What is this bill please?

Rubbish tax is tasse di rifiuti Lawd knows what the rest is............can you scan it in ? Maybe some sort of local 'beauty spot' tax in the mountains ? S

Hi, thanks for your reply. Having ploughed into the dictionary once more, I think this is to cover some works to the Serchio and the restoration of hydraulic works...!? http://www.bonificavalleserchio.it seems to give more detail. Thanks again sproston. I guess I'll just pay up! Next to fathom out, water and electricity bills...

Masca..............the other bills at least will be sort of 'work outable'. We did get a nasty shock recently when our water bill came in at over 500 euro (for 6 months - normally more like 80). On investigation we found that we had a leak IN THE JOINT whereby our tubo is attached to the water board's (Tennacola) meter. The leak was on OUR side of the meter so they frowned and said it was our problem not theirs !. In the UK I would have ripped into them, but I (sadly) gave up and paid.....still not happy with it though ! ho hum ! S

S Unfortunately, the position is the same in the UK, your side of the meter is considered your problem and I am sure the good folk at your probably French owned water company would say the same thing, and then seek to flog you "insurance" at an eye watering premium. C

It is a tax levied by the Bagni Di Lucca Commune for the upkeep of the 'White Roads' in the area, that is the little tracks up the mountains and the back roads, to the out of the way places. Every one in the Bagni area has to pay it, so just take it to the Post Office with the cash to settle up. It's a yearly tax but they are very lax at getting it out on time, we got one last year for 2008/09; they actually do the maintenance work to keep these roads open after 'Frana' etc.

Hi Flip, I assume this is a comune by comune tax as I have never heard of it here in Le Marche. Does everyone have to pay it or is it just for the people who live on the said white roads ? S

Not sure about outside of Tuscany, but I know another Commune in Tuscany levies it. I think it is payable by everyone, but never bothered to ask, but I know for sure that everyone in the small villages around Bagni Di Lucca pays it. Maybe Gala knows if they pay it in the towns. It ensures that the little men in their Apes come out to cut the roadside Grass and fill in the potholes on the Village roads.

Similar thing happened to me a few yrs back, bill was €2,771, a friend who worked for water company told me to find, fix and photograph the leak then take photo to the water company office. I got the bill reduced to €500 but that was still twice what I usually paid so it was a nightmare. Apparantly if you prove you have repaired the leak they are more understanding.

We had a water bill last year for €636 when normally around the €80. The farmer had ploughed the field behind us and ruptured the pipe bringing water to us and as it took a day or two to get the equipment out to dig up, repair/replace we had several days of earth etc getting into pipes. Consequently the water coming into our storage tank (can't remember how many hundreds of litres it holds, but BIG) was filthy. We had to run vast amounts of water through the system to clear out the tank before getting any water usable - all at our expense!! Re the white road tax - great idea. Wish they would do it here and then some of the white roads around here would be maintained and we wouldn't spend so much on tyres!

Thanks all for your replies! We've been here a few years now, but this is the first we've seen or heard of this tax...! Will certainly pay when next in town. Thanks again.

No idea about this tax, and we are not currently at Bagni. I will have to find out. We have not received anything. I will let you know.

I believe it is standard around the Serchio Valley/Garfagnana area. It is certainly in vogue in San Romano though can't comment on other areas of Italy.