Help required
I have my van on a seasonal pitch in a caravan park - not CC I hasten to add. After paying a considerable four figure Site Fee, I am being asked to pay Rates (acknowledged by the site owner as 'a kind of Council Tax') for the supply of a water tap and sewerage disposal facilities. The Council where my van is situated states "Holiday Caravans that are not used as main residence are not subject to Council Tax. Having pointed this out to the Site Owner, I am still being asked to pay this fee.
Surely provision of a tap and sewerage disposal is part of the original site fee. Anyone else had this problem? Help!!!
TLR2
Scotland
Comments
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Like you, I would have thought that the seasonal pitch fee should be inclusive of the water supply and sewerage disposal.
Are there others on site in a similar situation that you could 'compare notes' and work together on this?
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In Scotland,as you are probably aware,water and sewerage form a part of the council tax bill so I would have a word with citizens advice or similar.good luck.
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I don't know what the legal system is regarding sites in Scotland but like Jill I would assume the yearly fees would cover outgoings and maintenance etc. I presume there are all year round sites and some which are more seasonal, are you allowed to live in your van or is it just a holiday site? Check your contract with a fine tooth comb?
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I have a seasonal pitch in England, serviced so water and waste connected, I dont pay council tax.
But in the back of my mind so do a little research, or phone the Clubs helpline, my site is open 10 months a year, I'm thinking that if the site is open 12 months then you/I could be eligible to pay council tax. But I would have thought the bill would be sent to you, not the site owner!
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It sounds a con to me, but you need to read the contract you should have been given before you paid. If this shows the charge then you are stuck with it and if you go to another site you will check for this there. If it is not in the contract then there seems to be no legal basis for the charge, but you might still face the prospect of being throw off and having to chase the money you have paid or have the water cut off. You may have to assess the situation and see what is the best option.
If the caravan is not residential, the owner will have paid business rates on the site and he seems to be trying to claw your proportion back, but it is very underhand and I would certainly not be going back there next year. If you were liable for council tax as the occupier, then they would bill you direct.
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Seem to remember someone on A CAMC seasonal site in Scotland telling me he had to leave caravan all packed( inc steadies) up every 6 weeks for a week otherwise it was considered a residence and had to have council tax paid on it - stand to be corrected though
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Not quite. I don’t think you normally even have to take an awning down and there’s no requirement to have it road ready.
How long can I stay on site?
You can stay for up to 21 days per stay as per our usual Club site rules. Make sure there's a minimum of 48 hours before you come back for your next stay, as our pitches are for recreational purposes only.0
