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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

or over sensitive?

16 replies

dilbertina · 14/03/2012 19:41

We are currently living abroad and selling our house in UK. We let it out prior to putting it on the market but it has now been empty for 7 months. This has triggered a letter from the council asking if we would consider various options so it's not empty. All fine, hopefully we are exchanging shortly so all good.

However, despite the fact we are joint owners of the property, joint council tax payers etc etc their letter was only addressed to my husband. This has irritated me somewhat (not majorly - I do have other things to worry about - honest!)

Since my DH works away a fair bit he is happy for me to open post to him that looks interesting important so it's no big deal. I have emailed them to ask why this is the case. Mountain/Molehill or not?

OP posts:
Shutupanddrive · 14/03/2012 19:43

Over-sensitive

OutragedAtThePriceOfFreddos · 14/03/2012 19:43

Over sensitive.

WorraLiberty · 14/03/2012 19:44

It's too early to say isn't it? I mean it might be a simple clerical error Confused

PleaseChooseAnotherNN · 14/03/2012 19:45

Over sensitive.

ChaosTrulyReigns · 14/03/2012 19:46

You would get totally different responses in the Feminist section.

IMHO, I think it's unacceptable not to address both of you as joint property owners.

FilterCoffee · 14/03/2012 19:48

YANBU, would annoy me too.

manticlimactic · 14/03/2012 19:48

Whose name is on the Direct Debit that pays the Council Tax? Maybe it addresses it to the first account holder (if it comes from a joint account)

Mrsjay · 14/03/2012 19:52

YANBU if its a joint property , will the council deal with you if you have to contact them for anything , It would annoy me to , however we get seperate letters for bills etc that doesnt bother me ,

BelleDameSansMerci · 14/03/2012 19:55

It wouldn't surprise me but it would piss me off.

carrotsandcelery · 14/03/2012 19:57

I think YANBU.

When I sold my flat I had bought it, arranged the mortgage, paid for it, maintained it etc on my own the whole time I lived in it. Dh had never paid a penny towards it (we weren't married at the time) yet I couldn't sell it without his signature (we had just got married by this point).

I understand that that law protects people from having their home sold out from under them but it still annoyed me as he had no claim to the flat yet seemed to have power over it.

FrillyMilly · 14/03/2012 20:02

This would annoy me. I open all the post in our house and deal with all finances. I arranged all the accounts when we moved house and added my husband to them. However many have him listed first. I also hate when we get letters addressed to Mr & Mrs A N Other. It should be Mr A N & Mrs B Other. We may share a surname but not a first name. I'm still a whole seperate person even though we married.

Sorry got a bit ranty there!

Hassled · 14/03/2012 20:04

It would annoy me. But I do think it was some sort of cock up rather than any council's deliberate policy.

wherearemysocks · 14/03/2012 20:18

I own my own house, had it before me and dh were married. We lived in it for a short while when I was between tennants which happened to coincide with us being between homes. My husband happened to be at the house when new estate agents came round to view it before finding new tennants. He had no other dealings with them, I made all the phone calls did paperwork etc, but for some reason they always seem to address mail to him even though I have told them not to.

It is a little annoying but not something that I get too bothered about.

Dustinthewind · 14/03/2012 20:37

No. I reckon if you both own the property then mail should come addressed to both of you. We have a joint account and that's what Lloyds do.

Original poster
dilbertina · 14/03/2012 21:13

Hmm, interesting! There is no DD set up at the moment so can't be that. I just think if their systems are set up to have accounts as "Mr X and Mrs Y" default, which I have no problem with, why cut off the second bit in communications? I will update with their response!

As a side point, we have a few different joint savings accounts with Nationwide. Monthly statements and general stuff is sent to us jointly but they do send duplicate annual statements to each of us individually. Not really necessary in our case, but I do think it's a nice touch.

OP posts:
Original poster
dilbertina · 15/03/2012 10:02

Well they were quick to reply:

"Thank you for the email informing me that your property is on the market, I will note it on our database so I do not write to you again." - well actually you didn't write to me in the first place, that was my point - but anyway!

"The information I use is from our council tax department and I am unsure about your query about yourself being the joint owner and council tax payer but I shall ask a colleague in our council tax department to respond to you direct."

So there you go. She did address me as Ms. so I think she maybe got it a bit! Will go and find something more important to worry about....!

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