I'm trying to help someone who is taking loss of SPD to the Valuation Tribunal. The council have gone back to 2008, so it adds up to quite a lot.
The person is adamant that they are the only person living at the property. There was a fraud investigation and they allowed someone in to demonstrate that only one person lived there, and thought that was the end of it.
Then (amid a 'right to buy' case at County Court) they were hit for all the backdated loss of discount, and a revised bill for last year, which went to mag court. They challenged the loss of discount months before the hearing, and didn't get a reply.
I recently advised that they take it to VT, and they have been allowed a hearing 'out of time', the council never advised that they could/should do that.
They have maintained their payments as if the discount was still applied, and now have EAs trying to collect.
The council have referred to the fraud investigation outcome to VT, but only provided completed voter registration forms, no other comments or outcome. There are other people on the forms.
1. Does registering to vote at an address conclusively 'prove' that someone lives there, even if they don't?
2. Can the council go back more than 6 years to recover a discount they think was wrongly applied?
3. If the council want to refer to the fraud investigation as 'evidence', do they have to provide a copy of it before the hearing?
4. Should the council be proceeding with enforcement whilst the VT hearing is outstanding?
Grateful for any assistance, I'm getting a bit lost in it all.
The person is adamant that they are the only person living at the property. There was a fraud investigation and they allowed someone in to demonstrate that only one person lived there, and thought that was the end of it.
Then (amid a 'right to buy' case at County Court) they were hit for all the backdated loss of discount, and a revised bill for last year, which went to mag court. They challenged the loss of discount months before the hearing, and didn't get a reply.
I recently advised that they take it to VT, and they have been allowed a hearing 'out of time', the council never advised that they could/should do that.
They have maintained their payments as if the discount was still applied, and now have EAs trying to collect.
The council have referred to the fraud investigation outcome to VT, but only provided completed voter registration forms, no other comments or outcome. There are other people on the forms.
1. Does registering to vote at an address conclusively 'prove' that someone lives there, even if they don't?
2. Can the council go back more than 6 years to recover a discount they think was wrongly applied?
3. If the council want to refer to the fraud investigation as 'evidence', do they have to provide a copy of it before the hearing?
4. Should the council be proceeding with enforcement whilst the VT hearing is outstanding?
Grateful for any assistance, I'm getting a bit lost in it all.
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