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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:
Unlikelyfarmerswife · 16/05/2017 21:53

I'd definitely speak to the estate agent in the first instance and ask them what it's for. How strange!

GaelicSiog · 16/05/2017 21:54

I can't see why the council would be collecting it if it was a church though?

How many houses, OP? Trying to get a feel for how much money it is.

poorbuthappy · 16/05/2017 21:55

Very interested to know how this pans out!!

forfuckssakenet · 16/05/2017 21:55

Totally odd. I would like a diagram of your street. But seriously this is fascinating and I'm desperate to know! #overlyinvested

Believeitornot · 16/05/2017 21:55

Are they getting confused about council tax Grin

QuitMoaning · 16/05/2017 21:55

This is bizarre and you could end up the hero in all this.

tabulahrasa · 16/05/2017 21:56

Are you sure there's no landscaping? We pay a fee for that...it's 3 tiny strips of grass, 2 of which look very much like they're someone's garden (they're not, but they're right next to their drives) and one slightly bigger bit with a bush on it.

They cut the grass twice a year, but it's a bit blink and you'd mis it tbh and I've worked out from our street they get about 5k a year for that Hmm

Ohb0llocks · 16/05/2017 21:56

How very odd! Let us know what the invoice says!

TupperwareTat · 16/05/2017 21:56

Ring Estate agent
Ring council
Report back please

phoenixtherabbit · 16/05/2017 21:57

I would not pay it!

If they're paying the council, then why on earth haven't the council contacted you. You pay council tax so you're easy to track down.

I'd ask the nice neighbour to see the invoice and id also ring the estate agent and see what they know.

But seriously who pays out that much money when they don't know what it's for!?

Original poster
Hiphopapotamus4 · 16/05/2017 21:58

Wow there are so many different fees you have all mentioned but none of them really apply to our road.
As I said, we're not new builds - the houses were built in the 30s!

It is a small road, with just a few houses all with their own driveway and gardens, we don't even have street lamps! So there is nothing that we should all be paying a shared fee towards. It's possible that some of them could be paying a ground fee to the local farmer/church/whoever but they told me they paid the money to the council.

I will ask if I can see an invoice tomorrow and let you all know what it says.

We do all have garden waste bins but they are only £30 a year so it's definetly not for that!

OP posts:
FatOldBag · 16/05/2017 21:58

Have any works been done along the road, like drainage ditches, resurfacing? Are you all on mains sewer or could it be a charge for emptying septic tanks?

PenguinOfDoom · 16/05/2017 21:59

The church thing should come up in conveyancing - I can't remember all the details now, but in effect, if your property is built on what was church land, you can choose to pay what's essentially an insurance premium against the church later possibly claiming against you for maintenance work to the church. There was a fairly well-publicised case about it a few years back. However, that's a one-off payment when you buy but the OP seems to be indicating the neighbours are paying an annual charge.

jaboker · 16/05/2017 21:59

Could it be Chancel Repair Liability?

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chancelrepairr_liability

BrieAndChilli · 16/05/2017 21:59

Could it be its only a certain end of the street and you are just over the cut off point?
Could it be private sewer or something that you are not part of? Dkthough thatcwould be the wAter company.

LightastheBreeze · 16/05/2017 22:00

Someone's raking it in and it may not be the council, could be a scam

Butteredparsnip1ps · 16/05/2017 22:00

Laughing at do you live in Sicily Grin

It sounds very odd.

Original poster
Hiphopapotamus4 · 16/05/2017 22:03

I will draw a diagram in the morning Wink

How early is reasonable to knock on an 80-something year olds door? I doubt she would be happy if I knock on my morning dog walk at 6am but I'm dying to see her invoice now!

OP posts:
Daytona79 · 16/05/2017 22:03

How bizarre, interested to see what it is for.

hippyhippyshake · 16/05/2017 22:04

Oh crikey, I need to know what this is. Hope the old lady lets you see who the recipient is.

Longdistance · 16/05/2017 22:05

Op's gonna find a horses head in her bed tonight Grin

terrylene · 16/05/2017 22:05

We pay an extra charge for maintenance of the green spaces in our village, but it is £30, not £500, so well worth it. However, we do have to engage in the company that does it, (which keeps costs down) so we know exactly what it is for.

Movingin2017 · 16/05/2017 22:05

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Ikillallplants · 16/05/2017 22:05

You could get a copy of next doors deeds online for a few quid. Any liability to pay charges would be on there.

LightastheBreeze · 16/05/2017 22:06

I would also ring the estate agent and pretend your interested but need to know about the £500 charge as it is a large amount to shell out each year and it might go up