Letter: If Your House is Your Home You’re Not Selling, It’s Worth Nothing

Published on: 3 Dec, 2020
Updated on: 3 Dec, 2020

From: Pearl Catlin

In response to: Council Tax Reform to Reflect Today’s Values Would Solve Revenue Problem

Are we supposed to be delighted at David Robert’s letter? Please remember that no matter what your house might be worth, that means nothing to the person whose home it is if they have no intention of selling.

Council tax is a huge lump from my meagre income and I see nothing much for it. Filthy, unswept roads, dangerous lanes for want of cutting the hedgerows, dangerous parking permitted in country lanes, no police to trap dangerous drivers who flash anyone observing the speed limit, trees owned by the council causing damage through their roots. I’ll stop there.

No thank you, sir. I have no desire to improve anyone’s wages, thank you very much. We all know where much of our taxes end up. I have already contributed to Gary Lineker’s, Zoe Ball’s and Claudia Winkleman’s vastly overpaid salaries by the BBC and remember, we have water rates in addition to CT.

I am 91 and I am getting more and more fearful as the days go by when I have to think good and hard each month before I spend what’s left of my meagre income.

Responses to Letter: If Your House is Your Home You’re Not Selling, It’s Worth Nothing

Clive Jones Reply

December 4, 2020 at 5:27 pm

I could not agree more. Twelve months ago I retired and sold my house in Lancashire and moved to Cranleigh. I’ve had to pay four times the price I sold to purchase a similar size house here and, the council tax demand is double what I was paying in the north. Just what am I paying extra for?
David Roberts Reply

December 4, 2020 at 7:11 pm

I am sorry to hear about Mrs Catlin’s difficult situation. I too pay far more in council tax than income tax. All the more reason taxes should be fair, reflecting real assets and income, not something reflecting a property assessment 29 years ago.

There will be no solution to local government financing until the government bite the bullet and bring the council tax bands up to date. Spooked by Mrs Thatcher’s disaster with the poll tax, they have repeatedly put this off.

Post-Covid, higher taxes are coming, like it or not. We might as well try and get them right.