Didn't recieve Rates Bills for 10 months

[Bangers]

Hi All,

Just hoping for some comments on the situation I've found myself in.

Purchased my First IP end in September last year. Been rented since then and last week I moved in. Activated Electricity etc, and also remembered Rates which I question myself on and why I haven't received them since owning the property (I'm extremely busy)

So I called the Brisbane City Council querying what the status was and they informed me I owe a bunch of money ($811) which is now being charged art 11% interest.

Rates was last paid on 14th July 07. So I have 2 quarters owing plus the one that's about to be sent to me. Obviously all my bills (including any Mortgage letters!) went to the Tenants which they didn't forward on to anyone (PM/Post Office).

It would have been known through the purchase that although it was PPOR the existing tenants wouldn't be out until early 08.

So who ****ed up? My Solicitor, Property Manager or REA?

I'm not too fussed about the money, obviously it's mine to pay. I'm more annoyed now I'm being charged late fee's and interest. I'm also annoyed that all my Mortgages papers (including a netbanking password reset!) would have been sent to my tenants. So I can only assume they don't have all my information. (identity theft anyone -- but maybe working in IT Security makes me too critical)

PS. Obviously Rates are Deductible while it's an IP. Isn't it silly I'm paying for Tenants water usage?

 

[Pushka]

I think maybe you needed to have contacted the Council yourself to give them a billing address. The conveyancer need not necessarily have known it was going to be an IP, and even if they did know, in any event privacy probably stops them informing the Council it was going to be an IP; solicitor - same thing; Property Manager - well, only if you have given them authority to receive and pay your bills, otherwise it is hardly their job to tell the Council to send the Bills to your postal address and also subject to privacy issues too.

Your tenants? Well, maybe they dont check their letterbox, and maybe it might have been nice if they had told the PM, but again, none of their business really.

 

[Ol School Skata]

I've experienced the same problem actually. Have learnt from this and any purchases i make now i make sure i advise all parties to the correct mailing address.

Kinda sucks but i guess the emphasis is you the owner to confirm details.

OSS

 

[Bangers]

I'm not too annoyed about. Best way to learn is the hard way I suppose. Being a first IP and PPOR, I had no idea who I had to inform.

 

[Brenda Irwin]

I keep a record of when rates are likely to be due.
This came in handy when half a dozen of my rates notices went missing in the mail. I rang council and ordered copies and paid just in time to get the bonus for paying on time.
The lost notices never did turn up.

PS: Usually the lands dept informs the council when ownership has changed.
I have tho, struck smartie owners or lax solicitors who do not send the details to the lands dept immediately. Trying to miss out on lands tax?

 

[pursefattener]

I have had something similar to deal with and that is to be sure of changing the billing address if you shift house . Of course we did the mail redirection thing for about 6 months...as you do , but forgot one thing ! (Notify council of change of address promtly) we had done all the others .

We have several propertys and like Brenda we keep a record of when rates should be due . Had to learn the hard way .

 

[BayView]

All of our rates notices are paid on our behalf by the PM's.

They will happily do it for you if you call them and tee it up.

 

[steveadl]

Ditto, PM handles my rates.

On a similar note, we haven't received an electricity bill since we moved in back in October. Called AGL about it a fornight ago and they said 'oh yes, it says here it didn't print out, we'll do it now.' Another week goes by without the bill so I called them on Thursday to get them to send it out again - 'sure, no probs, we'll send it out.' So now let's see if I get one next week!

Wouldn't have thought it would be this hard to pay someone money!

 

[Pushka]

AGL did exactly the same to us for our new IP too! It was read back in July 07 at settlement, and no bill until October. Rang them to query it, and they said 'oh yes, there was an error printing it out' and it took another 2 weeks to get it.

I prefer to pay my bills as I go and not get the PM involved; but then I only have the one IP.

 

[Bangers]

I keep a record of when rates are likely to be due.
This came in handy when half a dozen of my rates notices went missing in the mail. I rang council and ordered copies and paid just in time to get the bonus for paying on time.
The lost notices never did turn up.

PS: Usually the lands dept informs the council when ownership has changed.
I have tho, struck smartie owners or lax solicitors who do not send the details to the lands dept immediately. Trying to miss out on lands tax?

Same, I've just added it to my Excel Budget sheet. It now lists all yearly expenses grouped monthly so I can have an extended budget forecast.

I don't mind learning he hard way!