Hi Guys,
I am a Noob, to this sight and do not know if this is the correct place to start.

My wife (Japanese) and our family Two son's, both British born. want to return to the UK. I have lived in Osaka now for 7 years 2 months to date.
I have an issue that I seem unable to solve, the problem is.
When we lived in Portsmouth we were in council property, before leaving for Japan we legally did a house exchange knowing full well we were coming here. this is something that was kept secret from the city council. Our rent was up to date in advance of one month.

Now that we want to move back to the UK. I think we now have a council debt, as we never informed the council of our moving to Japan.
If this is the case would it be cleared now? because it has been more than 6 years which would be the case for any debts such as CCJ's or credit cards.

Hi and Welcome to BE.

I have moved this to the Moving back to the UK forum for you and I hope get the answer to your question.

Good luck!

This is very ambiguous - you lived in a rented council house, how could you do a council house "exchange" if you were going to live in a different country? And how could that be legal? And if it was legal, how come the Council didn't know about it? That doesn't sound legal. The house didn't belong to you - how could you "legally" swap it without telling the homeowner (the council)? What did you do with the house you exchanged for? Have you been sub-letting a council house all these years?

I think we need a clearer picture to be able to answer your questions. If you have been sub-letting a council house while living in Japan, you'd better put your flak jacket on. If not, I think people are more likely to help you if you spell out your situation a bit more clearly.

It seems the OP either left the house empty for this time or sub-let the property. If it was empty, who paid the utilities? If it was sub-let, better to stay in Japan:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-16499636

Otherwise, I suspect he may have disposed of the property before leaving for Japan???

According to that link it says.
'Slap on wrist'

Sub-letting a council property is not currently a criminal offence.


It sounds like they are changing the rules to make it a criminal offence, so if he did sub let he;s OK for the moment.

On the other hand, renting a council house for several years when you don't live in the country, and/or sub-letting a council house for which you are not the official tenant (this whole "unoffical house-swap" thing that seems a bit ambiguous) may be a criminal offence.

Anyway, until the OP comes back we won't really know one way or the other.

OK it seems you all have the wrong end of the stick.
I legally did an exchange with an other council tenant with the permission of the council. (Knowing full well I was leaving the country). I did an exchange with a friends family member. So I did nothing illegal at all.
I just didn't inform the council about my departure. I did not or am not in receipt of any monies then or now.
Also the keys were handed in by the other tenant after I had left.

Then I don't see what the problem would be moving back.
The rules for income that you have, to support your family change in April so you may want to apply for your wife's visa before then.

What is this new rule about income?

Also the problem with Council. as I had said. "I did not tell the council of my moving to Japan". Therefore they would still be asking for the loss of rent for not informing them, and they would have to take out an eviction order to back the property even knowing that I know longer live there. Thus I would now be in debt. Which brings me back to my original question would this debt be clear now as it has been over 6 years or because it is a government property would I still have to pay?

I don't think taxpayers would be very happy to have the debt discharged!

I think you should do the honourable thing and talk to the Council, come to some arrangement about repaying some or all of the debt. Better to be open and get it sorted than have it hanging over your head and risk being caught out.

Perhaps you could say that at the time you left, you did not realise what you were doing was illegal or the consequences, which seems to be the case.

I am sorry for your situation but think for peace of mind, you need to get it resolved.

I'm still confused. Does this mean the house you moved into as part of the exchange has been empty for the past 6 years? Why couldn't you just have told them you were moving and pay up the council rent to the day you vacated. Then they could rent it out to somoen else.

It's not helped by the fact you can't throw a stick properly - I still have no clear idea what you are talking about.

What "other tenant"? Keys for which house? The house you moved out of, or the one you exchanged for but (didn't) move into?

I don't understand why you can't just call the council and sort it out (whatever "it" is). As for debts and discharging of debts, maybe contact the Citizens' Advice Bureau?

What this thread needs is a second hand car

Quite right, I knew a guy who lived in his car.

So what's the problem?