Woman hits out at council ‘death tax’ after losing mum
A woman has said it is “unfair” that she has had to pay full council tax on her mother’s property while trying to sell it after she died.
Dr Judy Wall, from Yorkshire, said families are being unfairly hit by the “death tax”, as she called it, imposed by Bath and North East Somerset Council’s council tax policy.
Dr Wall spent a year trying to sell her mother’s home in the Larkhall area of Bath.
For half of that time, she had to pay full council tax on the property.
She said: “I completely understand why the council wants to stop the widespread practice of deliberately keeping houses empty.
“That destroys the cityscape and decimates local communities. But it’s ridiculous, and unfair, that the council is also targeting people genuinely trying hard to sell family homes, after someone dies.”
Families are given six months with no council tax payments after someone dies in which to sell their property, but this is not long enough for some.
The council also has an empty homes policy that can see additional council tax premiums put on properties which remain empty after two to five, five to ten and more than ten years.
After her mother, Margaret Maureen, died in February last year, Dr Wall’s family tried hard to sell her three-bedroom semi-detached home in Larkhall.
According to Dr Wall, the coronavirus lockdown made selling very difficult as during the first shutdown, house viewings were not allowed under restrictions.
She said: “When I first contacted the council my concerns were dismissed out of hand. I was simply told people could buy from online photos. But who in their right mind would buy a home without seeing it first?”
Dr Wall suggested to the council that the tax-free period could be extended, to take the lockdown into account.
She said: “We were at our wits’ end. We simply couldn’t sell the house. We emptied it ready for sale but couldn’t find a buyer. In the end it took us about a year to sell mum’s house, and we had to pay council tax for much of that time.”
In March, Dr Wall spoke to deputy council leader Richard Samuel.
She said: “He told me the council had conducted a review of its policy regarding empty business properties in the city and it was decided a more flexible, tailored approach was needed.
“Councils have the power to provide discretionary council tax discounts where they consider individuals merit it, but it’s clear Bath council is not prepared to exercise that power. They could put a much fairer system in place but it seems at present they are not even prepared to talk about it.”
Mr Samuel replied to Dr Wall in August in an email seen by Bath Live, explaining that the council has “little discretion” in the policy and that “no changes are required” to their current practice.
The email reads: “So in conclusion I have had to reluctantly accept that the council has little discretion to improve matters for council payers and that no changes are required to our current practices.
“I have asked, however, that we look at producing an explanatory leaflet that navigates residents through this complex area.
“I am very sorry that you fell foul of these restrictive rules during the pandemic lockdowns last year.
“Unfortunately the delays in securing probate were beyond your control and no discretion was granted to the council by the Government so the previous rules I have described above still applied.”
Dr Wall has now asked Wera Hobhouse, Bath’s Liberal Democrat MP, for help.
“I’m hoping she can get the Government to urge councils, including Bath, to be more sympathetic towards families trying to sell the homes of relatives who have died, and either waive council tax for a longer period or at least charge it at a reduced rate,” Dr Wall said.
Bath and North East Somerset Council has been approached for comment.