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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think our neighbours are ridiculous for paying this and refuse to pay my "share"

999 replies

Hiphopapotamus4 · 16/05/2017 21:20

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!)

OP posts:
singymummy · 17/05/2017 09:00

Oh god, now I'm imagining a bunch of little old ladies being scammed out of their pension WinkSad

singymummy · 17/05/2017 09:02

ShockShockShockshocked face not winky face!

thatdearoctopus · 17/05/2017 09:02

The listing agent probably just repeats what the seller tells them

But if they "know" about these sorts of things, surely they'd prick up their ears and say, "Service charge? On freehold properties that aren't ex-council or flats? What's that about then?"

GreenHairDontCare · 17/05/2017 09:03

Just phone the council.

This sounds too fishy for words.

WimbledonMum1 · 17/05/2017 09:03

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

MargaretCavendish · 17/05/2017 09:03

I think the council won't discuss a specific other person's account with you, but that if you explain circumstances (worried an elderly neighbour is being scammed) they might advise on whether they ever make these kinds of extra charges via an entirely separate invoice. That's what seems so weird to me - if it's all going to the same place then why have two bills, not an additional charge on the normal bill?

LightastheBreeze · 17/05/2017 09:04

I would ring the agent and say that you won't consider viewing if you don't know what the charge is, then they can do the legwork to find out. It is a lot of money.

SnowBallsAreHere · 17/05/2017 09:04

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

KoalaDownUnder · 17/05/2017 09:04

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.

Why on earth do they all (? How many of them?) think this, anyway? It makes no sense.

There's nothing on that invoice, as you've described it, to indicate that they're paying a 'share' of a whole. Confused

MargaretCavendish · 17/05/2017 09:05

But if they "know" about these sorts of things, surely they'd prick up their ears and say, "Service charge? On freehold properties that aren't ex-council or flats? What's that about then?"

I think you're seriously overestimating how much the estate agent is likely to care...

noenemee · 17/05/2017 09:08

Or, ask the Council regarding the address for sale. Say it's in the Agent particulars, but no one can explain what the charge relates to. Simple.

tattychicken · 17/05/2017 09:09

Ring the Council, say you're about to put an offer in on Rightmove House and the EA has suggested you call them for clarification on the service charge, what it covers etc.

tattychicken · 17/05/2017 09:11

Sorry noenemee! Didn't read your post before I wrote that.

PenguinOfDoom · 17/05/2017 09:13

I'm not convinced this is a scam. I am wondering if it's some obscure charge imposed by the council for something random and for whatever reason people haven't questioned it because it's the council. Either that or it's an error.

burdog · 17/05/2017 09:14

KoalaDownUnder I reckon they're basing it on feck all. These are people who happily pay £500 a year without knowing what its for.

The80sweregreat · 17/05/2017 09:15

i would ask the estate agents - it does sound weird.
They are not getting it mixed up with council tax are they??
If the EA cant help a call to the council might. Someone is either getting very rich quickly from this scam, or they have it wrong and the payments are for something else ( cant think what though)

zzzzz · 17/05/2017 09:17

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

petalsinthegarden · 17/05/2017 09:18

I pay a service charge, but we live in an apartment so if it's for the communal areas and maintenance of the garden and private parking.

The service charge company send details every quarter advising exactly how much they will be spending and where so the charge is at times variable.

I find it hard to understand your neighbours never questioning this charge.. they should at least know WHO they are paying it to and have official literature about it!

We received everything when we got our deeds for the property.

MissShittyBennet · 17/05/2017 09:19

They'd talk to you if you called on her behalf if she was there with you to give permission, iyswim. Like you could ring, explain, put her on to consent to you speaking for her then go from there. You couldn't just ring on her behalf because you said you were. I hope anyway. They should have better security than that.

LightastheBreeze · 17/05/2017 09:19

I think that 'nosey' Roger over the road will be on the case also, this could run and run

Mouthfulofquiz · 17/05/2017 09:19

I can't understand why someone wouldn't want to cause any bother!!! Goodness knows how many £00000's of pounds have been paid for nothing!

LilacSpatula · 17/05/2017 09:22

Placemarking...

TimeIhadaNameChange · 17/05/2017 09:23

Do you know the account number that it gets paid to? If you could find that out you could then check with the council whether it's legit.

NassauBeach · 17/05/2017 09:23

I just hope the outcome of this debacle isn't for OP to get a bill for arrears of £ X000's for the service charge she hasn't paid for past few years! Sad

I watch too many US tv programmes and asssuuuuummmee the result here will be that she saves all her neighbours from any more random service charges and is new champion of the road Grin

Hanch99 · 17/05/2017 09:24

Placemaking