# County Council fees - ever not pay?



## kildarebuild (15 Jan 2007)

Building a 3000 sq feet dormer. Just wondering *did anyone ever not pay the county council fees?* Or even possibly arrange a finance deal say something like 50 euro a month for so long. 

I will have my own sewage tank, sourcing the waste water into this sewage tank, the surface water will also be dealt with. So i am paying the county council for what? Looking after the road? It is full of potholes. Community? im not in any community of any kind, just right in the middle of a bog, very few nieghbours. So what am i missing? what happens if i refuse at point blank to pay anything? Court? Read other posts but nothing relevant to this case. 

Simply has anyone got away with it?  

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## Hoagy (15 Jan 2007)

I don't know what might happen in your situation, but I can tell you that if you ever want to sell the house, all monies owing to the County Council will have to be paid.  It's one of those things that the searches turn up.


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## Dundhoone (16 Jan 2007)

Well the road might be full of potholes, but it does get you to the house.... Rural roads cost the council a fortune.  Unless you have your own well or group water scheme, you will need a water connection (at an extra cost perhaps, but you are also paying a portion of the cost of having a pipeline running past your house).  Its a condition of your planning, and refusal/failure to pay effectively means that your planning permission is not valid.  So, not paying means that the council can  fine you / get a court order to demolish........  The fee would have been a lot less if you werent building a 3000sqft mansion.....


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## Squire (16 Jan 2007)

I have not heard of anyone getting away without paying for it. It is normally a condition of planning so if not paid then you would be in breech of your planning conditions which may have further implications further down the road.

Saying that, Kildare Co Co are normally open to paying off the development levy in stages. Give them a call to discuss.

I paid mine in full but not until the house was completed and i had the cash. A neighbour still had not paid his six months after completion but he had spoken to them and been given time to pay.


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## poppy1 (16 Jan 2007)

i thought you had to pay before you started the build? thats the impression i got from Clare Co Co!! We paid the 4.5k in full.  We filled out a rebate form so hopefully we can get some money back!!


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## lorna (16 Jan 2007)

poppy1, interested to know why you may get a rebate and how much would you be expecting.  i haven't paid the council yet but yes like you am under the impression that i must pay before before we commence build.  i think the amount we have to pay longford cc 2,500 euros.  did the council hand you the form or did you ask ?


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## Bamhan (16 Jan 2007)

We had to pay Cork Co Council before work commenced.
I had no problem paying this fee it is simply another expense in building a home.

3000sq ft is hardly a mansion though!


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## Roundy# (16 Jan 2007)

If your looking to build a 3000sq ft house, i think you should manage a €6k fee to the council!! Council have to get funds as well you know.

You will be found out if you decide not too pay. The council check a register of new builds and get area overseeers to note any new builds and correspondingly check if planning fees have been paid.


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## calt (16 Jan 2007)

it costs €18,000 in levies in kildare for any house over 2000sq ft!


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## nutty nut (16 Jan 2007)

I can only speak in relation to our local council in Donegal. The development contributions are levied on every new house and you are expected to pay before commencing the works. Most people will leave until they apply for their water or sewer connections and then they have you by the short and curlies. They wont give you the connections until all outstanding contributions have been paid.

Having said that and as was pointed out earlier they do have a scheme whereby you can pay in installments which does suit a lot of people. I imagine that most Councils would operate this scheme.

A word of caution on this - the amount of the development contribution is index linked and will be increased on the 1st March each year.

To answer the OP - pay up and look happy. There is no hiding places these days.


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## nutty nut (16 Jan 2007)

calt said:


> it costs €18,000 in levies in kildare for any house over 2000sq ft!


Just curious about this - Does that figure include a charge for in respect of sewage .

If your house was in a rural area would the costs be lower?


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## calt (16 Jan 2007)

it does, but the discount allowed does not cover the cost of installing a treatment unit onsite, and if a mains system runs nearby you have to use it and pay a connection fee, same as for water


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## poppy1 (16 Jan 2007)

Lorna, i think its because we are first time buyers, my husband got the form from the council, sorry i cant be of any more help!!


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## Squire (16 Jan 2007)

Just to clarify, neither myself or my neighbour had to get any connections to community services such as water or sewage as there are none available in the area. That was why we could delay payment. We also would have been allowed rebates for this part of the levy but as mentioned the rebate did not cover the cost of having to sink a well or install a sewage treatment system.

The only thing that bugs me about the whole development levy is that difference in the amount to be paid in each county. €18000 in Kildare (9% on top of €200,000 self build), €2500 in Longford (1.25%), €6000 (3%) somewhere else. AFAIK Wicklow has the highest development levy. So for many, the payments are not mearly small add ons to the cost of building a house. I cant understand this difference because surely it costs the same to fill a pothole in Longford as it does in Kildare.

The CIF brought a test case to the high court over these payments but lost so I'm afraid they just have to be swallowed.


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## lorna (16 Jan 2007)

the potholes in longford are very big !  i agree the differences are unfair and i don't actually know the formula they use to calcuate how much it is?  for me it is great of course say compared to 18,000 euros which is huge.  but as i got the land and plans for nothing and have to pay no stamp duty on house or site then i am getting off lightly compared to a lot of other people.


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## nutty nut (16 Jan 2007)

Donegal County Council base their development contributions on the size of the house:
Up to 160 m2 = €2600
160 - 200 m2 = €3400
over 200 m2 = €5400

If the house in a rural area and the water supply is private (ie from a well or group water scheme) there is a €1800 reduction on the above figures.

Extensions and replacement houses (already connected to services) are exempt


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## boug (16 Jan 2007)

I haven't paid my contribution in full yet still owe a portion of it. Got a letter from them recently (Christmas Eve) stating they wouldn't connect me to the mains water supply until i paid up.

The levies in Fingal are €149 per sq meter with a reduction of €19.54 per sqm if you are not connected to the mains sewers.


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## bb12 (17 Jan 2007)

You guys are lucky! i'm based in fingal and have just been given a quote for €18,000 for a 150 sqm house. I have my own water supply and own waste water treatment unit. If my bill was only 6k, I'd be laughing!

I can't understand how one county council gets away with such a big charge when another council can charge so little.


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## nutty nut (17 Jan 2007)

bb12 said:


> I can't understand how one county council gets away with such a big charge when another council can charge so little.


The system is much the same as commercial rates whereby each Council adopt their own charges. The Councils are compelled under planning regs to have a contribution scheme which effectively is a central government order.


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## Dundhoone (17 Jan 2007)

As I understand it a fair portion of these charges relate to an overall "polluter pays" amount derived based on the cost of water and sewerage projects which have been recently undertaken in that county.  So if the investment be DOE in that county has been high over recent years , so will the charge.  I dont know how the roads portion of that chareg is calc'ed , but it must be something similar


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## Salem (18 Jan 2007)

I have just paid the 3rd installment of a 15k development contribution in Fingal ... To be fully paid by the completion of the build and its only a 1450 sq/ft house ... The contribution is not only for my benefit but the surrounding area such as path/kerd/greens upkeeping, public infrastructure and facilities in the area ... I'm told ...I may never in my life-time see what has been done with my money, but there you are ... I would have gladly made a contribution of say 5k twords the church roof around the corner or things for the kids classroom in the local school ... Am I the only one who looks at it this way ??


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## polaris (19 Jan 2007)

Because of a lack of funding from central government, councils have to raise their own money. Developments contributions have increased dramatically over the past few years as they're a handy source of revenue for councils.

If you need a connection to the local water supply/sewage system, they have you over a barrel and you'll pay up; the councils know this of course.


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## boug (21 Jan 2007)

Salem said:


> I have just paid the 3rd installment of a 15k development contribution in Fingal ... To be fully paid by the completion of the build and its only a 1450 sq/ft house ... The contribution is not only for my benefit but the surrounding area such as path/kerd/greens upkeeping, public infrastructure and facilities in the area ... I'm told ...I may never in my life-time see what has been done with my money, but there you are ... I would have gladly made a contribution of say 5k twords the church roof around the corner or things for the kids classroom in the local school ... Am I the only one who looks at it this way ??


 

Completely agree with you Salem if you were given a choice of contributing towards certain projects and seeing it make a real difference instead of it going into a big fund.​

On a more serious note how impartial is the council when approving new projects given that the more they approve the more money they will collect. For instance if if apply for permission to build a 10000 sq metre warehouse would the council look at the visual impact e.t.c or would they be swayed by collecting the million plus in levies​​​​​​​


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