A house on our road came up for sale recently (its empty at the moment, was rented) and as you do, I had a nosey at the particulars on Right Move. In the description in says that there is a service charge of £500 per year. I thought this was odd as we pay no such charge and it's not a flat or leasehold or anything like that so I couldn't figure out what the charge was for.
I ran into another neighbour who made a comment about the price it was for sale for so I commented that I noticed it had a service charge and how odd that was. Neighbour gave me a funny look and said "yes, well we all pay the service charge" I said that we don't and have never been told anything about it or asked for payment. I asked her what it was for exactly and she didn't really know but kept saying "we all have to pay it".
Now, she has obviously been and spoken to some of the other neighbours about this and they are now annoyed that we don't pay when everyone else does. They want us to start paying it so that their share becomes less. However NOBODY knows what it is for, they all just pay it without questioning it. I said I wouldn't be paying anything unless they can tell me what it is for and what "service" I am receiving.
AIBU to think they have all been a bit foolish to pay so much money without questioning it and that they should stop paying it/find out what it's for rather than ask me to contribute!
To be clear, this is a fairly normal road with no communal areas and no "services" (other than the usual bin collections etc). Apparently the invoice just says "service charge" and does not specify exactly what service it is.
(I am currently the "bad neighbour" and need to make amends - may have to bribe the neighbourhood with homemade chocolate brownies then convince them to stage a mass refusal of payment and demand for refunds!)
AIBU?
To think our neighbours are ridiculous for paying this and refuse to pay my "share"
Hiphopapotamus4 · 16/05/2017 21:20
You paying it wouldn't bring down their share 
When a house is empty, does their payment go up?
No it does not.
You're not required to pay it - for whatever reason different to them.
This reply has been deleted
Message withdrawn at poster's request.
I don't think you need to do anything, I think they need to find out what it's for!
Surely they must know who they're paying? 
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I'm glad it's not just us who thinks it's weird then!
Not new builds, not a private road and we are all freehold houses.
Apparently they pay it to the council
Most of the neighbours are quite elderly so it has crossed my mind that somebody has come along pretending to be from the council and scammed them all but that wouldn't explain why it is in the estate agents details on the house that's for sale. I'm tempted to ask the estate agents what it's for!
It was definetly never mentioned when we were buying the house!
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