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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To not pay my rent

62 replies

cantsleep · 20/11/2013 19:26

We have a council house. The rent is £120 a week.

I have always paid by direct debit every month. I used to get hb but when it stopped the council did not readjust my payments so I was paying 422 a month which was too little and I didn't notice as am really busy with dcs and thought I have a dd and didn't worry about it as knew the bills go out.

Before when the council had taken too much I had a ightvto get a refund and they mucked up my c tax as well so are useless.

As I had been unknowingly underpaying I now have arrears and got a letter today saying that they are changing my dd to £658 a month.

We cannot afford this. It was their mistake that I got arrears so I cancelled my dd ad I will phone them tomorrow and set up a standing order for the £130 a week, 120 rent and ten pounds towards arrears.

AIBU?

OP posts:
IamInvisible · 20/11/2013 19:49

You knew the HB had stopped so you should have made sure the rent payments were sorted out.

It takes minutes to check the money that is going out of your account is correct. You need to find those minutes, you don't know if your card is scammed if you aren't checking, you don't know if your account is hacked. How do you know if the money going in is correct, or if you have funds available if you don't check your account?

MrsLouisTheroux · 20/11/2013 19:50

Cant* if you have trouble with sorting out finances etc. get someone to hep you. The CAB help with all of this sort of thing so get someone to look it over with you in future to save yourself getting into this kind of mess.

MrsLouisTheroux · 20/11/2013 19:50

help

Original poster
cantsleep · 20/11/2013 19:55

I sort of check but I literally log in on a Friday check dh wages are in and look at the available balance.

I have all my bills paid by direct debit and have obviously been taking it for granted.

OP posts:
IamInvisible · 20/11/2013 20:07

Goodness me! How do you know they are taking what they say they will? Direct debit payments are variable, you must check. You are covered by the direct debit guarantee but you need to know that the person taking the money has taken the right amount in the first place.

For all you know you could be in arrears with all your payments, or on the otherhand you could've have significantly overpaid. It is your money. Never take it for granted that they are taking what they should be.

noisytoys · 20/11/2013 20:24

They are likely to want the money back within the financial year so I doubt they will take £10/week. The only exception to that is if it is their fault. You not checking your bills isn't their fault.

inabeautifulplace · 20/11/2013 20:41

Is it a fixed dd at your end or a variable dd that they set up initially?

Original poster
cantsleep · 20/11/2013 20:52

Must be variable as it has changed amounts a few times.

OP posts:
ConventGarden · 20/11/2013 21:00

I think YABU unless you did not know your HB had been stopped.

Original poster
cantsleep · 20/11/2013 21:05

I did know it had been stopped but assumed it would be like on other occasions where hb amount had changed and the council adjusted my rent accordingly.

OP posts:
Sparrowlegs248 · 20/11/2013 21:27

They will accept £10 per week. But yabu to think that this situation is not your fault. It is your responsibility to check that you are paying the correct amount.

Even if they are not happy with £10 per week, as long as you pay it every week as agreed, they won't be able to argue.

frostyfingers · 20/11/2013 21:50

They are cheeky sods councils...... We've just moved house and notified them as such, we were told that we were due a refund due to the difference in bands and promised that it would be paid on Monday (a week after we'd moved). On Monday they don't refund, oh no, they take the full amount for 12 months and then when we ring up to complain say they are "very busy" and can't issue the refund for the initial amount, nor the extra amount for another "week or two". Luckily we had enough money in the account at the time as we were preparing to pay rent, otherwise all hell could have let loose with other dd's and standing orders being refused.

We went ballistic and asked them if "too busy" was an acceptable excuse for us not to pay next year.......it took them another 4 days to send the money back, with no apology whatsoever.

GrumpyRedhead · 20/11/2013 21:58

If £10/week will clear your arrears within a year I think they'll accept it

PeppiNephrine · 20/11/2013 22:25

I think you knew well and are pretending that you didn't. Even if you didn't realise, you should have done, its your responsibility, not anyone elses. Bit of a cheek to blame the council for you not bothering your arse to know what you are paying for your rent.
Take responsibility for yourself and your own bills.

starsandunicorns · 20/11/2013 22:26

When you use your rent keep the recipet sellotape it onto a bit of cardboard undo a ceral box whixh you then cellotape to a kitchen door then the recipet onto that incase of any problems plus you wont lose them check against the rent statment if you get one we get one every four months then you have proof you have paid and tick the ten pounds off

Original poster
Cantsleep · 20/11/2013 22:30

I am def not pretending!

I appreciate that it would have been sensible for me to make more of an effort to check my bank statements but its one of those things I didn't do and took for granted that the right amount was going out. Most of the other ills like gas or electric etc I get a bill through and it says the amount will be taken by dd. the council don't write every month and I just didn't think to check as assumed it would be automatic.

We have had so so much going on that I'm the first to admit I've not been on top of things.

OP posts:
SaucyJack · 20/11/2013 22:30

I don't see the harm in asking to pay a lower amount, but absolutely agree it was entirely your fault.

ConventGarden · 20/11/2013 22:32

pepi puts it best

ConventGarden · 20/11/2013 22:32

peppi

Original poster
Cantsleep · 20/11/2013 22:34

They just can't get it right. Not long before the hb stopped I'd been overpaying due to a mistake they'd made and had to beg for a refund, then they have not charged me enough and they had cancelled my council tax dd (luckily they admitted that was their fault).

OP posts:
Onesleeptillwembley · 20/11/2013 22:41

This is not their fault. This is yours. Face up to it.

TheMeaningOfLifeIs42 · 20/11/2013 23:03

So when they were overcharging you you had time to be suspicious of your payment find out it was wrong complain and get it back. But when they underpaid you you just assumed they were taking the right amount and didnt even check Hmm

TheMeaningOfLifeIs42 · 20/11/2013 23:04

Under charged not under paid oops Blush

Original poster
Cantsleep · 20/11/2013 23:05

I only noticed I was overpaying when they sent a rent account summary and I was about £1000 in credit so asked for a refund.

OP posts:
Original poster
Cantsleep · 20/11/2013 23:11

I didn't realise either time whether I was overpaying/underpaying until I was told. It's wasn't selective dependent on if I was benefitting from the error or not.

I genuinely just have not been on top of things like this in the past year or so.

OP posts: