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Q&As
How do I get out of a £40,000 CIL charge?
I am being charged CIL (and a surcharge) on my self build because my agent says he posted the form but the council have no record of it. Do you have any advice? the bill is Almost £40000
Many thanks
Barbara
2 Answers
Hi Barbara, you’d be disheartened to hear that we get this kind of query regularly – this has been a problem with CIL exemption for years. It is essential to follow the process to the letter as even one minor error can trigger the full charge. Did your agent send the form as a signed-for letter? If so, this could prove as evidence of delivery. You should try and find evidence of delivery wherever you can. As you may have realised, there is no appeal process for CIL. Beyond this, you should go to your Citizens’ Advice and see if the can offer you help. If they cannot help then you should contact your solicitor.
The £40,000 is effectively a fine. If you had taken a jcb and demolished the town hall you would probably get fined a lot less. My point is, that mistakes and misunderstandings with cil should not carry such huge fines. The punishment grossly outweighs the crime.