

narked · 03 September 2004, 17:39

Haven't bought the property, it's rented. Daren't tell the landlord that his beloved house (it's the house he was born in) has gone up 3 bands, he's such a tight fisted old farmer he'd up the rent to reflect it's higher value.

The bands have changed due to a review of house bands right across Wales, but it's now fixed until something like 2013 which is when the next review is due. But still, I really cannot see this house being worth over 90 grand.

EDDO · 03 September 2004, 18:49

House! We live in a box in the road!

EDDO · 03 September 2004, 18:57

Better explain for our younger viewers, MONTY PYTHON.
Ed

narked · 04 September 2004, 00:39

Also that's £44 per month single occupancy, as Amy is exempt due to being a student nurse so it's classed as single occupancy. Might tell the council that I'll pay for my own bin bags and take it down the skip myself, and they can shove their tax.

And yup, I'm aware what most of it is going towards. Round here it's going to the police, probably to fund their nice shiny new unmarked silver mercs.

And Keith, I would buy a boat, if I had any money to spend on one

Andy Stevens · 05 September 2004, 09:26

Just pay the Robber Baron and stop moaning!

The council round here do a great job, they have just invested 14 million pounds in a lovely nice bus route that gets used about 6 times and hour!

They have reduced the speed limit and made the bus stops stick out in the road so you can't get round them.

Its feckin great!