Empty house tax policy defended after family landed with huge bill on dead father's unsold home

A council has defended its tax policy after criticism from a family facing a huge bill over their dead father's empty and unsold former home.

A family has been landed with a big tax bill as they try to sell their dead father's former Shropshire village

Shropshire Council's rules on empty properties mean that any home which has been empty for 12 months will be charged a 100 per cent council tax premium.

Previously the hike only came into force after two years.

The policy was intended to make sure properties were intended as a way to bring more homes into use to tackle housing shortages – and crackdown on second homes.

But Richard Pallett, a former county primary school teacher, revealed how he and his three sisters had been caught out by what appear to be the unintended consequences of the rules.

After the death of their father they put his home in Pant on the market in March 2023, and have dropped the price by £53,000 since then as they attempt to secure a sale in the worst housing market in years.

However, despite their efforts no sale has been secured, and they now face paying double council tax on the house they desperately wanted to sell – with the prospect of an annual bill of more than £4,000.

Since the Shropshire Star revealed the situation it has been contacted by another elderly couple who moved into a retirement home but have been unable to sell their former home – with sales twice falling through.

They face the same situation, with a 100 per cent premium on their council tax bill, while desperately wanting to sell their former home.

Councillor Gwilym Butler has defended the council's tax policy.

But when asked about the policy Councillor Gwilym Butler, Shropshire Council’s cabinet member for finance, corporate resources and communities, defended the move.

He said the plan was to tackle the desperate need for homes.

He said: “There is an ever-growing need for secure, decent and affordable homes in Shropshire.

“Empty properties play an important role in providing homes that people desperately need, as well as improving communities and local environments.

“It’s because of this that we recently changed our policy which means that any property that has been unoccupied and substantially unfurnished for more than one year will, from 1 April 2024, need to pay a 100% council tax premium. Before this change, a 100% premium was applied to properties after they had been empty for two years."