UK Concern

Katra

There is a motion thats been passed within Government circles that causes some concern here.
Local councils will have the power to enter your home, take photographs of every room, which will be sent immediately to a central computer, in order to assess you on an outrageous amount of council tax per year. If you refuse there is a ?1.000 fine and ?200 every day thereafter.
To those of you who do not live in UK, we have to pay Council Tax on our houses, previously this was assessed from council men in their dirty raincoats flying over properties and nosing into back gardens and taking photographs.
Now we will be assessed on, how well you have kept your property and what it is worth.
We already pay high rates for mortgages we are already being threatened with fines if we happen to put one piece of paper in the wrong rubbish bin and we already have to pay for the privilege of parking outside our own houses.
That doesn't take into account the steady rise in Council Tax for the services that are diabolical ie police, garbage disposal etc.,

Now we will be penalized for keeping our houses in good order, for decorating to a high standard, for investing in a property and paying our mortgage, for working all these years and the hopeful value increase in our property, which the government will lay claim to should we go into a nursing home in our later years.

What will this knock on effect cause?
People will not want to invest in their houses let alone buy them.
Houses will be left to deteriorate because we will not be able to afford to pay for both maintenace and Council Taxes.

I used to love the UK, but in my opinion it has now become a dictatorship with big brother round every corner and more rogues in the grovernment than out on the streets.


Katra

MGDesigns

I gather they're just going to throw out trespassing laws and the right to privacy within your own home? At the moment lurk and I are in a private let and our landlord has to give us at least 3 weeks notice, he can't just turn up un-announced.

Think it might be time to join the SNP, get Scotland's independence and move back home LOL

Katra

Yep that issue has been brought up but apparently dear Mr Blair has given them full permission and the are above the law.
Other issues crossed my mind to, copyright laws. Remember the defacing and taking pictures of properties? so I asked our local MP about it but because no law appertains to them so to speak, they can do anything.
I just hope that no one hacks into their computers with all the information stored including photographs of what is inside our homes.

MGDesigns

Katra wrote:

Yep that issue has been brought up but apparently dear Mr Blair has given them full permission and the are above the law.

Typical! :mad:

Katra wrote:

Other issues crossed my mind to, copyright laws. Remember the defacing and taking pictures of properties? so I asked our local MP about it but because no law appertains to them so to speak, they can do anything.

Thats just great! :mad:

Katra wrote:

I just hope that no one hacks into their computers with all the information stored including photographs of what is inside our homes.

Of course they'll get hacked, UK Government computers run on Windows...:rolleyes:

I'm willing to bet that this little venture of Blairs is tested in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales before it gets anywhere near England - afterall its how Poll Tax started and every other law thats been introduced during and since Thatcher had the reigns!

tony

i think your reading into it a little bit too much, i think this law will be used for people making complaints abut how badly houses are kept as opposed to how nice.

Katra

tony wrote: »

i think your reading into it a little bit too much, i think this law will be used for people making complaints abut how badly houses are kept as opposed to how nice.

I wish it were so but the Pilot scheme is starting in Ireland soon and they are going to hit the houses one by one, whatever condition they are in.

MGDesigns

tony wrote: »

i think your reading into it a little bit too much, i think this law will be used for people making complaints abut how badly houses are kept as opposed to how nice.

What concern is it to the local councils if the house you live in that isn't owned by the local authority is badly decorated on the inside? Local Council or any government for that matter should only care IF the property is causing a health or safety risk IMHO.

Katra

The point of it all is to reap more money and raise the Council Tax, the only way they can do that is not from houses that are derelict but from those who have increased the value of their houses.

DeluxeNames

Yikes, this sounds like a terrible law. When government gets too big, they want to control everything.

MGDesigns

DeluxeNames wrote: »

Yikes, this sounds like a terrible law. When government gets too big, they want to control everything.

Yep as Katra said, we're living in a dictatorship

WatchOut

Yeah, the government can control everything, i get reminded by the tv show called 'Prison Break' i love that tv show, there are scenes where the government controls ppl, hire ppl to kill etc.

pfgannon

This reminds me of the phone tapping bill Bush tried to pass. I don't think it will be long before I move to Canada.

MGDesigns

Katra do you remember that site that sold private non-government controlled islands? I think we better start saving our pennies LOL

Nuvo

It's either time I got hold of a Guy Fawkes mask and pretend to be called V, or Python, CBG and other UK members should try to raise the 3 million needed to buy a small island :[

Katra

Nuvo wrote: »

It's either time I got hold of a Guy Fawkes mask and pretend to be called V, or Python, CBG and other UK members should try to raise the 3 million needed to buy a small island :[

LOL@Nuvo well said

tony

whats this site where you can buy your own island?

MGDesigns

http://www.privateislandsonline.com/