Aussie homeowners beware: you could be overpaying on your bills by up to $20,000! Yes, really!
- Replies 5
It's no secret that homeownership comes with a lot of responsibilities – and a lot of stress. Not only do you have to keep up with mortgage payments, repairs, and maintenance, but you also have to pay various rates.
It can be especially stressful if you're struggling to make ends meet. You might be worried about losing your home if you can't keep up with the payments, or you might be juggling multiple bills and trying to figure out how to pay them all.
And it's a lot more stressful when you find out that you might be overpaying on your rates if you're not careful…
A Gold Coast resident was shocked to find out that he had been overcharged by thousands of dollars over the course of almost two decades through a mistake on the rate bills that he was paying for his home.
62-year-old Brian from Upper Coomera claims that he is owed up to $20,000 by the Gold Coast Council.
Mr Reichel said that he was unaware that he had been paying rental property rates instead of owner-occupier rates, claiming that he only realised this when he heard about other homeowners who had been in the same situation.
He shared: 'Previously it was a rental, so I contacted Gold Coast city council and informed them I am the homeowner and I’m going to be living in it,'
'Nineteen years later, I found that they stuffed up and I’ve been paying 40 per cent more.'
The authorities failed to change Mr Reichel’s category from residential 2 to residential 1. Credit: 7News.
The 62-year-old also pointed out that it was the authorities' fault for not changing his status from residential 2 to residential 1.
Mr Reichel also estimated that he overpaid by between $10,000 and $20,000.
'That’s without interest, compounding. Now if it was the other way around, they’d want their money back,' he added.
'I went through a very tough time financially about six years ago when I was on my bare bones.'
'Meanwhile, I’m forking out all this money. Be fair to us.'
Mr Reichel's case is unfortunately not rare as 175,000 other ratepayers filed complaints for paying a rate category that is unrelated to their property.
The reports prompted Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate to instruct Council CEO Tim Baker to evaluate the grievances relating to probable inaccurate rate notices.
Mr Tate explained: 'I’d say to anyone who’s just bought a property, check your rate notice - that (the property) might have been an investment property before, and now you’ve become a principal resident.'
'Check your bills, any bills.'
Mr Reichel disclosed that he has not ruled out obtaining legal counsel if the Council fails to give him a refund.
It's always important to check your bills before paying them, not just to make sure the amount is correct but also to ensure you're paying the right type of bill. Unfortunately, many people don't do this and end up overpaying or, even worse, paying the bill that wasn’t meant to be given to them in the first place.
This can be a costly mistake, especially if you're not careful. So, next time you're about to pay a bill, take a few extra minutes to double-check it. It could save you a lot of money and hassle in the long run.
Have you experienced a similar case before? Were you able to get a refund? Share your stories with us in the comments below so other members can take note of this too.
It can be especially stressful if you're struggling to make ends meet. You might be worried about losing your home if you can't keep up with the payments, or you might be juggling multiple bills and trying to figure out how to pay them all.
And it's a lot more stressful when you find out that you might be overpaying on your rates if you're not careful…
A Gold Coast resident was shocked to find out that he had been overcharged by thousands of dollars over the course of almost two decades through a mistake on the rate bills that he was paying for his home.
62-year-old Brian from Upper Coomera claims that he is owed up to $20,000 by the Gold Coast Council.
Mr Reichel said that he was unaware that he had been paying rental property rates instead of owner-occupier rates, claiming that he only realised this when he heard about other homeowners who had been in the same situation.
He shared: 'Previously it was a rental, so I contacted Gold Coast city council and informed them I am the homeowner and I’m going to be living in it,'
'Nineteen years later, I found that they stuffed up and I’ve been paying 40 per cent more.'
The authorities failed to change Mr Reichel’s category from residential 2 to residential 1. Credit: 7News.
The 62-year-old also pointed out that it was the authorities' fault for not changing his status from residential 2 to residential 1.
Mr Reichel also estimated that he overpaid by between $10,000 and $20,000.
'That’s without interest, compounding. Now if it was the other way around, they’d want their money back,' he added.
'I went through a very tough time financially about six years ago when I was on my bare bones.'
'Meanwhile, I’m forking out all this money. Be fair to us.'
Mr Reichel's case is unfortunately not rare as 175,000 other ratepayers filed complaints for paying a rate category that is unrelated to their property.
The reports prompted Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate to instruct Council CEO Tim Baker to evaluate the grievances relating to probable inaccurate rate notices.
Mr Tate explained: 'I’d say to anyone who’s just bought a property, check your rate notice - that (the property) might have been an investment property before, and now you’ve become a principal resident.'
'Check your bills, any bills.'
Mr Reichel disclosed that he has not ruled out obtaining legal counsel if the Council fails to give him a refund.
It's always important to check your bills before paying them, not just to make sure the amount is correct but also to ensure you're paying the right type of bill. Unfortunately, many people don't do this and end up overpaying or, even worse, paying the bill that wasn’t meant to be given to them in the first place.
This can be a costly mistake, especially if you're not careful. So, next time you're about to pay a bill, take a few extra minutes to double-check it. It could save you a lot of money and hassle in the long run.
Have you experienced a similar case before? Were you able to get a refund? Share your stories with us in the comments below so other members can take note of this too.
.png){kind=icon}
