Unfair rules would leave him horrified

LAWYERS warn there is a postcode lottery when it comes to how sympathetic town halls are over council tax when a home is empty as a result of the owner’s death.

Mandy Casavant, senior associate at law firm Royds Withy King, says: ‘Each local authority has its own rules. Some give an eight or even a 12-month council tax exemption after probate is granted.

‘Sometimes, a call to the council tax department will get you an extension. Councils are worried about owners hoarding empty properties, but if there are clear efforts to sell, a sympathetic ear can get you far.’

Rachael Griffin, tax and financial planning expert for wealth manager Quilter, says the exemption timeframes are unfair in the current environment. She adds: ‘As normal life begins to resume, we are seeing the unintended consequences of lockdown, including on taxes.

‘Government, rightly so, grants council tax exemptions for empty properties, but the timeframes have not been adjusted to take into account the disruption caused to the property market by lockdown.’

What would my dad, Elan, think of all this? He’d be horrified, that’s for sure.