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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

A right good Rodgering and the £500 service charge...

299 replies

Hiphopapotamus4 · 21/05/2017 07:53

Sorry for not coming back sooner with an update. To be honest I was a bit creeped out that more than one of you had looked on Rightmove at every single house for sale in the entire county. I mean, there are literally thousands, who has the time for that?!
But also I didn't want to be like the Victorian safe poster and some of you did offer some helpful suggestions so I am back.

The bad news is, this is looking more like a scam. The council don't have any record of it and the local landowners and parish council know nothing either.
Roger called a street meeting and the 10 houses that pay agreed that a "man from the council" had come round years ago to explain what it was for and they have all paid it since. The other house that doesn't pay and us are much newer to the street which explains why we don't pay and neither of our solicitors mentioned anything when purchasing.
Some of them have a direct debit set up and some of them send a cheque. The bank details and address are different to the council tax ones Sad
Roger has reported this to the police and I'm awaiting further updates from him.
Some of them want to keep paying it because they are convinced it's real and don't want to get behind on their payments. Two of them think we are just kicking up a fuss to try and get out of paying it Confused

The general consensus at the end of the meeting was that it might be a scam, but it might not be. I'm convinced that it is Sad

Sad news all round really (but Rodger did come and now my lawn with his new mower!)

OP posts:
UndersecretaryofWhimsy · 21/05/2017 08:13

I'm not surprised several of your neighbours don't want to believe it's a scam. Elderly people in particular are often very very sensitive to the implication that they may now be struggling to manage their affairs, and many people would rather pay the money to shore up their self image than admit to themselves they've been had.

You're doing a good thing nonetheless.

RubyGoat · 21/05/2017 08:13

Thanks for the update, Hiphop. If it does in fact turn out to be a scam, I hope the police catch the scum that did it. (I thought this was going to be yet another TAAT by other posters!)

Belleende · 21/05/2017 08:17

Wow, I wonder how many other streets are doing the same? And also, good to know what happens when you capture the imagination of the mn massive.

NapQueen · 21/05/2017 08:17

Gosh how awful for them all!!

NightWanderer · 21/05/2017 08:19

Wow, that's really awful. I really hope the police can help. Thanks for the update.

VeuveVera · 21/05/2017 08:20

Do they all pay to the same place? Same bank details?

ColourfulOrangex · 21/05/2017 08:20

Oh that's horrible, I'm glad you came back to update us OP and agree people looking on rightmove was a bit strange

I hope your neighbours listen and do stop the payments but I can understand from their point of view the worry of falling behind etc

wheresthel1ght · 21/05/2017 08:21

Wow Congrats Hippo you seem to have uncovered quite a scam, glad it is being investigated. But your poor neighbours must have paid thousands over the years.

Did Roger get any sense of whether he police could/would do anything?

Inertia · 21/05/2017 08:23

Surely the person behind the scam can be traced via the bank account they've all paid into?

Graceflorrick · 21/05/2017 08:23

That's crazy.

Crashbangwhatausername · 21/05/2017 08:24

How frightening that the entire street pay it. It seems unbelievable that not a single one would question it. Or that the previous owners didn't mention it to you/the estate agents/ the solicitors when they sold? And nor did the other newer neighbours Apologies if this was covered, I didn't rtft on the last one.

guinnessgirl · 21/05/2017 08:26

Wow. Thank you for the update OP. I'm sad for your neighbours, what a terrible thing for someone to do. I hope the police find them.

SnickersWasAHorse · 21/05/2017 08:26

Thanks for the update op.

The brass neck of some scammers is staggering isn't it? And preying on vulnerable elderly people is the worst kind of shit. I've heard lots of cases of older people being taken in by scam letters and emails. They simply won't believe it's not true.

Have you contacted the police?

You could also try Radio 4's program You and Yours. This is right up their street and they will help you investigate it. They have stopped lots of scams like this in the past.

stiffstink · 21/05/2017 08:27

Is Roger a victim of the scam OP? I've found when reporting to Action Fraud that they will not investigate a crime unless the actual victim makes the report and they just record it for intelligence purposes.

Mummyoflittledragon · 21/05/2017 08:27

Well done for identifying what is looking like a scam. It's so sad that people have been conned for years.

WinnerWinnerChickenDinner0 · 21/05/2017 08:27

Wow, well done following it up

(And yes the mumsnet stalkers were a but too intense Hmm)

RitaMills · 21/05/2017 08:27

Why on earth would your neighbours still pay if there is even a whiff of a scam, which there is. Suggest they put the £500 away somewhere safe so if it is legit the money is still there for them to pay. As someone suggested non payment might flush the fraudster/s out. Poor neighbours, good work uncovering this OP.

requestingsunshine · 21/05/2017 08:28

I wonder how many other streets elderly residents are paying a 'service charge' to this scammer? This could be huge! Massive well done to you for not just shrugging and dropping it! Let's hope the police actually investigate and find the low life piece of scum that did this.

MarciaBlaine · 21/05/2017 08:32

Blimey! Shock

Gluetap · 21/05/2017 08:33

I wonder what shows on the bank statements of those who pay by direct debit? They usually have a name or company next to the debit.

Original poster
Hiphopapotamus4 · 21/05/2017 08:41

It started out with me being a nosey cow about the house for sale and then I was just being indignant about proving that I wasn't dodging bills and refusing to pay but was just unaware of this bill. Now it has turned into this potential big scam! DH says he's glad I'm a nosey right move addict and also admitted that good things come from me ignoring his advice to "not worry, just forget it" Grin

OP posts:
diddl · 21/05/2017 08:43

How awful-& sad that some want to still pay.

If they are paying the "council" & the council know nothing about it-then they surely don't need to keep paying?

AnathemaPulsifer · 21/05/2017 08:44

If they were happy to pay "the council" with different details etc that would normally Red flag to other people how many additional "insurances" and "bills" will they have?

An extended family member was sorting out the financial affairs of an elderly member of their family and found their appliances were insured ten times over, with direct debit payments for every policy and many of them with the same company. They must have been aware of the duplication, just kept phoning and acting like the old policy had expired. This lovely old lady on a pension had a subscription to a posh tea and biscuit company costing £45 per month, and was so inundated with tea and biscuits she didn't need that she was handing them out to half the street. Needing more money (purely because of all these sales people spying a soft touch) she was about to remortgage on equity release when a family member stepped in and helped her sort it all out.

If you know an elderly person well enough to raise their finances with them, talk to them about unscrupulous sales people. I may forward this thread to my local neighbourhood watch.

OMGIwonacar · 21/05/2017 08:47

I need a link to the old thread!

BrexitSucks · 21/05/2017 08:47
Shock
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