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Original poster

In-laws asking to be on our council tax but not living with us?

89 replies

AllIhearisMuuuuuuuuum · 10/08/2019 08:10

Sorry if this is in the wrong place or is a stupid question but I'm just wanting to gain come clarity on something.

My husband's parents have decided to sell their house and buy a static caravan so they can move up North. As the site they're looking to buy on isn't residential, they can only stay there for 9 months of the year and have to be able to prove to the site that they live elsewhere for the other 3 months. During this 3 months they plan to go abroad but have to provide a council tax bill to the site to show they have somewhere to go. As a result, they have asked DH and I if they can be on our council tax bill so they can provide that to the site.

My question is, is this classed as fraud or anything of the sort?

We have 2 children of school age and both work full time - we aren't entitled to any benefits so it wouldn't affect anything like that and they wouldn't actually stay with us, it's purely so they are able to buy the caravan they want.

Can anyone please help as they're asking us and pushing and we don't want to agree to anything that is going to cause issues for any of us.

OP posts:
Original poster
AllIhearisMuuuuuuuuum · 10/08/2019 09:13

I know it's long winded, but anyone?

OP posts:
TheHodgeoftheHedge · 10/08/2019 09:15

My question is, is this classed as fraud or anything of the sort?

Is it the truth? If not, then yes, it’s fraud.

user1493413286 · 10/08/2019 09:15

Could you go to Citizens advice to ask? I wouldn’t like to rely on any advice you get on here to be honest.

magimedi · 10/08/2019 09:17

I find it quite odd that the site wants proof with a council tax bill. I know quite a few retired people who do this & spend 3/4months abroad - must be quite common.

magimedi · 10/08/2019 09:18

Posted too soon - I'd not be willing to lie for them. Who knows what the future has in store & supposing you do need benefits in times to come?

And it is wrong of your in laws to push you to lie for them.

OneRingToRuleThemAll · 10/08/2019 09:19

I work in Council Tax and if you own your home they wouldn't be named on the bill even if they did genuinely live with you. There is a hierarchy of liability set in legislation and only those at the top level and then working down the list are named on the bill. Everyone else is a named occupant and does not feature at all on a bill.

OneRingToRuleThemAll · 10/08/2019 09:20

Even if you rent and the tenancy is in your name they still wouldn't appear on the bill. The only way they could be named is if they became joint tenants / owners.

Singlenotsingle · 10/08/2019 09:21

Why can't they just say they're going abroad for the three months? What do all the other caravan dwellers do? I don't think it actually works like that anyway - we pay council tax based on the house (not on who lives here). It depends on how which band it's in - A,B,C, or D.

Hoppinggreen · 10/08/2019 09:22

Do you mean they would be on the electoral role at your house?
I don’t see how you could “put them on the council tax”
If you do put them on the electoral roll you are officially saying they live with you, which isn’t true and so is fraud
I wouldn’t do it

PickAChew · 10/08/2019 09:22

There's plenty of park homes in the North (as vague as that is) without such restrictions. Why are they so set on this particular option?

Whywonttheyletmeusemyusername · 10/08/2019 09:28

Do they have proof of where they're staying when they go abroad? That would suffice, no?

Teacakeandalatte · 10/08/2019 09:31

It's because the park counts as a holiday park with different taxes etc to the park owners than a residential park. For this reason the people living in the park must have another main home and the caravan is supposed to be their holiday home. I know of someone who lives in a park home and there have never been any checks made. There seem to be a lot of others doing the same thing so I think it's not something that is seriously investigated like benefit fraud.

Passthecherrycoke · 10/08/2019 09:32

You can’t have 4 names on your council tax bill anyway?

BertrandRussell · 10/08/2019 09:34

Do you mean the Electoral Roll?

8by8 · 10/08/2019 09:35

I don’t see how they could be named on your council tax? Unless you’ve checked and your council lists all adult occupants? In most places only one or two people are actually named on the council tax.

