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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:
MovingOnUpMovingOnOut · 17/05/2017 13:51

Erm because maybe the op doesn't want to get herself one of those £500 bills NeedATrim?

AllMimsyWereThey · 17/05/2017 13:54

I never placemark on these types of threads. Never ever. Wink

WhatchaMaCalllit · 17/05/2017 13:54

Do you know what you must do?

Phone the council yourself as a private individual interested in buying the house that is on Right Move and say

"Hi, I'm wondering if you can help me please? I was recently viewing a house in X place and I'm interested in buying it. There was mention of a yearly standard charge of £500 but as I couldn't see any street lights or shared facilities like a park, I'm wondering what this fee could be for. Can you help me here please?" and see what they say.

Chickenagain · 17/05/2017 13:56

I know two Rogers - one lives on a boat and the other one has a boat, but doesn't live on it. Roger II is a cravat & smock wearing maverick who deliberately provokes his neighbours with an untidy garden. I think he might be an identity thief.

BathshebaKnickerStickers · 17/05/2017 13:56

I live in a horse-shoe rather than a cul-de-sac.

We do have a Roger (who wood-stains) but as a counterpoint to Roger, we also have a male underwear model who loves doing his garden scantily clad....

And we know who we pay our service charge to and why.....

I may live on the UK's most perfect street.....

Funko · 17/05/2017 13:57

🏁

LalaDipsey · 17/05/2017 13:57

Afternoon! Need to shamelessly place mark also! Blush

fuckwitery · 17/05/2017 13:58

we have no streetlights and I sure wouldn't use that as a way to placemark

NeedATrim · 17/05/2017 13:58

If it's legitimate, then she'll be paying up no matter how she goes about it. But if its dodgy, and it reaallly does sound dodgy, then she'll be paying nothing. How will the council/estate agents know its her if she calls pretending to be a potential buyer with a "few queries to ask beforehand"?

LightastheBreeze · 17/05/2017 13:59

Are the houses really expensive in the street, trying to put £500 into context here.

MrsHathaway · 17/05/2017 14:05

We live next door to Roger. He has a big old Land Rover and collects antique bayonets which was fun when I took in a parcel for him and the toddler started fiddling with it.

But our street's Roger is actually called Barrie. He's an angel. He rodded the drain once rather than call someone out.

We had our surface water charge refunded for six years at our old house when it was pointed out that we were next to the damn river and the storm drains opened straight out into it. Nice little cheque.

EpoxyResin · 17/05/2017 14:07

I know all about streetlights - if anyone needs any further clarification as to the irrelevance of the lack of street lighting I'd be happy to oblige.

caroline161 · 17/05/2017 14:08

Jumping on board too!

TenThousandSteps · 17/05/2017 14:11

This post is too tantalising - brash place marking!

iLoveCamelCase · 17/05/2017 14:13

Placemarking...

goldface · 17/05/2017 14:13

I have a relative called Roger and am
by no means using this as a place marker.

guinnessgirl · 17/05/2017 14:14

How utterly intriguing. It may be worth getting hold of a copy of your deeds, OP. Even if it doesn't shed any light on the service charge, it's an interesting thing to do anyway! I got mine recently out of sheer curiosity and discovered an old covenant that stipulates that I can't use my house as a butcher's shop Grin

GiraffesAndButterflies · 17/05/2017 14:17

In my head Roger looks like Alan Statham from Green Wing. The radiologist having the awful relationship with Joanna. Anyone else?

fifipop185 · 17/05/2017 14:19

I neeeeeeed to know what this "service charge" is. (Me, place-mark?) Grin

Original poster
Hiphopapotamus4 · 17/05/2017 14:19

I RANG THE COUNCIL!!!!!

Ok that may be a bit over the top, sorry.
Anyway, just got home and reading through the replies. I didn't want to phone the estate agents and give my details (and they are useless anyway) and I didn't want to phone the council and give my details in case they ask for the money! But one of you lot suggested to phone the council as a fake prospective house buyer so I have done just that.

I felt a bit naughty, I gave a fake name and my mobile number so it's not linked to my landline (all very MI5).

The lady put me through to the revenues department and I gave them the address and they are "looking into it" and will call me back.

Now, before you all start with "if it was genuine they would have told you then and there" - our council are useless, I once phoned up to find out what days the bins got collected (at a different address) and they had no idea and said they'd look into it and call me back about that too.

No sign of Roger yet

OP posts:
Mummyoflittledragon · 17/05/2017 14:20

For the love of mumsnet this is going to take FOREVER!

glitterglitters · 17/05/2017 14:22

Oooh! The plot thickens and yes there's a lot of department hopping on matters like this. Hopefully you'll be able to get to yhe bottom of it soon enough!

CherryMintVanilla · 17/05/2017 14:23

Do what someone else suggested and call the estate agent. I'm sure it's a question anyone interested in the house would ask, so they probably know what it's for.

Gileswithachainsaw · 17/05/2017 14:23

You mean we have to wait even longer Shock

🙇

Thekitten · 17/05/2017 14:26

Oh blimey, this could take weeks if a council is going to call you back! Not placemarking, what are you taking about?