Allotment increase - is it legal

[NEM]

Hi
Our allotments are paid for in arrears in September for the year. We have had notice that the fee due is 25% more than expected. Does anyone know if this is legal? The increase amount is small (£3) but I'm annoyed it is not a notice for the increase for next year. My theory is if I picked up a loaf of bread marked at £1.20 and when at the till was charged £1.50. It wouldn't be right. If you see what I mean.
I have sent a cheque with an explanation of why I have paid the original amount not the increased fee but it was returned as unacceptable.
Any ideas, thoughts and suggestions gratefully received.

NEM

[Alison]

What does your contract say?

[Bigmallly]

£3 a year?..................Try £3 a week..............P.S Welcome to the vine.

http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...-do_69724.html

[Guest]

Hi and welcome to the vine

I can see why you are annoyed and it is naughty you weren't advised but for £3 it isn't worth losing your plot over. You couldn't go to the supermarket eat a £1 cake then pay 12 months later (and there could have been a price increase)

[Lisasbolt]

It´s a losing battle, not really worth it over 3 pounds. Maybe write a little note explaining your concerns and how they should have put up a notice etc but not worth the stress and worry. Think about the time you will waste, probably hours and nobody is paying you for that time.

P.s welcome to the vine

[WendyC]

I'm surprised you pay in arrears. What's to stop someone using the plot for a year and then scarpering before the rent is due? We pay In March for the coming year. Any price rises are notified before the start of the year. Last year ours went up 3%. It sounds like your rent, wherever you are, is pretty cheap, so as Lisa suggested express your concerns and perhaps ask for a breakdown of the increase and to be notified of increases before they take place in the future. What size is your plot for £15 a year?

Does anyone else pay in arrears?

[Nicos]

no- we never did on either of the 2 sites we were at.

I wondered if it was actually in arrears too- seems odd.
Personally I wouldn't quibble over that amount- but I understand it's the principle of the matter.

So -yep- check your contract on both accounts.

[Thelma Sanders]

I'm surprised you pay in arrears. What's to stop someone using the plot for a year and then scarpering before the rent is due?

That is what was happening here - so this year the Council have changed agreements so we will be paying in advance, and put up the rent a little.

[bearded bloke]

You best plan would be to take your contract & all other communication documents to the Citizens Advice Bureu, they are in a far better position to advise on legal matter than we are.

[Aberdeenplotter]

CAB up here hadn't a scoobie about allotment law up here when we had problems. An 80 percent increase one year followed by 72 percent the following year. Having said that though, three quid just is not arguing about is it?

[Hans Mum]

Whereabouts are you??? highly unusual to pay in arrears rent are due generally this time of year for the coming 12 months & allotments are seeing large increases across the country due mainly to the cutbacks councils are having to make (not getting into a political debate here just stating a fact) so £3 a year seems reasonable

[alldigging]

Our rents are set by the federation - and this is notified in advance by at least a year to members.

[sparrow100]

Maybe some Council sites are putting rises in (not all are doing it), self-managed sites tend to have lower rents because the tenants do most of the maintenance & manage bills. Paying in arrears does sound odd though.

£3 does seem a small amount to lose your plot over, but I hope your Council can provide an explanation for the increase.

[noviceveggrower]

We had a council guy visit our site a few weeks ago to tell out site secretary that the rents were going up £2 next year.
I was quite funny as he stood his ground and argued back that the council have done s*d all at the site all year. The council guy quickly left.
I don't think £3 increase is that bad. What do you pay now and do you have water on site etc?

[Elfeda]

May be this price increase would have mentioned and agreed with everyone who was present at that instance . since you won't be the only perso effected by that, you better check with some one else as well.