Tell them that it’s not possible - but offer to give them a letter from you stating that during those 3 months they will be living with you or on holiday. Presumably you’d be happy to let them stay with you occasionally so that’s not fraud, means correspondence for them can come to you etc.

FLOrenze · 10/08/2019 09:36

Suggest that they use the current home. Then tell the site they are letting it on short term let’s and will return to it in the winter.

Original poster
AllIhearisMuuuuuuuuum · 10/08/2019 09:37

oneringtorulethemall that's very helpful, I hadn't realised that, thank you.

Thehodgeofthehedge I'm not sure what you mean by is this the truth. I need honest answers so I wouldn't lie on an anonymous forum, otherwise the advice would be incorrect?

They're adamant that all of the sites they have been to are the same, that they must be able to provide council tax bills to prove they have a 'fixed abode' elsewhere as their caravan cannot be classes as residential. We had quite a lengthy chat about it all last week and theyre saying this is the only reason.

DH has told them if it is all perfectly above board and legal then it won't be an issue for us, however I want to be 100%. Citizens advice is an excellent idea and I will try and get there next week. We hadn't wanted to pay through the nose to see a solicitor.

OP posts:
OneRingToRuleThemAll · 10/08/2019 09:38

CherryCoke you can have as many names on the bill as you like as long as they are all equally liable to pay it. It could get tricky if the address box gets full. I've never seen it happen though.

Original poster
AllIhearisMuuuuuuuuum · 10/08/2019 09:43

Sorry, I'm honestly not trying to be purposely vague. We're down South so they did tell me where but I've never heard of it before so cannot remember, just recall my husband saying they want to be up North.

Teacakeandalatte That is exactly the explanation the in laws gave but were very persistent they must provide this evidence to the owner. Perhaps this site are stricter than others?

They will be touring in a caravan abroad so have no set bookings in place so couldn't provide this at the time of buying the static. They also need to sell their house to pay for the static so letting their current property isn't an option.

OP posts:
Teacakeandalatte · 10/08/2019 09:43

All parks will have this restriction unless it is a residential park which is a lot more expensive to buy a van in. There is a big difference in price.

OneMoreLight · 10/08/2019 09:46

On a none residential caravan park, people must be registered as paying council tax at their home address, it can be seen as council tax evasion if they're not registered anywhere.

If you added them as an occupant at your house on council tax and electoral role then the council could potentially come knock on your door if the caravan park is ever investigated to ensure that they do live there.

Original poster
AllIhearisMuuuuuuuuum · 10/08/2019 09:46

Hadn't actually thought about the electoral role, they just came to us and said the owner had asked about a council tax bill. When they asked us I said I was struggling to get my head around it all and they made out it was very simple... I'm now thinking it's not so simple and will be a big ask of DH and I. I naively thought it wouldn't cause an issues as we have a big house with a spare room that they're welcome to stay in if they wish and we receive no benefits/pay outs so it wouldn't affect us in that way. We did discuss what would happen if they suddenly needed to come off it for some reason and they said they'd have to make arrangements for that if it happened.

Also naively didn't realise not all names would appear on council tax bill Blush

OP posts:
AnchorDownDeepBreath · 10/08/2019 09:46

Yep, all parks have this, it's a tax issue:

It's not above board to say they live with you if they don't.

Teacakeandalatte · 10/08/2019 09:47

Yes the park owners need to prove they have seen evidence that the van is a holiday home for their records, but what I mean is they are happy with paperwork and I have never heard of anyone being investigated to see if they are actually living in the home they are registered at, even though many people live in the park all the time except during the closing period.

Original poster
AllIhearisMuuuuuuuuum · 10/08/2019 09:49

Sorry, I'm trying my best to keep up and answer everyone. I really appreciate the help and responses.

It's all so bloody complicated. MIL did ask what other 'holidayers' do as I struggle to believe every single other person has a house sat empty 9 months of the year but he said he couldn't discuss other people's circumstances.

OP posts: